I recently stumbled upon a site that advertised an impossible service for Web sites: protecting a site's content from being copied, or "stolen." It's a service that is impossible. I know it's impossible, and that every Web developer knows is impossible. However, for only $37.99, this man offers to do it. At $37.99, it's a deal! And he has all kinds of testimonials, not to mention snazzy clip-art on his site.
Of course, his solution, much like whitewashing over dirt, appears to work. That is, until the paint starts peeling, or, in this case, until a user with any kind of experience realizes how easy it is to bypass these restrictions. I can think of a half-dozen ways immediately, and none of them are difficult. Before long, the whitewash peels off and the site administrator is left in the same situation they started in, only with $37.99 less.
Of course, there are no guarantees. You read the agreement, right? This type of service gives the site administrator a false sense of security. "If all these people trust the protection, it must work!" This may, in turn, cause the user to be less careful in other regards, which can cause problems down the road. Anyone who runs a Web site should understand the risks, and should not be fooled by some fancy clip-art.
Unfortunately, this type of "service" is all too common. In the real world, you have to worry about buying a lemon. In the online world, it's the same thing. So next time you're thinking of buying that shiny new product that seems too good to be true, ask an expert. Otherwise, you might be buying a lemon of a solution, and throwing away your $37.99.



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