Kay Hagen, a contributor on the WordPress Core, developed this Post by Email Plugin that could be extended, probably extremely easily, to support Custom Post Types. Which it could then be adopted into BBPress to create a support ticket or help desk scenario.
That was a Google Summer of Code (GSoC) project and is an awesome plugin.
You should take a look at @rmccue’s bbPress plugin https://github.com/rmccue/bbPress-Reply-by-Email. It works quite well but is a little complex to setup.
There are no current plans to integrate this feature into bbPress core and the recommendation is to use a plugin for this feature.
Thanks for the reference Stephen. I had seen this but didn’t want to spend the time on it without a reference that it functions the way I need it since, as you mentioned, the setup was rather complicated. But thank you! I’ll give it a shot now and report back here for future users.
PS I wouldn’t expect this to be a core BBPress feature either but that’s helpful to know either way.
THANK YOU for your time Stephen.
Hi,
I found I GitHub stuff mentioned above really complex to setup and having a few glitches. So have fixed them, added full configurability for the messages sent. Currently working on attachments and translations.
All of this is packed into the plugin, with all third party software needed, so now it is installable like any other WordPress plugin.
You still need to setup a free PostMark account and configure reply e-mail redirect, if you do not want to see the PostMark address in reply-to (which might be confusing for your users). Detailed step-by-step howto is on my plugin page.
BR, Jj
I’d love to talk to you about taking this base functionality and applying it to a different need.
I AM WILLING TO PAY for this functionality.
The purpose for my plugin would be completely different, but it does involve automated creation of posts and outgoing emails for each post. Here’s what it would like:
1. Each forum could be connected to an individual POP inbox. Any mails that came into that Inbox would either create a new post or append to an existing post (based on either new or matching subject line). I would prefer this to the PostMark method.
2. New forum posts (or replies to other posts) would be sent to an email address that would be configurable per forum, and sent AS an email address that would be configurable per forum.
3. The usual use would be to allow two-way communication between a listserv/mailing list and a forum. The pop mailbox account mentioned in step 1 would be subscribed to the list. Any messages sent to the list would end up in that mailbox and result in new forum topics or posts. Any new forum topics/posts would result in an email being sent AS the mailbox user to the proper email address for the listserv, so that any new forum posts would end up in the mailing list as well.
4. In-Reply-To headers should be tracked so that responses to an actual email would contain the In-reply-to header that it is in reply to.
5. Some sort of anti-spam must be in place so that new users cannot subscribe and then blast the external mailing list w/spam by making a bunch of posts. I’m fine with using an existing anti-spam feauture plug-in, as long as this plugin only sent emails once a given post/user was blessed by that system.
There are some other minor features that I would need, but these are the basics.
I AM WILLING TO PAY to have this developed.
Hey @wcpreston – I’m available by phone [removed – didn’t need to post your number] or email spencerhill – theportlandcompany.com
Hey Spencerhill, wcpreston or anyone else who knows about this.
Did this functionality get developed? I would be very interested too.
thanx
Jan
What functionality are you looking for?
Hi Unicornis,
Basically two things:
1. Allow some users (mods and admins in corresponding Buddy Press group)
to post a new topic via mail to any of our 50+ BB Press forums.
(50?+ secret mail addresses?).
With html and fileattachments. Would probably prefer import of the email via IMAP.
2. Allow some users (mods and admins in corresponding Buddy Press group)
to start a new topic in BB Press and have it immediately set out as email
to the corresponding Buddy Press Group.
With html and fileattachment.
Is this something that can be done already?
If not, could it be added?
thanx
Jan
Just curious if this might happen. When you have a sec drop a quick reply here?
thanx
j
I have posted this on the support forum for the plugin as well, but posting here too and hope it’s ok.
Our top priority feature request for an educational site would be to be able to make a new BBpress topic via email in a specific BBpress forum for a specific BP group. We need to set up 50+ of those for teachers.
It would be perfect if it could be set so that only approved users with certain email addresses in a list can make a new BBpress topic via the addresses. Then the emailaddress does not need to be “hidden”. IMAP or POP would probably be the easiest and best way to get the email.
The rest can be handled by out of the box BBpress functionality as I see it.
Any chance of this happening with this very promising plugin?
thanx for listening!
Jan
This functionality has been available in Joomla’s Kunena Forums since around 2010 or 2012.
I’m kinda sorry we changed our website over to WP since it’s the one failing I get the most complaints about now that we ARE on WP. AFAIK there was no extra cost to have the function in the Kunena forums. Darn! and it worked perfectly too.
Do we have this functionality now in bbPress? The plugins related to it are not maintained.
thanks
Yeah, it’s been over 7 years since this issue was first raised here. Is there any functionality yet to allow:
1) create post by email, and
2) reply by email?
it’s been over 100 years since the car was invented, but driverless cars are still not here either 🙂
well you could learn php, some javascript and a little css, work through the security issues of letting users post via email (not sure how you do that), create a receiving handler, and then after many hundreds of hours release the code for free and then support it whilst people bitch about how stupid your plugin is….
@highrollerusa Robins sarcasm is unhelpful and should be #moderated but I don’t disagree with some of the facts. I left WordPress entirely for Laravel a few years ago. My experience with the WordPress community is responses like Robins, and fundamentally broken and opinionated leadership who fail to get anything done, especially as it relates to easily developing new features and deploying WordPress sites not to mention in a secure.
I built this forum site with Laravel + Laravel as an alternative to this feature: https://StoneFabricatorsAlliance.com it’s so much easier to update with new features, we make rollouts weekly. It’s so easy. Doing this with WordPress was immeasurably more complicated for less secure, less stable and slower product.
I would encourage you to consider Laravel instead of waiting 7 more years as I did.
Sarcasm is useful to make a point, or no-one would use it 🙂
I have no problem is people using different products, and would not champion Wordspress or bbpress above other products – it exists for those who find it useful, no more no less.
If you can point @highrollerusa at how he installs Laverel + as forum software with email posting, I’m sure he’d be very grateful.
