TXT protector

[drisate]

Hey guys i was wandering if somebody could help me create a script that would transform an HTML string into a PNG with transparent background in order to protect the tutorial from being copied.

 

String would look like this

$html = '<b>Hello world</b><br><u>Tis is a test</u>';

[.josh]

http://www.phpfreaks.com/tutorial/php-add-text-to-image

 

But on a personal note... I suggest you rethink doing this...

 

[Psycho]

. . . in order to protect the tutorial from being copied.

 

To add to .josh's statement about rethinking this, how do you plan to "protect" a tutorial with an image? You can't just slap an image on top of other content and even remotely think it is "protected". It is not possible to "protect" any content you make available on the web, the only things you can do is 1) Put watermarks *into* content so anyone reusing the content would be seen as potentially stealing it (or at least it would give credit to you). 2) Put measures in place to make it difficult for someone to copy your content. Both of the above have significant problems.

 

For using watermarks, they are only useful if embedded as part of the content (i.e. images and videos, they are only somewhat effective in PDFs). The problem with watermarks is that you have to balance making the watermark useful vs. obscuring the content. A small, unobtrusive watermark can be removed or covered. But, you don't want the watermark so obtrusive that it gets in the way of users consuming it. It really is difficult to pull off, IMO.

 

As for putting measures in place to prevent users from copying content. This is an exercise in futility. The methods involved can utilize many different methods (with JavaScript being one of the more common). But, in the end these methods only prevent copying by novice users. Anyone with any a modicum of ability/knowledge in web technology can easily get the content. And, to make it worse, many of the methods implemented can prevent legitimate users from accessing the content due to browser incompatibilities.

 

So, you should really take a step back and ask yourself if trying to protect your content is worth all the trouble considering that it will probably impact your legitimate users more than those wishing to copy the content and that, in the end, you really can't protect it with any certainty.

[.josh]

And all it takes is one person to spend 2 seconds with a scanner and some software to put it back to text form.  And from there it gets distributed just the same.  This is why people focus on freely distributing stuff like this, and focus on making money from performing some sort of service.  IOW: move away from product and move towards service.