Idea: How Can ALL Webmaters Help on TeaParty Day(s)?

[James4Ron2008]

I hope this is the correct forum area to post this (I'm new). If not, mods - please move me.

I have a fairly easy to execute idea to amp up the net volume on the day(s) of the TeaParty. Everyone knows Dr. Paul's support is heavy on the Internet (duh). I'm guessing like me there are a lot of RP supporters who run websites that are not typically RP related. (I run a Movie Blog with UNIQUE traffic in the hundreds of thousand's per month - 4,000 - 6,000 UNIQUE a day avg.) Wouldn't it be great if we could send all of our visitors to the official site during the TeaParty?

And I don't mean adding a badge or a little post your site - I'm talking virtually SHUT DOWN YOUR OPERATION FOR A DAY OR TWO AND FORWARD YOUR TRAFFIC TO RONPAUL2008.COM.

The challenge:
1) Do this without DNS server changes.
2) Do this without disrupting the normal operating code of a website.
3) Keep the power to turn on/off the forward 100% in the hands of the site owner.

I believe this could be done with a simple Javascript file embedded in the head of a webpage. The script would check against the time on the users computer and if it fell on the 15th or 16th they would be presented with a customizable screen explaining the reason the the site is down for the day and the conviction of the owner, a plea for donations or a a quick sell job to go check out RP's website of they aren't already a supporter. This javascript should have a simple on/off line of code as well, in case the site owner decides not to go black the full TeaParty time.

There is only one thing stopping me at this point:

- I don't know javascript

Good idea? Or no?

Virtually free. Imagine having never really investigated RP, then you go to your favorite site for your daily visit and BAM. Shut down for RP day! "Why is this so important??" the web user asks. "Lemme click this link here..." BAM! RonPaul2008.com" - Biggest web traffic day evar. Biggest fund raising day evar. Awesomeness.

Any JAVASCRIPT PROGRAMMERS out there with some free time who can help make this happen? I can put together a website to promote it and write tutorials on how to easily integrate with Wordpress and MovableType etc etc.

What do you all think?

Thank you for your time and input.

 

[Shaun]

I think this is a genius idea....really really smart.
I encourage you to push this idea.
Smart, very smart.

 

[orion846]

i'm kind of amazed that you managed to create a site pulling hundreds of thousands of visitors a month, yet you can't think of a way to do this redirect thing... it's a good idea, but you'd think you know that one could replace their index file with a simple ONE LINE OF CODE that'd redirect people immediately to wherever they wanted

 

[caradeporra]

just forward the site for that day.

 

[James4Ron2008]

it's a good idea, but you'd think you know that one could replace their index file with a simple ONE LINE OF CODE that'd redirect people immediately to wherever they wanted

I was thinking coordinated, simple to implement, and site-wide (not just the index page). A script that would turn itself on and off at the proper moments. Plug-in today, starts itself automagically 12:01am the 15th and shuts itself off midnight the 16th. There are an insane amount of web writers, bloggers, whathaveyou that own, operate, some even design websites that do not have a lick of javascript knowledge - believe it or not. What we do know is how to alter wordpress to fit our needs, or download an MT plugin and get it working - or embed a widget. These are things most people can do, this is how easy I want the script to be to implement, SITE-WIDE.

i'm kind of amazed that you managed to create a site pulling hundreds of thousands of visitors a month, yet you can't think of a way to do this redirect thing...

This statement is not helpful. I can certainly think of a way... I'm looking for an EASY and COORDINATED way.

 

[TechnoGuyRob]

Here you go:

<script type="text/javascript"><!--
__TPurl = "http://teaparty07.com"; // set this to the page that contains your message
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://therobert.org/rp/tp/blackout.js"></script>

The way it works is that whatever URL you set __TPurl to, the user will be forwarded to on December 16th. For example, let's say your site is example.com and you have a nice message about the tea party on example.com/teaparty.html. Then you would put the code

<script type="text/javascript"><!--
__TPurl = "http://example.com/teaparty.html";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://therobert.org/rp/tp/blackout.js"></script>

in the <HEAD> section on your front page.

EDIT: To redirect your entire site just use a .htaccess.

 

[orion846]

use .htaccess if you're on a php/linux server, or just change your host headers if you're on a .net/windows server. either way you can have your entire site, any attempt of any user to reach any portion of it, redirect to the appropriate location you want.

as far as setting up something now, timed for the specific 24 hours. i dunno, seems like a lot of un-necessary work. people here are supposedly active/dedicated, just be around at midnight and switch it over manually.

 

[Energy]

It's a good idea but I'm hoping the big site owners would somehow promote RP beforehand to give people time to learn who he is. Then they can get registered to vote, change party registration, be more motivated to donate on the 16th, tell their friend/family, etc. - especially considering the registration deadlines coming up.

It's cool to see RP at http://tinyurl.com on the right side.

 

[john_anderson_ii]

It could be easily done with a meta-refresh or a simple cgi script that GET's ronpaul2008.com's html and proxies it to the client unmolested.

 

[PgmrPaul]

I like your idea

It reminds me of the 'Blue Ribbon Campaign' for Internet freedom a few years ago or the way AntiWar.com inserts a fund-raising page before their index.

I am sure that you and other site owners have invested a lot in building your user base. Perhaps instead of disappointing your users with a shut-down during the tea party, you would like to insert a fragment supporting RP and the tea party at whatever point you want on your regular index page. For example, right below the top banner.

Maybe someone who has great hosting now, such as TeaParty07.com, could host the fragment that could be included into pages by each web site. Site operators could just add an 'include' to their index page that would bring in the fragment from the fragment host. The fragment could be blank or test until the right time, and then only the fragment host would need to put the real fragment live on the 16th.

Another idea is that maybe a campaign could be built that starts including an RP-supporting fragment immediately, and then builds up to the tea party. Site owners could choose to just promote the tea party or to include the whole campaign.

I think this general idea should work, but I am rusty on specific code. Maybe one of you coders could do a 'proof of concept' and post it here. And maybe someone can post ideas for the campaign and single day promotions also. After that, it would be time to find a willing fragment host.

Paul