Hi,

Im trying to create a petition like page on my website. I currently have it hosted with a free company but there ads are really annoying and Im getting a lot of complaints on it and probably losing signatures.

So I decided to create my own using Dreamweaver MX. My hosting company is myhosting.com.
I know they use ASP.NET version 1.1.4322

Im sort of new to Dreamweaver, I just switched over from FrontPage. Im looking for some guidance on how to create a petition, where after they sign it it automatically posts on a "signature" page.

I've already created some forms, but get lost when I try to make them work. Are there any tutorails out there that can help me? Can anyone offer any advice?

Here is my site with the petition, actually its a 'Letter of Support'
wsrestoration.com/letter/contact_form.asp

Thanks,
Mike A.

HI,

my 10c worth <img src=../images/dmxzone/forum/icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

start with a form like this one petitions.pm.gov.uk/ihtcrusade/

it collects basic information and probably stores it in a database, one table to hold email address, postal address, post/zip code, time/data submitted, ip address (perhpas - so you can check for multiple submissions within a time limit if you want to), a 'signed' field and a field with a validation code.

Set the validation code to something like the md5 digest (see php function documentation - I expect there will be something like that in asp but I avoid anything MS when possible) of the user's name+email or the current time.

Compose an email to the user, and set up a link inside it, pointing back to another page on your site, appending the validation code as a parameter.

So, when the user fills in the first form their details go into the database, including a timestamp, they get an email containing a link, with their validation code appended.
They click the link in the email which takes then to the confirmation page . . .

Now in that confirmation page, select the database record that has the same validation code - if it's not there send an error message back to the user - show it on screen. If validation code found mark that entry as signed and show the user the last 500 signatures.

You can periodically go through the table and remove entries that are more than N days old and have not been signed.

This has the benfit that you collect the email addresses of the users and can then keep them updated about what is happening.

Don't forget to have some terms and conditions telling them that you are going to keep their email address and exactly what you are going to do with it.