Protecting web pages

[echnidna]

Well the cold weather is here again so Im playing with my website.
Coz I don't do it often enough I forget html tags.

A FEW QUESTIONS

What is the tag for inserting a space between letters?
its something line nbsp and a semicolon but I've forgotten the tag.

I can redirect paypal customers to a webpage after they have purchased.
It occurs that I could use this as away of providing instant download info to them which must improve my service to my customers.

But how do I protect such webpages from the bots that prowl all the time.
Apart from the criminals even google could cache them thus disclosing download info to all and sundry.

I think I would need a random word/number generator just to name the webpages as if I just used a normal phrase or sequential naming system it would be easy to locate download info etc.

Are there any freeware random letter/number generators available?

Thanks to all for any help or suggestions :)

[chrisb691]

Well the cold weather is here again so Im playing with my website.
Coz I don't do it often enough I forget html tags.

A FEW QUESTIONS

What is the tag for inserting a space between letters?
its something line nbsp and a semicolon but I've forgotten the tag.

A non brealing space is  

I can redirect paypal customers to a webpage after they have purchased.
It occurs that I could use this as away of providing instant download info to them which must improve my service to my customers.

But how do I protect such webpages from the bots that prowl all the time.
Apart from the criminals even google could cache them thus disclosing download info to all and sundry.

I think I would need a random word/number generator just to name the webpages as if I just used a normal phrase or sequential naming system it would be easy to locate download info etc.

Your first page is still going to point to the other pages, no matter what you call them, so the bots will still be able to get the info.

Are there any freeware random letter/number generators available?

Google for 'free random number generator', an dyou'll get a lot of hits.

Thanks to all for any help or suggestions :)

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I can redirect paypal customers to a webpage after they have purchased.
It occurs that I could use this as away of providing instant download info to them which must improve my service to my customers.

But how do I protect such webpages from the bots that prowl all the time.
Apart from the criminals even google could cache them thus disclosing download info to all and sundry.

The simplest (and safest) way is to not have the links available to 'em on the page at all.

Obviously, there's the method where the correct link is sent to 'em via e-mail but that's not exactly an 'instant' download.

Another, fairly common method is to use a script that generates a random alpha-numeric combo (usually 4 chars) and display them as graphics with non-std fonts, which the user needs to enter before being sent to the correct URL by the script. Real people usually have no problems reading these passwords, but the bots have hissy fits. :D eg. try going to this page (http://rapidshare.com/files/35803086/RegDoctor.1.83.incl.Patch-SND.rar) and click on the "free" button. (Don't bother actually downloading the file, it's just a patch for sw you probably don't have. But it illustrates the sort of thing I'm talking about quite nicely...)

[q9]

If you don't want your pages searched by bots, then use robots.txt - google it to get all the info. That will stop compliant search engines, but for rogues you may need to consider using htaccess - google that as well. But generally, don't put anything on the net you are not willing to let the whole world have.

[joe greiner]

Another, fairly common method is to use a script that generates a random alpha-numeric combo (usually 4 chars) and display them as graphics with non-std fonts, which the user needs to enter before being sent to the correct URL by the script. Real people usually have no problems reading these passwords, but the bots have hissy fits. :D eg. try going to this page (http://rapidshare.com/files/35803086/RegDoctor.1.83.incl.Patch-SND.rar) and click on the "free" button. (Don't bother actually downloading the file, it's just a patch for sw you probably don't have. But it illustrates the sort of thing I'm talking about quite nicely...)

That's how WWF (and SMC too, I think; probably built in to vbulletin) implements a search when you're not logged in. Six or eight characters, IIRC.

Joe

[arose62]

The random image functionality is called
CAPTCHA, a sorta acronym for
Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart.

See here for more info.

www.captcha.net

Lots of popular software has plug-in modules available to provide this.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Charles S.]

a)  

If you ever forget this tag again, visit http://www.w3schools.com


b) There is no way to get rid of bots, image verification is the closest you can get.


c) http://everitz.com/2003/10/15/verification_image_with_php.php seems to cover the subject pretty well.

[echnidna]

Thanks fellas,
maybe the safest way to provide instant download details is with an auto responder.