If you've got an integer primary key for the subscribers, use a MOD 24 selection routine to pick the subscribers to notify each hour. So a midnight, you notify everyone with PK MOD 24 = 0. At 1:00 am, you notify everyone with PK MOD 24 = 1.
It won't be perfectly even, but the odds of clustering around a the number 24 are pretty slim since the keys are either randomly or sequentially assigned. cheers, barneyb On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 13:28:56 -0600, Dave Phillips <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi folks! I need your input on a task I've got to create that sends out a > notification to everyone on our mailing list once daily. However, our list > is quite large, so I don't want to send it at the same time every day as > that's too much mail to go out at once. What I would like to do is develop > a routine that would send these notifications out throughout the day for all > subscribed members of the list. It must take into account that the list is > dynamic and changing throughout the day. > > I've had a couple of ideas, but ruled them out for various reasons. One > idea I already had was to use the time the person was 'added' to the list > and send them the notification message at that same time every day. Since > our subscriptions are spread throughout the 24 hour period, that would > balance it out somewhat. However, two problems with that are 1. Most > subscriptions come during the day, so it wouldn't be properly balanced. 2. > My task would have to run literally every minute, or every 5 minutes or so > and look for the people who had subscribed within that time period and send > them the notification. My fear is that if the time on the server gets off > or gets changed, some people would be missed. > > My ideal situation would be a good balanced send over a 24 hour period. > > Anyway, I'm open to new and creative ideas. I'm sure someone has had to do > something like this before, so hopefully I will get some great suggestions! > > Thanks!!! > > Sincerely, > > Dave Phillips > BizBreeze.com > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 615-746-3851 > -- Barney Boisvert [EMAIL PROTECTED] 360.319.6145 http://www.barneyb.com/blog/ I currently have 0 GMail invites for the taking ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:184451 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
