Thread: Roboform

I have used the free version for a couple years now It's great

Don't get DISQUALIFIED using ROBOFORM

Well everybody, it's been awhile since I've posted but I recently came across some critical information that all you people using Roboform need to know. More and more sweeps will disqualifiy your entires without you knowing it if you don't use Roboform the right way.
This information came from associates and friends of mine involved in programming the sweeps for two major ad agencies in the US (they also provide software that helps many lesser companies program their own sweeps).

First I'll tell you what to do, and then tell you why. When you use Roboform or any other form-filler (even IE autocomplete) NEVER use fill and submit. Furthermore, make sure that after the web-form loads that you wait a critical period before you submit it. And NEVER use the Back Button to resubmit a sweep. This means you should wait to fill and/or submit each entry after an entry page loads completely. How long should you wait? Well it varies and I can't say exactly. But at a minimum, it should be the time it would normally take a very fast typist to fill out the entire form.

So why do you have to do this? Well, the reason is that online sweeps are increasingly beset by automated sweeps entry that is getting more and more sophisticated. And their only effective means to disqulify these entries is to spot entries that could not have been filled out by a human being.

Although I have seen much debate on the boards before as to whether using Roboform constitutes "Automated Entry", I can tell you that debate is moot. First, I want to dispel a few myths. I've read postings on this board claiming or worrying that the sweeps can somehow see what programs you are using (like Roboform), monitor your keystrokes, etc. In reality, as a web software engineer, I can tell you that there is no way that any website can directly tell if you are manually entering information or using Roboform. They can't see keystrokes. All these sites can see and record relevant to spotting potential automation by regular folks is the time the page loaded and the time it was submitted (they can use some other information like IP address to disqualify mass automated entries from places like EZSWEEPS). By "submission" I mean pressing any "action" button or banner which causes the web page to change. This is not necessesarily just "Submit" or "Enter" but could be any anything that redirects the webpage, e.g., for multi-page sweeps like surveys, games, etc.

Since entry timing and span are the only data websites have to go on to prevent automation by regular people, they're beginning to use it - with a vengence. An associate who does much of this programming for the sweeps estimates that over 30% use this method now and more than 60% will by the end of 2004. Though he couldn't speak for everyone, he told me that the way most of his clients determine the "critical time span" is to have their fastest typists enter their sweeps several times. They then average the times and take a percentage of that - usually 70% to allow for some real human ultrafast typists. Then they apply a software correction formula to adjust for character complexity (e.g., entering "John Smith" vs. "Jennifer Schoengrubberhausenstein". Some sweeps may also disqualify daily or 24 hour entries when 5 - 10 or more consecutive entires have the same submission time span (within a few seconds). So be sure to vary your load-to-entry timing a little to be safe.

Anyway, I hope this helps. Good luck to all!!!

borrowed

Linus read this about Gator Its more than spyware http://www.pcpitstop.com/gator/default.asp