Scripts for Educators Presents:

RemindMe!

A simple auto-email reminder service

Contents:

Program Summary
Who's Using RemindMe?
System Requirements
Files Needed

Program Summary:

RemindMe v3.0 beta is a simple program that lets users sign up to receive auto-reminders by email about a date they choose at a designated interval before that date. Users can select whether to be reminded only once, daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-anually, or every year, and whether to be reminded any number of days in advance of that date, from one day to one year. Users may also select an option to view, edit, or delete any pending reminders.

A Working version of the user interface is online for you to try out. NOTE: this is a demo of the interfaces only. The reminders file gets cleared out periodically, so don't expect to get sent reminders from this demo. To prevent abuse, I have set it up for "opt in" only, so you won't be able to set up reminders unless you enter your real email address and respond to the confirmation message.

With the admin interface, you can change your password or modify the footer text that is sent out with each reminder. In the demo version of the admin interface, I have removed the ability to permanently change the password or the footer, but the program will operate as usual without actually making the changes. Use the password "password" to try it out.

Commercial applications of this program may be more likely than educational; nonetheless the program can also be used by students and teachers to remind them of assignment due dates, final exams, special events, or even gift giving occasions.

Who's Using RemindMe?

I seem to get a lot of requests for help with this script, but I don't have many URL's of people using it. Here are a few I've found. If you've got it up and running, please let me know!

OverNiteRoses.com Reminder Service
Le calendrier de NetPOP (en Francais)
WorldWide Plus Free Email Reminder Service
Diversified Marketing Associates


System Requirements:

The machine where your script will be run should be a Unix or NT server with Perl 5.000 or higher. RemindMe will NOT work unless you have a complete install of Perl 5 or higher with the Time::Local module. It shouldn't matter whether the web server is Netscape, NCSA or other, and it shouldn't matter what browser the user has as long as it supports forms and the POST method.

You must be able to execute cgi programs on your web server. If you're not sure whether you have permission to do this, or are not sure how to configure the files, please ask the people who provide technical support for your website. If you wish to use the automatic sending function with "cron," you must have permission to set up "cron jobs" so that you can set the reminder service to go off automatically every day. Please ask your systems administrator if you're not sure if you have access to "cron," the common scheduler for Unix. If your web server is NT, you will probably have to have your technical support people set up an "at" job.


Files Needed:

The following files are required. You may download the package in a gzipped tar file. NOTE: if you have Netscape or Internet Explorer, and you want to download this, try holding down the "shift" key while you click on the link. This should give you the option to download the file.

Type "gunzip cgisubscribe.tar.gz" then type "tar -xvf cgisubscribe.tar" to uncompress and expand the package, or get the plugin for Netscape from the main Scripts for Educators page. The following files should be included except for sendmail: (Please ask your system administrator if you have sendmail available):

Your Unix web server should have: sendmail, and "cron".
remindme.cgi:
the actual program that processes the data from the forms and sends the reminders.
remindme.cron
A template file for the cron job to run the auto-reminder.
allreminders
Just a plain text file which will contain the list of reminders. Yours should be empty.
footer
Another plain text file that contains text which will be appended to all messages sent by RemindMe.
passfile.txt
The password file for the program. The default password is simply "password," so I suggest you change this immediately or anyone who knows about this program will be able to use your form. :)
README.remindme
contains information on how to get started using the program. READ THIS before you get started!
This file


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This page copyright © 1996, Kristina L. Pfaff-Harris. All rights reserved.