Hey Steve,
The only way you can do it is to grab an Active X object, and install
it to
the user's browser "Downloaded Prrograms" folder. Then, the Active X
control
can read the user's settings and send the results back to you.
Since it's an individual setting per user, you have to have something
on the
client's machine to tell you if cookies are disabled or not.
You can check for the existance of the cookie on a page following the
one
you assigned the cookie as a work-around. But, unless the user changes
the
page, you won't know.
From your original post, I understand that you don't want to use the
<@USERREFERENCEARGUMENT> in your links for fear of a search engine
spidering
that link.
I have the <@USERREFERENCEARGUMENT> tag in my links, and fairly high
search
engine rankings in different engines. However, none of the search
engines,
including Google has spidered the session ID:
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=webenergy&meta
Rick Sanders
> Thanks for all the comments guys. I was thinking along the lines of
Scott.
> I
> was wondering if there was a way to check to see if cookies were
enabled.
> I
> was just going to let them know and not let them continue until
cookies
> were
> invoked.
>
> How would this affect search engine spiders? Maybe I need to let them
> continue (and just notify them that the shopping cart will not retain
> their
> selections) or the spiders will not get their work done. Any
comments?
>
> I like the idea of providing instructions for them.
>
> Now I need to figure out how to check for cookies. Thanks Ben for the
> link.
>
> Thanks
>
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John McGowan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 8:25 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: Witango-Talk: Cookies
>
>
> Listen to Scott on this one. If you can educate just one user that
> turning session cookies back on isn't going to blow up their computer
or
> get their credit card stolen then our society becomes one step closer
to
> nirvana.
>
> If you were an auto dealer and a customer brought their car in and
said
> they didn't "like to have the battery plugged in", but wanted to know
> why they couldn't start their car, would you install a hand crank
for
> them to start their car?
>
> I know... It's a weak analogy... :)
>
> /John
>
> Scott Cadillac wrote:
>
>>Hi Steve,
>>
>>If you recall, the point and the conclusion on that long discussion
was
> "security" - if a user
>>has session-cookies disabled, then so be it. Just display a message
>>telling
> them to turn it
>>back on before allowing them to proceed (provide instructions).
>>
>>This is the most secure way to handle session management for any web
> platform (SSL is a
>>different matter).
>>
>>The issue is about security - why compromise security for user
>>convenience.
> Giving them
>>convenience now just delays more serious problems until a later date.
>>
>>----
>>Yes, additional user variables may be assigned on the Server because
of
> missing session-
>>cookies. Unfortunately, it is one down-side to pay for better
security for
> your visitors.
>>
>>-----
>>As for testing for cookies, writing a bit of code for this is not
>>difficult
> - but keep in mind
>>there is a different between "session" cookies and regular cookies,
and
> that most every modern
>>browser has settings for both kinds (and that some browsers use
different
> terminology to
>>describe these two kinds of cookies).
>>
>>Hope this helps. Cheers....
>>
>>Scott Cadillac,
>>XML-Extranet ~ 403-254-5002 ~ [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>------------
>>Well-formed Programming in C# ASP.NET, Witango and XML
>>For Hire ~ http://xmlx.ca/forhire
>>------------
>>IExtranet ~ http://IExtranet.net
>>------------
>>Weblog ~ http://xmlx.ca
>>Forums ~ http://forums.xmlx.ca
>>Knowledge Base ~ http://kb.xmlx.ca
>>------------
>>P.O. Box 69006
>>RPO Bridlewood SW
>>Calgary, Alberta
>>Canada T2Y 4T9
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: "Fogelson, Steve" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>To: "Witango User Group (E-mail)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 15:40:48 -0500
>>Subject: Witango-Talk: Cookies
>>
>>
>>
>>>I have built my shopping cart application without <@userreference>
tag
>>>at
>>>the end of each url. It seemed after all the discussion about a year
>>>ago
>>>that this was the way to go. Especially with search engine spiders
and
>>>hijacked sessions.
>>>
>>>I talked to one of our online customers today and discovered that he
>>>was
>>>being assigned a new session id every time he added an item to his
>>>cart.
>>>
>>>I'm trying to figure out a strategy for handling customers that have
>>>disabled cookies, besides requiring them to sign in when entering
the
>>>site.
>>>
>>>Is there a way to check to see if they have cookies disabled?
>>>
>>>Any ideas on how to handle customers that have disabled cookies?
>>>
>>>I am also concerned about all the user variables being created for
this
>>>type
>>>of customer. Thanks in advance for your help.
>>>
>>>Steve Fogelson
>>>Internet Commerce Solutions
>>>
>>>
>>>____________________________________________________________________
___
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>_____________________________________________________________________
___
>>TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Go to http://www.witango.com/developer/maillist.taf
>>
>>
>>
>
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