can I mass e-mail from my domain?

[scojam]

Is it okay for me to send many emails (about 30,000) to my subscribers of my domain? Are there any restrictions or problems with this?

I was doing a SQL loop for 1,000 email names and doing PHP mail() command to send, To: (myself), Bcc: (the 1,000 names). and doing this loop 30 times to broadcast a message to my 30,000 subscribers.

Is there a problem with this?

NOTE: This isn't spam, but messages sent to registered users to wish to receive email.

-Scott

[thinkliberty]

If you're going to be sending that many emails why don't you setup your own smtp server? And send them from your own computer?

[halyfax]

do a search on the forum this issue has been raised many times. Your numbers are too high IMO, 1000 emails at once is way too many. You need to send in small batches over a period of time, best in the wee hours of the morning CST.

Try using your isp's smtp and do not use your domain as reply to (for bounces)

also check out phplist in your scripts library it has many of these features.

[scojam]

update on mass mail

An update on my original post....

My account was suspended (and my client freaked out) for SPAM. Of course, this wasn't spam, but the server must have been hammered (sorry!).

My client chose to move the service to Verio hosting instead of with me, so I'm forced to comply after various hardships. However, I'll look at using something like phplist from my own Linux server in my home office on Comcast cable modem.

I didn't realize this was such a touchy topic and a bit of a gray area for server etiquette. I also didn't realize that this could affect the server so drastically -- sorry to anyone affected by this.

I did find a thread when searching for "mass mail" that touches on this topic also.

Thanks for the support...I really like this community at Dathorn!

-Scott

[ChrisTech]

30,000 emails is quite a lot from a shared server. If you do this on a regular basis, you might want to look at an email service or dedicated/vps solution for this.

If you send that many emails from your home comcast cable line, you could loose your service or smtp ability.

[scojam]

phplist at dathorn?

I was reading about phplist at phplist faq which mentions the ability to send emails over a period of time.
Specifically....

• Batch Processing. To facilitate shared hosting environments, you can specify the maximum number of emails to send in a time period you identify. This can also be overridden by ISPs who can set these values server wide to apply to any PHPlist installation on that machine.
  
• ISP Friendly. Apart from the limit on values for batch processing that the ISP can enforce, there is an additional option for ISPs to suspend sending during busy times in the day.

My question is: What is an appropriate # of emails to send that won't bog down the server? 1,000 per hour? 100 per hour?

I don't mean to drag out this thread, but I seriously would like a way to offer my customers the ability to e-mail messages to their members. We follow the opt-in/opt-out rules for e-mail contacting, never buy/sell our lists, and respect the members all in an effort to avoid being spam.

I'm just trying to understand the server capacity and etiquette for doing mass mailings.

[Frank Hagan]

I'm not sure how many emails per hour will keep you from getting suspended for overloading the server. Several of us have email lists with a dozen or so people on them and don't have any problem, but what you are talking about seems to me to be inappropriate use of the shared server resources. I think you'll always run the risk of being suspended, if not for server resources then for when any 2 or 3 of those 30,000 people forget they "opted in" and report you as spam. Then the shared IP address on the server gets listed as a spammer and everyone else on the server is cranky.

I would look into using a Virtual Private Server for this kind of thing. You can find them for about $35 per month or so, and you have your own IP address so getting on the spam blacklists will just inconvenience you, not get you shut down. Dinix.com and ServInt.com have them, and I've heard good things about them (Dathorn has considered it in the past, but their business model is the shared server environment so far.)

Whatever you do, don't get on the Cpanel08 server.

[ChrisTech]

I'm not sure how many emails per hour will keep you from getting suspended for overloading the server. Several of us have email lists with a dozen or so people on them and don't have any problem, but what you are talking about seems to me to be inappropriate use of the shared server resources. I think you'll always run the risk of being suspended, if not for server resources then for when any 2 or 3 of those 30,000 people forget they "opted in" and report you as spam. Then the shared IP address on the server gets listed as a spammer and everyone else on the server is cranky.

I would look into using a Virtual Private Server for this kind of thing. You can find them for about $35 per month or so, and you have your own IP address so getting on the spam blacklists will just inconvenience you, not get you shut down. Dinix.com and ServInt.com have them, and I've heard good things about them (Dathorn has considered it in the past, but their business model is the shared server environment so far.)

Whatever you do, don't get on the Cpanel08 server.

Stay off 08 + 24

[Grunfeld]

Good Questions, maybe Andrew or someone from support could give us some safe numbers. I am looking at bringing a client on that wants newsletter to 528 clients not a huge number but can it be done from here with the shared resources...???

[AndrewT]

What I generally recommend is that 10 e-mails be sent out every 10 seconds.

Send 10 e-mails
Wait 10 seconds
Send 10 e-mails
...etc...