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Posted by Joe Harman on 05/11/05 18:47
Hey Thanks Brandon... I know that does happen, so the stats is just
suppose to approximate.. thanks for point that out
Cheers
Joe
On 5/11/05, Brandon Ryan <psikic@gmail.com> wrote:
> Joe, this may be a little off topic, but most modern email clients
> wont show images in HTML unless the user clicks to show images
> manually. This could fool your automatic counting and email
> verification.
>
> On 5/11/05, Joe Harman <cjharman@gmail.com> wrote:
> > HA... Thanks for your thoughts...
> >
> > I am actually using this for a broadcast email system... I just use a
> > PHP image generator to make a 1 x1 gif... the image generator script
> > takes a variable for color then I added another one for email address
> > to keep stats on who has opened the message
> >
> > ex. image_script.php?color=000000&email=somebody@yourdomain.com
> >
> > but I am using base64_encode to encode the email address.... and call
> > the variable something besides email... I suppose i didn't have to do
> > this, but thought it would be a good practice to do it...
> >
> > the end result looks something like this :
> > image_script.php?color=000000&key=jtzOjM6IkpvZSI7czo5OiJsYXN0X2
> >
> > also this is embedded in the body of an HTML email... so, i think it's
> > pretty safe any how the script just updates the stats and returns a
> > 1x1 gif...
> >
> > Cheers!
> > Joe
> >
> >
> > On 5/11/05, Richard Lynch <ceo@l-i-e.com> wrote:
> > > On Tue, May 10, 2005 8:50 pm, Joe Harman said:
> > > > Hey just curious if it's okay to encode variables that are passed in
> > > > URLs with base64_encode??? since, I am going to pass a email address
> > > > in the URL, I would like to protect the email address from typical
> > > > people
> > >
> > > I dunno if every character that can be output by base64_encode is URL-safe
> > > or not, but you could do: urlencode(base64_encode($email)) and be 100%
> > > certain that it is safe, and that the data you want will come through..
> > >
> > > That said, I don't think base64_encode will offer much protection from
> > > humans who want to snag emails, and you presumably aren't listing these
> > > URLs somewhere for web-bot harvesters to find... Though that would fool
> > > them, at least in the present.
> > >
> > > ARAIK, almost *any* obfuscation of email addresses foils the harvest bots.
> > >
> > > This seems unbelievable, but I liken it to fishing: If every time you
> > > cast a line in the water, you come up with a million fish, how hard will
> > > you work to change your bait?
> > >
> > > That is the current state of affairs in the "arms race" of email
> > > harvesting -- The spammers have SO MANY fish "biting" that they simply
> > > don't need to bypass obfuscation.
> > >
> > > Sooner or later, however, that will change, especially if the harvesters
> > > ever care about "quality" of their fish.
> > >
> > > While I'm not running around fixing all my old obfuscation code, I'm
> > > pretty much not using email obfuscation on any new sites/code.
> > >
> > > Instead, I build a FORM that will send the email "blind" to the recipient,
> > > and have a "throttle choke" that limits a given IP
> > > ($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']) to N emails sent in H hours.
> > >
> > > Certainly, a script could be written to re-connect and get a new IP, but
> > > that in itself would take enough time on the end of the spammer that I
> > > doubt they'll want to bother any time soon.
> > >
> > > And it's all wrapped up in a 'spaminator' function that I can replace with
> > > something more robust if I need to.
> > >
> > > I figure this way, I'm 2 steps ahead in this arms race, so when the bad
> > > guys start decoding the obfuscation emails, I'll be ready for 'em.
> > >
> > > Now if I could just figure out a way to get my OWN email out of their
> > > lists so I wasn't getting 10,000 spams per day (literally) I'd be a Happy
> > > Camper.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Like Music?
> > > http://l-i-e.com/artists.htm
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Joe Harman
> > ---------
> > Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path
> > and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
> >
> > --
> > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/)
> > To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
> >
> >
>
--
Joe Harman
---------
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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