RE: [cobalt-users] poll for server's users

["Phil Beynon" <phil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> On Tue, Mar 30, 2004 at 11:23:53AM +0100, Phil Beynon wrote:
>
> Hello Phil,
>
> > Depends how your authentication script works really, if you can
> catch the
> > data as they log in via a mysql table you can then set up a
> little database
> > to say he/she logged in and has or has not voted,
>
> I guess this is the point. The users on a raq & their passwords
> are not in
> a mysql table. Perhaps I was unclear: I mean the users with a valid
> account, for p.e. pop3.
>
> All poll/vote scripts I have found can't seem to use the 'linux
> users database'.
> --
> Maurice de Laat

Hi Maurice,
I would guess there would be security implications giving scripts password
file access, plus even in PHP I've never tried to do anything against the
passwords file, though I guess it could be done.
I suppose depending on how many users you are talking about here it might be
better to do a "voter registration" script  which then built a database up
as it went, where they just enter their email and it mails them a password
then they are able to vote, then just authenticate them against the
registration table.
Since they would have to have a mail account on your server to get the
password then any non authorised people wouldn't get the password and you
could ensure quite simply that they only voted once.

Phil

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