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Mr Skills

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 21, 2005
803
1
Sorry, I know this isn't technically web development, but it is an HTML thing, and I'd really be grateful for some help!

I'm trying to make an auto-reposting bulleting in MySpace to help promote my band. The idea is that someone will receive it, click a button and that will let them repost the bulletin to their friends (just the once, it's not a whoring thing).

I got some HTML from one of those MySpace helper pages, and tweaked it as best I know how (which isn't very well!) and it comes out perfectly on the Preview Post page. The only problem is, the HTML has somehow disabled the "Post Bulletin" button! Something in there is obviously 'leaking' out of the bulletin!

I apologise if this makes no sense... it is all very confusing to me. :(

Anyway, here is the text of the post:


Hi there! We try not to annoy people with millions of bulletins, and we don't do the whole whoring thing, but we're only a little unsigned band, and we need lots of friends :)

If you like our music, we'd really appreciate it if you could click the button below - it will post a bulletin to your friends asking them to check out Temple Scene.

Thanks! :)


<div align=center><style type=text/css>.chasebadkidsdotnet {display:none; visibility:hidden;}</style></form>
</script><form name="bulletinForm" action="http://bulletin.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.confirm" target="_self" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="groupID" value="0"><span class="chasebadkidsdotnet"><input type="hidden" name="subject" value="I love this band!" size="1" maxlength="50">
<textarea name="body" type="hidden" style="width: 0px; height: 0px;">Hi! I really like this band, and they're very friendly! Click on the picture to have a listen, and add them if you think they're good! They're unsigned, and will really appreciate the support :) <br>
<CENTER><br>
<br><br>
<a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=52731451"><img src="http://myspace-517.vo.llnwd.net/00632/71/58/632148517_m.jpg" /></a><br>
<a href="http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=invite.addfriend_verify&friendID=52731451"><img src="http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/3162/addfriendicon5zc.gif" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a><br>
</a><br>
</CENTER><br>
</TEXTAREA></span><br><input type="submit" class="" value="CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT TEMPLE SCENE!"></form></div><br />



Oh, i don't know if this is related, but part way down the bulletin when you try to post it is a random "..>". I assume these are just punctuation marks that have been left behind by some sloppy HTML, but I cannot find it with my untrained eye...

Thankyou so much for any help! :)
 

Mr Skills

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 21, 2005
803
1
OK, using the error-finding feature in Taco I've managed to clean it up a bit and get rid of the random characters, but I still don't understand why the "post bulletin" button is disabled! (NB this is when I post the original bulletin - nothing to do with people forwarding it!

Anyway, here is the slightly revised code:

Hi there! We try not to annoy people with millions of bulletins, and we don't do the whole whoring thing, but we're only a little unsigned band, and we need lots of friends :) If you like our music, we'd really appreciate it if you could click the button below - it will post a bulletin to your friends asking them to check out Temple Scene. Thanks! :)
<div align=center>
<head><style type=text/css>.chasebadkidsdotnet {display:none; visibility:hidden;}</style></head>
<form name="bulletinForm" action="http://bulletin.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.confirm" target="_self" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="groupID" value="0"><span class="chasebadkidsdotnet">
<input type="hidden" name="subject" value="I love this band!" size="1" maxlength="50">
<textarea name="body" style="width: 0px; height: 0px;">Hi! I really like this band, and they're very friendly! Click on the picture to have a listen, and add them if you think they're good! They're unsigned, and will really appreciate the support :) <br>
<CENTER><br>
<br><br>
<a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=52731451"><img src="http://myspace-517.vo.llnwd.net/00632/71/58/632148517_m.jpg" /></a><br>
<a href="http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=invite.addfriend_verify&friendID=52731451">
<img src="http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/3162/addfriendicon5zc.gif" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" />
</a><br>
<br>
</CENTER><br>
</TEXTAREA>
</span><br>
<input type="submit" class="" value="CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT TEMPLE SCENE!">
</form>
</div><br>
 

ValGor

macrumors newbie
Feb 20, 2005
25
0
Mr Skills said:
OK, using the error-finding feature in Taco I've managed to clean it up a bit and get rid of the random characters, but I still don't understand why the "post bulletin" button is disabled! (NB this is when I post the original bulletin - nothing to do with people forwarding it!

Anyway, here is the slightly revised code:...

This is not a good idea to have <head> block inside of <DIV>. Standard structure of html page is:
<html>
<head>
.. this is a good palce to to css includes and style definitions...
</head>
<body>
... and that's where your DIVs and other content is going... :)
</body>
</html>

Also you have closing </script> out of nowhere. there is no opening <script..> in your code.
Also try to remove class="" from your button.

As of why the button is disabled - there is no answer to that in the code you provided. must be some javascript or css before or after this code.

Sorry could not be more help. if you PM me complete source of the page or even better send a url of page i probably can see more.

Have fun.
 

ChicoWeb

macrumors 65816
Aug 16, 2004
1,120
0
California
Borderline spamming. I would delete you from my friends list if you did that to me. Might want to think about the marketing behind this one.

Just my 2 cents.
 

Mr Skills

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 21, 2005
803
1
ChicoWeb - we are resolutely trying our best not to spam anyone. We really, really don't want to be a band that just adds and makes up the numbers. Hence we add people only manually (never using bots/trains etc.) reply to everyone who leaves messages and comments, and we send out bulletins only when we have something to say.

This is the closest we have ever come to a spam, but we think it is not because:
1) It is not self-perpetuating. Friends can press the button and forward it if they want, but the resulting bulletin is one-time only.
2) We've tried to be really polite and friendly in the text of the message (no begging or bad luck threats)
3) It's a relatively rare event to receive a bulletin from us.

But your comment has made me scared :(

Do you think it would be better to make it kind of a sig - so at the bottom of personal messages we send to people is a discrete 'send a bulletin' button? :confused:


Valgor - thankyou for your help! I will change those things, although I will not post it yet till I have some more feedback about ChicoWeb's comments. I am very scared of annoying people. :eek:
 

Mr Skills

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 21, 2005
803
1
If anyone's interested, we've come up with a way round it which kind of takes away the problem, at the same time as addressing ChicoWeb's concerns.

We've given up the bulletin idea for the moment, and put the code on our profile, where the problems do not seem to be occurring.

So instead of a repeating bulleting, there is a discrete "click here to support us" button on our profile page - clicking on it comes up with a ready made bulletin that the person can send if they want.

... still, if anyone knows why the problem was occurring I'm sure it will still be useful to other MySpacers :) ... Many thanks for the help :)
 
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