Is this possible?

[Dinarri]

Hello you web gurus! I just found your site, and have looked over gobs of info. I am wondering if the following is possible, and if it is, what do I need to do to make it work?
I run a game online, and I need to be able to have my players enter a site, log in with their email addy, then have a random message sent to them of several messages I input previously. I don't want them to be able to access the area again for 1 weeks time. This way, each person only gets one message. I would also need to know what message was randomly sent to them so I can keep track of who got what for game purposes.
Is that possible?
Thank you very much in advance for any help you may be able to give me. :)

[PeOfEo]

You will need a server side language to controll logins and the rnadom message content with the use of a data base to store the logins and the login dates, then the next time they login use an if statement to compare the dates and if its under a week then redirect them. My suggestion would be use asp.net, but you can also use php cgi jsp shtml and asp

[Dinarri]

Thank you for your reply PeOfEo.
Your suggestion is over my head so to speak but I thank you for taking the time to reply to my query. I think I will have to figure out a simpler way of accomplishing what I am wanting to do. Or, going at the outcome from a whole different angle. I simply do not have the skills it seems, that are required to do this task.
Dinarri

[PeOfEo]

If you have a firm enough knowledge of html you can just go out and get a book on the server side language of your choice and start learning then find yourself a good host. Tell me what other programming background do you have besides html? Know and c++ or any java or vb by any chance?

[luke0]

hi all bye all

[Dinarri]

Hi PeOfEo,
My host does support all of the forms you mentioned earlier. ASP, MySQL, Java, CGI etc... However, those are pretty much a foreign language to me. I use Dreamweaver MX and Fireworks and Flash for my site building, but as for anything fancy that involves scripts, I am a clueless wanderer. :) I have found so many scripts for inputting random messages that can be displayed on my site, but that's not exactly what I'm looking to do. I need it to be more involved with that, which is where I'm getting stuck. I need to be able to have people log in, get a random message emailed to them and the same one to me so I know what they got, and then not be allowed to go back there again for a week. The last part about not going back shouldn't be too hard as I could simply reset all the passwords and they couldn't access the area. But it's the random message email thingie that I'm so very lost on.
Dinarri

[PeOfEo]

Do you want all people to login and get the same message? This is going to require you to actually learn a technology that is new to you, if you want something 100% custum that does exactly what you want that what you have to do.

[Dinarri]

Hi,
No, I want them to each log in and get a random message, each a different one, of the messages I input prior. What do you think? Is that going to be an insanely time consuming project with a big learning curve? Thanks again for all your help!
Dinarri

[PeOfEo]

Yes it will be time consumeing and you will have to learn to use a bunch of new technologies to do this.

[Dinarri]

Thanks again PeOfEo. I will not be undertaking that task at this time then. I don't have the time to learn everything I need to learn for that right now. I will however learn it eventually. :)
Thank you!
Dinarri

[PeOfEo]

no prob, I am glad you found my tidbits of advice useful :)