[PAID REQUEST] View Only Attachments

[rrpnow]

Willing to pay for this mod, depending on functionality and terms set by programmer and myself.

Version
2.0.1

Description
I am looking for a mod that will allow users to post attachments, however, when users want to view the attachments they can only view them from the forum, not download them to their own computer. If needed the mod can cache/download the attachment to the server side. Something similar to how attachments have the thumbnail view for images, but I'm wanting this for other files also: pdf, doc, etc.

Permissions
Can be issued to a specific group or all members of the forum

Feature Set
Admin options:
1) which file types this should be enforced on.
2) which member groups should attachments be considered "view-only"

No user options; admin set the options

[Illori]

what type of attachments are you talking about? it is not really possible to stop people from downloading anything off the internet as there are ways around the techniques people use to stop them from doing it. if the files on the internet someone will find a way to download it.

[rrpnow]

So i want to be able to "stream" doc/docx/xls/xlsx/pdf/ppt/pptx

so basically I want to have users on the forum to only be able to view the file attached, not physically download it to their computer. Obviously they can take screen shots of the attachments while it is streaming and that there is no real way to prevent that, but I want to basically stop people from just downloading the attachments and emailing them out to non-members. So in order to view the file you'd need to meet the following requirements:

1) member of the forum
2) have internet access and be physically logged into the forum

Hopefully this would hinder some people from just downloading and emailing the attachments out to non-paying forum members, if that makes sense.

[Illori]

that would also require that the forum be able to display those file formats [which it cant] in a form where a user has no way what so ever to find a link to download it. so first you need someone to code a viewer for those file formats in php or similar, which i dont think would be easy to do.

[kat]

It's not possible.

In order to view a file, it HAS to be downloaded to the viewer's computer.

Even streamed files.

It may not be 100% obvious, to some, but it IS there.

Trying to stop people from downloading that kinda stuff is a pointless waste of time and effort.

[Matthew K.]

K@ is right.

[Joker™]

I am looking for a mod that will allow users to post attachments, however, when users want to view the attachments they can only view them from the forum, not download them to their own computer.

You mean the options we get in gmail when we receive a doc/pdf in mail?

So i want to be able to "stream" doc/docx/xls/xlsx/pdf/ppt/pptx

So we are talking of various parsers we need to place in your forum.

As far as I know...it would not be a simple task, at all.

+1 to that.

It's going to be a pretty time consuming task and I don't think many people are going to use it (just my opinion).

[kat]

It's 100% pointless.

You show me  file that I can view and I can download it.

Simple as that.

[Illori]

which is the point i was trying to make above.

[kat]

Words of one syllable can sometimes work best.

[rrpnow]

It's 100% pointless.

You show me  file that I can view and I can download it.

Simple as that.

ok so websites that utilize flash or something similar (all that is coming to mind is the kaplan website - the actual part where the student logs in to view the material) cannot be copied... And I'm sure something gets downloaded to temp, it wouldn't seem they would be able to charge for those files if someone could just rip them like a video off youtube and post them up for free...

With that being said, what would you recommend as the best way to prevent the average person from just ripping files of a forum and sending them out? I want to separate the paid users from the free users (and obviously I can prevent attachment viewing to the free ones, but is there anything to prevent the paid ones from downloading and emailing them out? - hence why I wanted a view only method somehow)

[Illori]

there is no way to do what you want with smf as the medium you are using. the attachments have to be downloaded to be viewable and the formats you are using make it more difficult. try finding a software that allows what you want by default then it will be a bit harder for users to copy the files.

[kat]

ok so websites that utilize flash or something similar (all that is coming to mind is the kaplan website - the actual part where the student logs in to view the material) cannot be copied.

You'll be telling me, next, that software can't be copied.

They charge, because some people are honest.

But, if you want to get it, without paying, it can be done.

Flash files are a doddle to get.

[rrpnow]

But, if you want to get it, without paying, it can be done.

guess you have a point there... one word: torrents

[kat]

That's one way, yeah.

Trust me, though. There are tools which are readily available for such things. Firefox even has extensions to do it, as does Opera.