Hide Source Code For Puzzle Cache

[Tally Dragon]

I've created a puzzle cache that utilizes image mapping. When you click on certain areas of the image it sends the user to another page on another server for the solution. Trouble is, most of the people who have solved it did so by looking at the source code and finding the link. Does anyone know a way to hide portions of the code to prevent this?

[+Stunod]

How about throwing in a whole bunch of phoney links that don't lead anywhere helpful?

[+ThePropers]

As far as I know it's impossible in HTML. You can do some stuff like create a java applet if you want to get fancy though.

[+thedeadpirate]

I don't know a lot about image-maps, but check out this tutorial on server-side image maps. It looks like it may be what you are looking for. Couple this with some .htaccess magic and you may have what you are looking for.

[+Mile Runner]

you cant hide HTML code, but you can make it so confussing who whould want to try to crack it. try using external .js files (javascript files) to just confuse the user. they whould have to look at that file....and then you can add another one inside of that one. and using the document.write line you can write HTML.

[+TMAACA]

I like the phony links idea. Although, I recently tried to get a puzzle with a similar idea (links to an outside website) published and it was turned down because the guidelines apparently no longer allow re-direction to another website or requiring the download of software for the solution of a puzzle. We re-worked the puzzle and have been waiting to see if the revised puzzle works (I'm not holding out much hope at this point as it has been in review for 6 weeks now with no word)

[+Prime Suspect]

I've created a puzzle cache that utilizes image mapping. When you click on certain areas of the image it sends the user to another page on another server for the solution. Trouble is, most of the people who have solved it did so by looking at the source code and finding the link. Does anyone know a way to hide portions of the code to prevent this?

There's simply no way to do it, client side. You can do a certain amount of obfuscation, but it's easily decoded.

 

Far easier than looking at the source, is to use Firefox's DOM inspector. Since the code in running in the browser, and the browser has to understand it, it's pretty much impossible to hide something from the DOM inspector. It will tell you the exact coordinates in the image of the hot spot.

 

You could have a large number of links, with all of them but one being a bogus link. But even then, there are link validators which will quick tell the good links from the bad.

 

If you really want to hide what you're doing (and can't use javascript), you have to go to the server side.

[+thedeadpirate]

it was turned down because the guidelines apparently no longer allow re-direction to another website

 

I am not a reviewer, so I may be wrong here. I think it is not permissable to link to another website for which you do not have control. The reason being that the page could change without warning and therefore make it impossible for a cacher to complete the puzzle. However, I "think" it is allowed to link to a page you have created yourself and is under your complete control.

[+TMAACA]

it was turned down because the guidelines apparently no longer allow re-direction to another website

 

I am not a reviewer, so I may be wrong here. I think it is not permissable to link to another website for which you do not have control. The reason being that the page could change without warning and therefore make it impossible for a cacher to complete the puzzle. However, I "think" it is allowed to link to a page you have created yourself and is under your complete control.

 

Hmm, you may be correct. The puzzle redirected the solver to a bogus web address that returned the standard "Page cannot be found error" There were clues in the bogus webpage address to other parts of the puzzle. Maybe the issue was that I didn't control the bogus address??

 

The reviewer only noted the following in the note to me: "All information to find a cache must be available from the cache page. Taking searchers off site to another web-page is not allowed either."

[4wheelin_fool]

How about throwing in a whole bunch of phoney links that don't lead anywhere helpful?

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...&log=y&decrypt=

[+thedeadpirate]

Then I could be wrong. That particular wording sounds like everything must be on the actual cache page. Maybe a reviewer can answer that one.

[+nikcap]

I've created a puzzle cache that utilizes image mapping. When you click on certain areas of the image it sends the user to another page on another server for the solution. Trouble is, most of the people who have solved it did so by looking at the source code and finding the link. Does anyone know a way to hide portions of the code to prevent this?

 

I check out your puzzle. Pretty cool, and fun to play with.

Like others have said, I guess I would setup 20-30 bogus links. At least if they are going to reast the source code, you can force them in to the tedious effort of checking every page.

[+Prime Suspect]

At least if they are going to reast the source code, you can force them in to the tedious effort of checking every page.

Not very tedious, at least for Firefox users.

[+Tallahassee Lassie]

Hi TD. I joined the premiums!!

[+thedeadpirate]

Hi TD. I joined the premiums!!

 

Hi there Lassie. Nice to see so many locals posting now.

[+Tallahassee Lassie]

You may not think so if you read me in Cheers!