Scaning Bookmark target and use of images

[fflandrath53]

Hi everyone, my name is Floyd and I'm a new member of x10Hosting.

I'm developing an application called Roller~Poster, a content aggregator and bookmark service. After carefully reading the TOS and several posts in this forum I have a couple questions:

My app (not fully functional yet) creates what I call enhanced bookmarks which includes the following fields:

• Title *
• Url *
• Description
• Image
• Related url
• Poster's name and email*
• Timestamp

* -- required

When a user enters the bookmark Url, Roller~Poster attempts to open the site and scan it for the Title, Description, and possible Images to be used in the bookmark. This scan requires a couple of php functions that some hosting companies disable or discourage use of. The functions are:

• ini_set("allow_url_fopen", on)
• file_get_contents($url, false, $context)

Is it ok for me to proceed with this design feature?

Also, I have accumulated several hundred small images that the user can select from and add to their bookmarks. I believe most of the images are in the public domain or otherwise available for public, non-profit use under Fair Use. I'm not a copyright expert, I think the use of these images is within the law, in this context. Nonetheless, I would appreciate an admin to please confirm, or educate me to the contrary, before I deploy them in Roller~Poster here at x10hosting.

Although I've only been here a few days I'm loving it so far. Great interface, cpanel, forum, load times, etc.

Thanks for your kind consideration
Floyd

 

[garrettroyce]

I don't think ini_set() works on free hosting. At any rate, you can't connect to servers over port 80 (the default http port) unless they are whitelisted. So attempting to open any stream by any method to a remote http server will timeout because the server. In anticipation of your question, we cannot open ports for individual users nor whitelist servers based on your user's needs.

Sorry to be so discouraging. Hopefully you can think of another way of doing this or refining what your service does. However, paid hosting does allow you to do this if you are convinced this is what you want to do.

 

[fflandrath53]

I don't think ini_set() works on free hosting. At any rate, you can't connect to servers over port 80 (the default http port) unless they are whitelisted. So attempting to open any stream by any method to a remote http server will timeout because the server. In anticipation of your question, we cannot open ports for individual users nor whitelist servers based on your user's needs.

Sorry to be so discouraging. Hopefully you can think of another way of doing this or refining what your service does. However, paid hosting does allow you to do this if you are convinced this is what you want to do.

Hi garrettroyce,
Thanks for your reply. I plan to purchase paid hosting in the near future, please see my intro post for an explaination of my circumstances.

As for the ini_set(), it appears to work in this context:

<?php
	session_save_path("/home/floyd/public_html/tmp");
	ini_set("session.gc_maxlifetime", 86400);
	ini_set("session.gc_probability", 1);
	ini_set("session.gc_divisor",200);
	ini_set("session.bug_compat_warn", off);
?>

I'll see what else I can do on the scan function.
Thanks again and I'll be sure to click to your rep...

 

[fflandrath53]

The scan function is working fine.

Many thanks to x10Hosting...