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ListMessenger FAQ's

Sales-Type Questions:
  1. What is your refund policy for ListMessenger Pro purchases?
  2. How can I purchase your program; PayPal is not available to me.
  3. Can I install ListMessenger Pro on multiple websites?
  4. Will I get the source code for ListMessenger if I download / purchase it?
  5. How many e-mails or lists can ListMessenger handle?
  6. Can I send Spam using ListMessenger?
  7. Can I use the free version on my commercial website?
  8. What is the difference between the Light and Pro versions?
  9. Why is ListMessenger so cheap compared to other mailing list managers?
  10. If I buy ListMessenger Pro, do I get upgrades for free?
  11. If I buy ListMessenger Pro, will you install it for me? How much?
  12. Can I call a toll-free number for tech support? I want to talk to you.
  13. What is a "Domain name" when I'm trying to assign my Pro key?
Support Questions:
  1. How do recipients choose between text and HTML e-mails?
  2. Why do I get a "path not accessible and needs to be corrected..." error?
  3. What type of sending methods does ListMessenger support?
  4. How does ListMessenger handle bounced e-mails?
  5. How do I resend confirmation e-mails from ListMessenger?
  6. Why doesn't the Spell Checking show up in my version of ListMessenger?
  7. Why does the Import tool only have Excel files not CSV or raw CSV upload?
  8. Why does my version of ListMessenger not have the Import tool?
  9. How do I modify the confirmation e-mails and other strings in the public files?
  10. What is the MX Lookup in the end-user tools for?
  11. ListMessenger is sending messages very slowly; what's wrong?
  12. How can I change the message encoding type to something else?
  13. Can the Spell Checker check other languages spelling?
  14. Can I assign multiple administrators to ListMessenger?
  15. Can ListMessenger be multi-lingual at all?
  16. How do I create my own language pack for the end-user tools?
  17. How can I add file attachments to my messages?
  18. What are e-mail variables and how do I use them?
  19. ListMessenger is giving me an error about not being able to find a file.
  20. Can I send e-mails in batches then wait for a bit and send more?
  21. How do I make the backups, logs, tmp, files and images directories writeable by PHP?
  22. What is the default username and password? I can't login!
  23. Can I use a Flash form to subscribe to ListMessenger?
  24. Is it possible to offset my servers default timezone?


Sales-Type Answers:
  1. What is your refund policy for ListMessenger Pro purchases?
    ListMessenger Pro Refund Policy: Unfortunately we do not provide refunds for ListMessenger Pro purchases at this time, due to the electronic nature of the software and source code availability.

    Have no fear though, we are certain you will be happy with your purchase and we do provide free installation (upon request) to get you up and running if you have any trouble.

    We highly recommend that before you purchase ListMessenger Pro you do the following:
    • Check out the live demo.
    • Review the system requires on the downloads page.
    • Heck, you can even install ListMessenger Light for free!
  2. How can I purchase your program; PayPal is not available to me.
    First of all, let me apologize for currently only accepting PayPal. I realize that it is not available everywhere and it is unfortunate that you're left out of the automated system.

    Secondly, I do accept other methods of payment including, Western Union, MoneyGram, International Money Order, Cheque, etc. Please contact us via e-mail to arrange payment: sales at listmessenger dot com
  3. Can I install ListMessenger Pro on multiple websites?
    No, ListMessenger Pro can only be installed on one website/domain per licence key, as clearly stated in the terms of service that you agree to when purchasing and installing ListMessenger.

    You may; however, post ListMessenger's end-user forms on as many websites as you desire as long as they all lead back to the single instance of ListMessenger you have installed.

    If you are caught with an illegal version of ListMessenger, unfortunately your key will be black listed and you will not be able to use your copy of ListMessenger. If this happens you can purchase a new key one time; however, if you're caught a second time your account will be banned from our key system.

    If you intend on purchasing more than 2 licences of ListMessenger Pro, please contact "sales at listmessenger dot com" to arrange a reseller agreement where you can receive and additional $10CAD off of the retail cost of a ListMessenger licence key.
  4. Will I get the source code for ListMessenger if I download / purchase it?
    Yes, the source code is included with both ListMessenger Light and ListMessenger Pro.

    Why? Because we believe in Open Source and we believe that leaving the source open results in better code, better products and a better community of users who are all active in the development and implementation of the project.
  5. How many e-mails or lists can ListMessenger handle?
    This is a very open ended question and is very much dependant on your hardware, mail server and restrictions set outside the scope of the program. In theory the current maximum number of e-mail addresses that ListMessenger can handle is the maximum number of MySQL inserts that your server can do within the set maximum execution time. There are many different ways to benchmark this number; however, I can give some real life examples.

    The maximum known number of subscribers is with a company that supplies fire and emergency services departments with their tools of the trade. Their most recent number of users was over 950,000. I know they have powerful server farm running their setup; however, with little to no modifications they have successfully sent out several mailings.

    There are other users that have mentioned to me that they have a large subscriber base and haven't had any troubles sending 80,000 or 90,000 messages out.

    While these are large scale examples, there are many websites using ListMessenger to send out to smaller subscriber bases such as 50 - 150 users and beyond.

    Please keep in mind, ListMessenger is not a Spam tool and I take this very seriously. There are advanced tracking systems build into the program that make it easy for me to identify the individual and reseller behind any spam messages. Not only will your account and keys be black listed; I will sleep better knowing that a) Your personal information was posted on Spamcop b) I have reported you to every authority that would do anything about your Spam :)
  6. Can I send Spam using ListMessenger?
    If you clicked on this link hoping to see a positive answer, you're not welcome to use ListMessenger and you are not welcome at this website.

    Using ListMessenger as method to deliver unsolicited bulk e-mail will not be tolerated. ListMessenger is not a Spam tool and I take this very seriously. There are advanced tracking systems build into the program that make it easy for me to identify the individual and reseller behind any spam messages. Not only will your account and keys be black listed; I will sleep better knowing that a) Your personal information was posted on Spamcop b) I have reported you to every authority that would do anything about your Spam. So just to reiterate, no you cannot send spam with ListMessenger.
  7. Can I use the free version on my commercial website?
    Yes you may! Unlike many other free mailing list applications, you're welcome to use ListMessenger Light on a commercial website. The only restriction being that you may not use ListMessenger to send spam, as some places consider this a commercial industry.

    If you're using ListMessenger Light on a commercial website, we would appreciate knowing about it or would gladly accept a link back to our website from yours (although this is not required)! Enjoy the program!
  8. What is the difference between the Light and Pro versions?
    You can see the differences laid down on our Features page and test out the differences at our Demos page.
  9. Why is ListMessenger so cheap compared to other mailing list managers?
    This is a difficult question to really answer; I think that the cost of the product is a direct reflection of how much it takes to run the company that makes the application. EG, If you have a company with 25 employee's and you need to pay them each $50,000CAD you've got some selling to do.

    ListMessenger was developed mainly by me, Matt Simpson, with the help of programmers, individuals and PHP classes. I personally put roughly 500 hours getting to ListMessenger 1.0; however, all it cost me was time and some smaller expenses. So my cost to the consumer is justifiably less than it would cost a larger company.

    Anyways, this could go on forever, so I'll just say... because I wanted to develop a high-quality, inexpensive solution for individuals and companies to use to manage their valid electronic mailing lists.
  10. If I buy ListMessenger Pro, do I get upgrades for free?
    Yes, when you purchase ListMessenger Pro you will receive free upgrades for all future versions of ListMessenger Pro.
  11. If I buy ListMessenger Pro, will you install it for me? How much?
    Yes, if you purchase ListMessenger Pro basic installation is included and is usually completed within 72 hours of us receiving all required information. Please contact sales as listmessenger dot com to arrange installation after you purchase and have received your licence key.

    The following 3 pieces of information are required in order for us to complete your installation:
    1. MySQL Login Information:
    MySQL Hostname:
    MySQL Database:
    MySQL Username:
    MySQL Password:

    2. FTP Login Information:
    FTP Hostname:
    FTP Username:
    FTP Password:

    3. Licence Key E-Mail
    The one with the authorisation code and key.zip file attached.
    Please ensure that you provide us with all 3 pieces of information in order to get your installation done in a timely manner.
  12. Can I call a toll-free number for tech support? I want to talk to you.
    No, telephone sales inquiries and telephone technical support are not currently available for ListMessenger. If you need to speak with someone, please use the public forum or e-mail and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

    Yes we know that Silentweb (us, the company that writes ListMessenger) does have a toll-free telephone number, but we ask that you kindly respect the fact that we do not handle sales inquiries or provide telephone support for this product at this time.
  13. What is a "Domain name" when I'm trying to assign my Pro key?
    ListMessenger Pro is licenced on a per-domain basis, meaning that when you buy ListMessenger Pro you are buying it to install once, on one website. After you purchase ListMessenger Pro you are asked to assign your licence key to your domain name. If you would like to install ListMessenger at http://www.yourwebsite.com/listmessenger, then you would assign your licence to www.yourwebsite.com or yourwebsite.com.

    If you have any further questions regarding licence key assignment, please do not hesitate to contact sales at listmessenger dot com.
Support Answers:
  1. How do recipients choose between text and HTML e-mails?
    Messages sent with ListMessenger are sent using multi-part alternative, which means that if the end-user's e-mail client both supports and has enabled messages to be displayed as HTML; they will be displayed as HTML.

    If a user's e-mail client either does not support, they have HTML messages disabled or there is no HTML version of the message present, e-mails sent with ListMessenger will be displayed as plain text.
  2. Why do I get a "path not accessible and needs to be corrected..." error?
    Perhaps you have changed hosting providers, or maybe you or your hosting provider changed the directory on the server where ListMessenger lives? If anything like this happens, ListMessenger will throw an error that looks something like:
    The path which was provided to ListMessenger is currently not accessible and needs to be corrected prior to login.

    ListMessenger is trying to load files out of the following directory:
    /var/www/domain.com/www-docs/listmessenger/

    It looks as though your path might actually be:
    /home/websites/domain.com/httpdocs/listmessenger/

    Please correct this problem in the lm_preferences database table and try again.
    To resolve this, you will need to use PHPMyAdmin or another sort of database administration tool (such as command line) and run the following query:
    UPDATE `preferences` SET `preference_value` = '/my/new/path/to/listmessenger/' WHERE `preference_id`='14';

    You will need to replace /my/new/path/to/listmessenger/ with your actual new path to the ListMessenger directory. Finally, I suggest closing then reopening your browser so as you have a new session all ready to go.
  3. What type of sending methods does ListMessenger support?
    ListMessenger uses the PHPMailer mailing class to send mail. The PHPMailer mailing class currently supports PHP's mail() function, single and redundant SMTP connections as well as Unix Sendmail.
  4. How does ListMessenger handle bounced e-mails?
    ListMessenger currently does not have an automated bounce handling system, although future versions of the program will contain this feature.

    ListMessenger does have an administrator definable "Errors To:" e-mail address that can be set in the ListMessenger Program Preferences. Any bounced messages will be automagically returned to this address for either manual processing or for /dev/null'ing.
  5. How do I resend confirmation e-mails from ListMessenger?
    Having the administrator resend e-mail confirmations is currently not possible within ListMessenger, although future versions of the program will support such actions.
  6. Why doesn't the Spell Checking show up in my version of ListMessenger?
    The text message spell checking requires that you have pSpell support compiled with PHP. If you do not have pSpell support compiled with PHP, the "Spell Check" button will not be available to you.
  7. Why does the Import tool only have Excel files not CSV or raw CSV upload?
    The CSV file and raw CSV import data methods of importing are only available to users who use PHP 4.3+. This is due to the fact that the enclosure parameter for the fgetcsv() function was not added until PHP 4.3.0.

    Users who need to import their lists are encouraged to open your CSV file in Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice's Calc and save their file as a .xls to import into ListMessenger.
  8. Why does my version of ListMessenger not have the Import tool?
    Only the Pro and higher versions of ListMessenger support list importing, the free versions do not. This is not because it is a selling point, but because of the possibility of abuse that importing e-mail addresses can pose.
  9. How do I modify the confirmation e-mails and other strings in the public files?
    All strings of text that appear in any of the files within the ListMessenger public directory are stored in the associated language file. For example, the default language is English and all English strings (including the confirmation e-mail messages, message subjects, etc) are stored in listmessenger/public/languages/english.lang.php.
  10. What is the MX Lookup in the end-user tools for?
    An MX Lookup (not available for Windows servers) is used to evaluate the e-mail address that the end-user provides. For example, if they enter email@address.com, ListMessenger will check to ensure that address.com has a valid mail exchanger record in their DNS. This is to ensure that the domain that the end-user entered is a) valid b) is able to accept e-mail. This function can possibly slow down the script by a split second or so, but also helps to prevent false e-mail addresses in your list.
  11. ListMessenger is sending messages very slowly; what's wrong?
    This could be caused by a number of reasons beyond ListMessenger's control.

    The first thing I would check is that you have appropriate entries for the "Messages Per Refresh" and "Pause Between Refreshes" settings in Control Panel, Preferences, Program Preferences. Make sure that you don't have ListMessenger trying to send too many messages per refresh or have it waiting too long between refreshes. I recommend the default setting of 75 messages per refresh or less and waiting 1 second before the next refresh.

    This could also be caused by the setting in which you have ListMessenger sending mail. If the above settings are correct and you are still experiencing the problem, I would recommend changing the method in which ListMessenger sends mail. IE) If you're currently using PHP's mail() function, change to SMTP; if your using SMTP change to Sendmail; etc etc.

    If problems persist, you can try asking in the forum.
  12. How can I change the message encoding type to something else?
    ListMessenger 2.0+ has the ability for you to set your message encoding type simply by logging into ListMessenger, clicking Control Panel, Preferences, Program Preferences and selecting your encoding type in the drop down box. By default ListMessenger is set to iso-8859-1, but you can set it to whatever you wish.
  13. Can the Spell Checker check other languages spelling?
    Yes, ListMessenger can check the spelling of languages other than English; however, you must make sure that the desired language's dictionary is included with aSpell. You will also need to spellcheck.php and change line 47 from:
    $pspell_link = pspell_new("en", "", "", "", PSPELL_FAST|PSPELL_RUN_TOGETHER);
    to:
    $pspell_link = pspell_new("RP", "", "", "", PSPELL_FAST|PSPELL_RUN_TOGETHER);

    You will need to replace "RP" with the actual 2 letter ISO language code (eg: fr).

    Please note that support will not be provided for installing or configuring aSpell or any language dictionaries as this is beyond our scope of technical support.
  14. Can I assign multiple administrators to ListMessenger?
    Currently this is not possible through ListMessenger, as there is only one assignable administrator username and password. Multiple administrator support is in the pipes for a future version of ListMessenger, please stay tuned for details.
  15. Can ListMessenger be multi-lingual at all?
    The ListMessenger program interface can not be multi-lingual as the program in it's current state was not designed for this; however, a future version of ListMessenger may support this (this feature has been talked about, but has not yet reached planning stages).

    The End-User tools (IE, the part of ListMessenger that the end-user would use, like the sign-up messages and what-not) as of 1.0 are multi-lingual capable and use language files that are located in the public/languages directory.
  16. How do I create my own language pack for the end-user tools?
    If you would like to create and maintain your own language pack for the ListMessenger end-user tools you are more than welcome to. Simple take the default english.lang.php file located by default in the public/languages directory and copy it to [language].lang.php (eg. spanish.lang.php). Then all you need to do is carefully edit each line maintaining any specified [variables]. Once you've completed this you can log into ListMessenger, Control Panel, Preferences, End-User Preferences and select your new language from the "Language File" select box.

    If you're interested in maintaining your language file for future versions of ListMessenger, please let us know in the forum and we will include your language in future versions of ListMessenger Light & Pro!
  17. How can I add file attachments to my messages?
    ListMessenger 2.0 Pro has the ability to send file attachments with any message. If you would like to distribute PDF documents, Text files, etc with your e-mail you are able to do this by either uploading the file from your computer or adding a file which you've previously uploaded.
  18. What are e-mail variables and how do I use them?
    The term "e-mail variables" referrers to key words wrapped with square brackets (eg: [name]) that you can use in your messages or HTML templates, which will be replaced by actual user-specific data when the message is sent.

    You can currently use [name], [date], [email] in either your message or your e-mail template and you could use them like:
    Hello [name],
    This message is being sent on [date] to [email].
    Thanks very much,
    My Mailing List
    would be received by the user as:
    Hello Bob Smith,
    This message is being sent on Oct 14th 2003 5:34am to myemail@address.com.
    Thanks very much,
    My Mailing List

    ListMessenger 2.0+ also has custom e-mail variables, so you can create your own variables and replace them with data that is specific for each subscriber. (e.g. [age], [sex], [address], [city])
  19. ListMessenger is giving me an error about not being able to find a file.
    If you are getting a PHP error stating that ListMessenger cannot find a specific file, the first thing I would do is try re-uploading the files from the distribution file to your web server. Chances are that the file either was never uploaded (maybe missed by your FTP client) or you have accidentally deleted it.

    ListMessenger can not accidentally delete one of its own files and trust me, it's not something that magically would disappear (accept if you're a Windows user, then just be quiet and accept it. hehe).
  20. Can I send e-mails in batches then wait for a bit and send more?
    Yes, ListMessenger has the ability to send X number of messages, then wait X number of seconds before sending more messages. These settings can be set by logging into ListMessenger, Control Panel, Preferences, Program Preferences and changing "Messages Per Refresh" and "Pause Between Refreshes".

    Please keep in mind that if you set "Pause Between Refreshes" too high it may result in PHP reaching it's maximum execution time and the sending program will just time out. Setting it to 10-15 seconds should not pose a problem and is more than enough time for a mail server to send 10-100 messages. The default setting is 1 second.
  21. How do I make the backups, logs, tmp, files and images directories writeable by PHP?
    To set these directories to be writable by PHP, you can usually do this by logging into your web server via FTP and setting the directory permissions to 777.

    You can also set this if you have shell access by typing:
    chmod 777 /full/path/to/listmessenger/private/backups
    chmod 777 /full/path/to/listmessenger/private/logs
    chmod 777 /full/path/to/listmessenger/private/tmp
    chmod 777 /full/path/to/listmessenger/public/images
    chmod 777 /full/path/to/listmessenger/public/files
  22. What is the default username and password? I can't login!
    Version 2.0
    There is no real default username and password... the username and password are assigned by you during the ListMessenger installation.

    Versions 0.9.5 - 1.0.0
    The default username and password is the same username and password you are using to connect to your database (located in config.inc.php).

    Versions 0.5.0 - 0.9.4
    The default username and password for are Username: "admin" and Password: "password".

    In any version it is suggested that you change this through the Control Panel, Preferences, Program Preferences.
  23. Can I use a Flash form to subscribe to ListMessenger?
    Yes, you can use Flash forms as the end-user subscribe forms to post to the listmessenger.php file. Examples of how to do this will eventually be included with ListMessenger and will be shown on the website.

    The following information was provided by "Mark" in the ListMessenger forum:
    Make a text file with the variables named From.txt, which flash sends info and passes it onto php simple!! hee hee. Enter this into the text file!

    submit=Proceed&group_ids[]=1&action=&full_name=&email_address=

    Actions in form:
    Form = new LoadVars();
    Form.load("Form.txt");

    Subscribe & unsubscribe:

    on (release) {
         Form.action = "subscribe";
         Form.send("listmessenger.php", "_blank", "post");
    }

    Voila!
  24. Is it possible to offset my servers default timezone?
    ListMessenger Pro 2.0 has the ability to offset your servers default timezone and adjust for daylight savings time. ListMessenger Light 1.0 does not yet have this feature; although it will be available with ListMessenger Light 2.0 when it is released.
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