Webmaster forum - tell a friend script?

Author

tell a friend script?

sunshiny

2006-08-18, 6:36 pm

Anyone know of a script (ideally free) for using on my website that
visitors can use to invite/'tell a friend'?

Jamie

2006-08-18, 6:36 pm

In <Xns9823C1ED977B0ghtyu@140.99.99.130>,
sunshiny <fgrty7hh@hotmail.com> mentions:
>Anyone know of a script (ideally free) for using on my website that
>visitors can use to invite/'tell a friend'?

http://www.geniegate.com/forward/

Free or if you want the super-delux one with mod_perl support that
will cost.

Thing to watch out for in these things is that anyone can use them
to send anyone else an email, I'm not really that crazy about them
for that reason, and may actually take mine down some day.

On the upside, the one I did guards against this by attempting
to restrict forwarding domains to your host and preventing the
free-form text from being sent in email. This should make it
more or less useless to spammers, I still get a little uncomfortable
with it though.

Basically, it's still sending people unsolicited email even if
there are safeguards. You have to consider this carefully.

Jamie
--
http://www.geniegate.com Custom web programming
guhzo_42@lnubb.pbz (rot13) User Management Solutions

Swampy Bogtrotter

2006-08-18, 6:36 pm

Jamie wrote:
> In <Xns9823C1ED977B0ghtyu@140.99.99.130>,
> sunshiny <fgrty7hh@hotmail.com> mentions:
>
>
> http://www.geniegate.com/forward/
>
> Free or if you want the super-delux one with mod_perl support that
> will cost.
>
> Thing to watch out for in these things is that anyone can use them
> to send anyone else an email, I'm not really that crazy about them
> for that reason, and may actually take mine down some day.
>
> On the upside, the one I did guards against this by attempting
> to restrict forwarding domains to your host and preventing the
> free-form text from being sent in email. This should make it
> more or less useless to spammers, I still get a little uncomfortable
> with it though.
>
> Basically, it's still sending people unsolicited email even if
> there are safeguards. You have to consider this carefully.
>
> Jamie

I've implemented custom coded ones on some ecommerce sites, and they've
normally resulted in an up-trend in traffic.....However, I've always
wrestled with my conscience when it comes to the Spam question.....Is it
spam?....Isn't it spam?.....I still can't decide......

Jamie

2006-08-18, 6:36 pm

In <v_nFg.3503$2w1.256@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net>,
"Swampy Bogtrotter" <samandjanetknox@tessco.net> mentions:
>Jamie wrote:
>
>I've implemented custom coded ones on some ecommerce sites, and they've
>normally resulted in an up-trend in traffic.....However, I've always
>wrestled with my conscience when it comes to the Spam question.....Is it
>spam?....Isn't it spam?.....I still can't decide......

I don't really consider it spam IF it's one person sending a friend a
link. The thing that worries me is if someone figures out how to exploit
it some how. (I did everything I could think of to prevent that) but
I'd hate to have spammers find some hole I didn't see. Thats the real
danger.

I've seen other systems that blindly "forward-a-link" to anyone from anyone
using any Referer: link.

Spammers routinely try to hack my contact form, for example. (I get plenty
of messages with weird mime-headers and stuff) I'd imagine these same sh*t rats
are trying to coax the forwarder into their dirty work. Having such a tool
is sort of an invitation to attempt it.

Already some wacko is using my domain and forged From: lines.. resulting
in me getting routine complaints and being listed in blacklists. Sucks
because there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

Jamie
--
http://www.geniegate.com Custom web programming
guhzo_42@lnubb.pbz (rot13) User Management Solutions

William Tasso

2006-08-18, 6:36 pm

Fleeing from the madness of the AT&T ASP.att.net jungle
Jamie <nospam@geniegate.com> stumbled into news:alt.www.webmaster
and said:

> ...
> Spammers routinely try to hack my contact form,

yep - it's a daily occurrence here

> ...
> Having such a tool
> is sort of an invitation to attempt it.

aye - I wouldn't let it put you off. Do your best to make it watertight
(I'm sure you have) and fix anything that arises.

> Already some wacko is using my domain and forged From: lines.. resulting
> in me getting routine complaints and being listed in blacklists. Sucks
> because there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

Only a f*ckwit clueless admin would be dumb enough to be suckered by a
joe-job.

IME RBL admins are not dumb even if their 'clients' are.

--
William Tasso

http://williamtasso.com/words/what-is-usenet.asp