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with no previous experience with HTML and CSS i actually understood the working of a userbox , i was wondering if it is possible to use these userboxes in hi5 should i make any changes or modificationsMi2n15 04:56, 24 December 2006 (UTC)
I have an idea for a user ID component which would allow for automatic exclusion from sites requiring "18 or over" authentication. I haven't thought about the idea deeply enough to know whether it is good without negatives, bad without question, or somewhere in between.
If each user account on an OS had the user's birthday associated with it, then websites which require users to assert they are of legal age to enter could automatically exclude them. In fact, the web browser could be enabled to advise them that they are not permitted access to the site, and redirect them back to some default page (e.g. last acceptable page, page citing reason for refusal). Similarly, someone of legal age would not need to be challenged on the basis of age when pursuing links, but might still be warned that the destination is of a nature that discretion is advised.
I know that it would be possible to abuse information like this, but can it be protected well enough to prevent abuse? I think so, because more sensitive information such as password is associated with a user. A fudge factor of a random number of days, say 30-120, could be added on daily (with a bias towards 120, perhaps). Otherwise, a user's birthday could be determined if long term monitoring of users occurs, and the user graduates from being under-aged to the age of consent while being tracked. Anyone of legal age would be immune from such birthday cracking.
So my questions. Is this a good idea? Is the idea already out there in the world of user ID? How do I publicize the idea to get feedback on its value? Should I seek intellectual property protection of the idea?
Turtlens 08:15, 24 December 2006 (UTC)
I believe some web sites use having a credit card as an indication that you're old enough for their site. They can either directly solicit credit card info, or can take you having a PayPal account as indication that you're an adult. Of course, there are ways around such checks, but the idea is that it's better than no check at all. StuRat 13:02, 25 December 2006 (UTC)
Are there any mediawiki metavariables capable of directly ditecting page lengths?--71.247.120.5 12:54, 24 December 2006 (UTC)
I often get dfrgfat errors like "the address #### couldn' be writable". [I've noticed that many users protect their user:pages though they ain't sysop. how do they do?] tia - Merry X-mas --Ulisse0 13:37, 24 December 2006 (UTC)