Mail Form: Remote Address?

[Armand]

Okay I got a question. I'm using FQ's mail form for voting purposes on my site. And have included in the form the environmental report showing the remote host and address.

Is it possible that the different people on the same isp would have the same numbers? Included env_report to try minimize voting fraud but is this even possible. Looking for more info on this topic. Already checked out a couple places but no mention of specifics.

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Armand (aka Joe)
joe@arcanumcafe.com
www.arcanumcafe.com (http://www.arcanumcafe.com)

[Deb]

Yes, different ppl on the same ISP can have the same numbers... very possible and probable. What can not happen is two different connections connected at the same time having the same numbers. (I say connections because two ppl can share the same connection like Terra and I do... or like they do in places of work and at schools)

Imagine this... an ISP has 5 IPs (they have many more then this but we're going to keep it simple) to use for it's users connections. They have 10 users.

5 seem to sign on during the day and the other 5 seem to sign on at night. When 1 day user signs off they 'give up' their IP number and when 1 night user signs on they get the IP number. If the day user signs back on the next day they will get whatever number is available at that time... it could be the same one they had yesterday or it could be a different one. Unless a person is paying for a dedicated IP number the odds are they get a different one then they had before every time they sign on. Result -- Many different users of the same ISP could have used a particular IP number. They just can not use it at the same time for different connections.

Try it for yourself -- check the IP number you are using now when you sign on... then sign off and back on and see what number you have. It will probably be different.. this means you got one that someone else isn't using now and someone else got the one you were using http://www.aota.net/ubb/wink.gif

Deb

[Armand]

okay that's what I figured... was just checking. Thanks Deb!

Don't suppose there's anyway to get more specific info on a user via a mail form submission for validating the submitter. (That didn't sound quite right-- see my first post I guess to make sense of that).


Like can a cookie be married to a mail form or something. Have to use a mail form for voting purposes on my site since there are up to like 100 - 150 choices they could pick. Hmm.. maybe better to ignore voting fraud at this rate... http://www.arcanumcafe.com/images/smokey.gif

[Deb]

maybe better to ignore voting fraud at this rate...

I agree... semi-good controls are better then no controls at all but I haven't found one yet -- shy of getting more info then you should be legally allowed -- that would prevent cheating. There are ways around all of it:/

One thing some do is require a valid email... this helps a bit because the person at least would have to go through the hassle of getting enough unique email addresses that are valid to make cheating worth it. So the best (without getting very techy) way to prevent cheating is to require a valid email address and only allow one entry per email entry.

Make if fun.. and enjoy

Deb

[Armand]

Thanks Deb.

Well I do require e-mail address and limit it to one vote per e-mail address a month. (Though I don't check to see if they are valid).

How do I check for validity of an e-mail, besides sending them an e-mail manually. Hmm... autoresponder!? If it wasn't valid an autoresponder e-mail would bounce back right. Hmmm...need to stop thinking about such things I make more work for myself http://www.aota.net/ubb/wink.gif



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Armand (aka Joe) http://www.arcanumcafe.com/images/smokey.gif
joe@arcanumcafe.com
www.arcanumcafe.com (http://www.arcanumcafe.com)



[This message has been edited by Armand (edited 03-10-99).]