The best way?

[Latox]

Visit http://www.youtubetomp3.net/

Its a conversion tool, I want to make it so a guest can convert 5 videos, and then the form disappears and it displays "You must login to convert more videos"

What would be the best way to do this?

I can easily code the account backend, etc, but to display the form 5 times for a guest and then display a login message, what would be the best way? a session?

Thanks.

[crmalibu]

cookie, unless it bothers you that they can clear the cookie and keep using it.

[logic_earth]

Either way you go it can be circumvented unless you enforce user accounts.

[Latox]

What about if I log users IP and update IP converts per convert, if IP convert => 5, show login form?

That way if they close browser, clear cookies, etc ..

[crmalibu]

An ip address is not unique to a persons computer. For example, when college students try to use the campus internet access...everyone will be blocked. I think this is a realistic problem for you, because it seems like the type of site where word of mouth could drive a spurt of traffic in a short period of time.

ISPs often cycle ip addresses between users. Your ip right now, could be used by your neighbor in a minute.

If you're still bent on using an ip, maybe consider only throttling uses per ip within a limited time period. Maybe use the user agent string + ip, which might help out a few users.

But, considering someone might send automated submissions and hog your website service, at least blocking by ip would force them to use a proxy server, which would probably slow them down a lot.

[Latox]

Yeah I was thinking of using agent & ip, not sure though.

I don't really mind if they can clear cookies to get around it, or close a session, etc.

I just want to get a user database going, most people won't even know how to avoid it.