# Migrating off of Mailchimp for the Bullhorn
###### tags: `bullhorn`

As we now have the forum for publishing the Bullhorn, we want to deprecate and end use of Mailchimp.

In order to do this, we need to migrate those subscribers to the Forum newsletter category.

The process to do this migration is:
1. Ensure all our docs & blogs point to The Forum (and not Bullhorn)
2. Create a hidden group in the forum for bullhorn subscribers.
#### created - https://forum.ansible.com/g/Bullhorn
4. Create an invite code that will invite readers to join the forum specifically to the newsletter, watching first post so they get emails for each bullhorn issue.
5. Verify this setup works.
6. Send emails to the mailchimp subscribers explaining this transition and with an invite link to the bullhorn on the forum.
7. Post in the weekly bullhorn that this is happening.
8. Stop posting mailchimp bullhorn issues after two weeks of sending the email invites.
9. Shut down mailchimp for us entirely?

## Creating the hidden group
1. Follow what was done for the Red Had employees group, but do not use the automated email section.
2. Set the group to subscribe to the newsletter as 'first post'.
#### created - https://forum.ansible.com/g/Bullhorn

## Creating the invite code
From the new group, create a new invite code:
1. Log in as community team user so the invite comes from that account.
1. Set the # of invites up high. Current subscribers are 2494.
2. Do not point to a topic. It will default bring them to the main forum page after they fill in the new account details.

## Verify this setup works

Use the following invite code (up to 10 users):
https://forum.ansible.com/invites/rSapww6KcX

Test the following scenarios:
1. A subscriber with no forum account can click the invite link, create a new account and will have watch first post for the bullhorn (and general news).
- Verified new account is watching the newsletter. Also verified by Leo.
3. A subscriber who has a forum account but is not currently logged in on an open browser is not asked to create a new account, but is subscribed to the bullhorn.
- Verified but it's not obvious. Mention in the email that if you have a forum account already, go to the bottom of the invite page to log in vs creating a new account.
5. A subscriber who has a forum account AND is currently logged in on an open browser is subscribed to the bullhorn.
- Verified.
6. A subscriber who has a forum account and is already watching first post for some other category is added to the bullhorn.
- verified a newish account that has edited watch first post and then accepts the invite, has the newsletter category added to their watch-first-post list.
8. A subscriber who as a newish forum account where they have not changed any default settings will get subscribed to the bullorn.
- verified this works. A new user is by default watching first post for the news & announcments. When they accept an invite to the bullhorn, the newsletter is added to the watching first post. Also verified by Leo.

## Draft email to the subscribers
*The following text was sent on June 13, 2024 only to subscribers in mailchimp once all verification has been completed. This invite is for 2150 (current mailchimp subscribers are 2114)*

*We will send a reminder email as well on June 20th*

Hello Bullhorn Subscribers!

We are consolidating our publishing of the Ansible Bullhorn to the Ansible Forum. If you already have a forum account and are already 'watching first post' for the Newsletter category, you don't need to do anything else!

For those who have an Ansible forum account but are not already watching the Newsletter category, just click following link. Scroll down to the bottom of the invite page to log in with your account and you'll continue to recieve the Bullhorn in email as you do today.

https://forum.ansible.com/invites/BuPg4CJNu5

For those who do not already have an Ansible forum account, just click above and create an account. You will then continue to receive the Bullhorn in email as you do today.

We will stop sending the Bullhorn out through this non-Forum email subscription after June 21, 2024.

Thanks!
The Ansible Community Team

## Draft Bullhorn entry
*The following text can be used to announce this is happening in the Bullhorn itself. This should only be posted once, and after the first email is sent to subscribers via mailchimp. (They should be the first to know.)*

We're consolidating the Bullhorn subscription option to the Ansible Forum. If you are subscribed through our older email compaign, look out for an email with a simple invite code to get you into the Ansible forum and subscribed for email updates on Bullhorn Forum topics.

## Deleting the mailchimp account
1. Export data https://us19.admin.mailchimp.com/account/data/ (likely campaigns and the audiences (emails)) at least. Possibly reports as well.
2. Delete the account - Ideally after June 22 so we have an extra month (22nd is the autopay date) just in case.S

## Autoposting the bullhorn to our slack community channel

TBD

## Places we link to The Bullhorn

* https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/devel/community/communication.html#the-bullhorn
* And backport
#### created https://github.com/ansible/ansible-documentation/pull/1568
* Unarchive and fix https://github.com/ansible/community/issues/546 (as it's a top Google hit)
#### done
* I think a lot of Collection docs (indirectly) link to The Bullhorn
* https://github.com/ansible-collections/collection_template?tab=readme-ov-file#communication
#### all of these link to docs which have been updated.
* FIXME, what else

## Notes
Can use + addressing - samccann+discoursetest.gmail.com for example is a separate address to use to create new forum accounts for test etc w/o needing additional actual gmail accounts.
[e-mail]
goes to [e-mail] for example