Right after I walk on water... (help please!)

[Fat Tone]

Originally posted by Topha
What does "SOL" mean?

My guess is 'Straight Outa Luck' or something like that.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'll actually get approval from Da Boss before doing anything (accessability regulations), and then do the disabling menus & clicks thing if allowed.

T.

[agallag]

It's actually a different "S" word. A four letter one.

[Pace]

This goes against the entire principles of the Internet! Free information for all!

[Sethos]

SOL =

___ outa luck --
S= Sorry or Sh*t as I've heard.

I've seen this one program on a site, the page loaded asked if ok to download a prog to view the pics. It was pretty cool in that a screen cap didn't work, couldn't save it with the page, couldn't save it by right click. in other words impossible to get around, that's your best bet.

(I managed to get through it, but had to get creative to do so, most won't bother...)

~Sethos

[Gurm]

Well there ARE ways to do this, but they're all generally unpleasant. You could license the STORM technology, which will prevent even cameras from taking pictures of the information whilst displayed on the screen... as well as anyone sitting offcenter from seeing it properly, and certainly prevents screen grabs.

However, it's pricey and a pain in the rump to use.

- Gurm

[Topha]

Just found this by coincidence, first a story in german with a link to an english MS site

German link

MS Site about RightsManagement

Not out yet, but sounds like what your SOL guy wants

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by Gurm
Well there ARE ways to do this, but they're all generally unpleasant. You could license the STORM technology, which will prevent even cameras from taking pictures of the information whilst displayed on the screen... as well as anyone sitting offcenter from seeing it properly, and certainly prevents screen grabs.

However, it's pricey and a pain in the rump to use.

- Gurm

Got a link on that stuff?

Tony-Hmmm, right click disable and pull down menu disable is a must. They could always do a screen cap, but who's gonna save pics to their HDD? You COULD to flash, but then someone could easily download the flash movie to their HDD. That's worse than a web page, IMO.

This is what I would do...(would it work?)
Make the pages pull info from a DB.
BUT in order to pull the info from the DB, there is a script (contained in a file other than the html file you're viewing) that would somehow check the URL of the page that the DB query was coming from. And if it was from where you want it to be, then let it pull it...if not (such as being from a user's HDD), then dissallow it.

WOuld this solve your problem? Is it feasable?

[Wombat]

Originally posted by Kooldino
Got a link on that stuff?

Tony-Hmmm, right click disable and pull down menu disable is a must.

Another reason that I use browsers where it's easy to block that crap.

[Gurm]

No link, sorry. But it's used by the PGP secure e-mail viewer, if that helps.

- Gurm

[R.Carter]

Don't forget that if the browser displays or downloads it then you can usually fish it out of the browsers cache.

[Cobos]

And I'm really curious as to why you need this ? After all if this is lecture notes then why stop people from copying them ? Or if that such an issue why should they be available on the web in the first place ??? To me this sounds like someone that someone that want something impossible....

Cobos

[Duty]

Originally posted by Tony Andrews
Ta for all the suggestions.

@Duty - when you say 'secure site', can you elaborate please?

Sure, there are a number of different possible ways to secure a site. I generally stick to 2 methods. The basic login and password, and an ssl connection. The basic login and password is quick to setup and offers a limited method of securing your site. You can look at it like locking your car, it keeps the general public out but if they really want in they will find a way (password and user name are transmitted in plain text). Ssl (secure socket layer) is an encrypted stream (128 bit normally) that is commonly used in e-commerse sites. It is an extremely safe way to secure data as it is encrypted the whole time it is out on the Internet. Ssl has costs associated to it such as setup ($50-$100+), yearly costs that are close to the setup cost and you'll need a server to house the ssl cert (ssl hosting usually has a small cost above normal hosting). I am currently using a GeoTrust ssl cert that cost around $50 through RackShack(www.rackshack.com) and my hosting plan includes ssl support (I still had to pay $20 for them to set it up).

There are other ways to do security these are just the two I use and seem to be the most common.

The language and OS you use (use what best fits your needs abilities/needs) to set all this up is not really relivant. I am currently using ASP.Net (C#) on IIS5, mostly because I like it. If someone tells you one way is better then another, then they are full of it. Zealots are everywhere (MS zealots, perl zealots, PHP zealots, Linux zealots... you get the idea) be carful, the best advice I've gotten along the way is to find what makes sense to you and go. I hated perl but loved Java, go figure. It turns out there are a ton of security holes in linux, sun's latest Java releases are not so stable and MS is the same as always 80% done, they all have their problems.

Again, just find what fits your needs and abilities.

I hope this helps,

Jeff

[KvHagedorn]

Heh.. no matter how much technology you throw at this, there is one dastardly method that nothing can stop.

[Fat Tone]

hehe. The deed is done. Da Boss kinda side-stepped the question, so I made my own mind up. If students have a problem with the solution, they are free to complain to the lecturer

His problem was he didn't want students taking copies of the notes and sharing them - he wanted to ensure people actually came to the lectures.

The info was just text - no images etc. I've done the js window.open technique with no toolbar etc and put a script on the page that say 'enjoy reading the notes' when you right-click. The page is only accessible to those with Uni computer accounts when on-campus, or using a remote-logon technique, and he plans to disable the page after a time anyway.

IMO, this is totally unjustified and unnecessary - other lecturers have all their material available and they still get full attendance.

Thanks for all the contributions

T.

PS @KvH: They are too bloody lazy for that one
@Duty - interesting stuff on SSL implementation - ta
@Topha - DRM looks interesting for broader use, when available!

[The PIT]

Perhaps his lessons are like watching paint dry three times over.