Is there a Simpler Way to Do This.?

[neotriad]

I have a form that I use for online surveys in my shop that I would like to have duplicated locally as well as having the data entered sent to my CMS.

My goal is to have all the data added to a local text or spreadsheet file so that I don't have to keep login in to my CMS and copying the data to send out newsletters and the like every so often.

I am thinking I can make a local static page, and have the content copied to my web form and local file when users click the Submit button.

Is this cloaking? Does anyone know if there is there a better or simpler option to accomplishing this task?

[lucy24]

To clarify: The human user sees additional text after clicking Submit, and the robot won't see this text because it hasn't clicked Submit? Like those php/bb polls where it doesn't show the results until you've either answered or said you're not going to answer?

Doesn't sound like cloaking in any meaningful sense of the word. It only becomes cloaking if the robot does the robotic equivalent of clicking Submit... and then you show it a different batch of results than what you'd show a human. Like, say, multiplying all results by 10 or 100 so the search engine thinks you've got more active visitors than you really have.

The real question is whether you'd want this text indexed at all. If not, the whole cloaking question flies out the window.

[edited by: incrediBILL at 8:52 pm (utc) on May 4, 2013]
[edit reason] thread clean up [/edit]

[neotriad]

I don't need the text indexed, I just need to have users enter their information, click submit, and have a copy if the information saved locally as web as submitted on my form. Am I looking at this the wrong way with scripting?

[lucy24]

If it isn't going to be indexed, you don't need to worry about cloaking. (Or duplicate content, which could likewise be an issue if the same text shows up lots of places.) I got the impression that was the primary question.

:: wrestling the subject back into the domain of javascript ::

Does the user continue on the same page after clicking Submit? If so, it almost has to be some form of js. If you send them along to a different page, the possibilities open up.

Hm. Just a few days ago, an otherwise unrelated thread was talking about recent Firefox versions putting up a fuss when a page tries to redirect or reload. At some point you cross the line between ordinary javascript activity and a full-fledged page refresh.

[Kendo]

Am I looking at this the wrong way with scripting?

Possibly. If you want the user to have a record of what was submitted you have some options:

1. Send an email with a transcript of their submission in the message body.
2. Save a transcript to a text file on the server and either:
a) send it by email as an attachment, or
b) provide a download link to the file.

In option (b) you should use a unique file name for each user, otherwise other users could download some one else's submission.

[neotriad]

Looks like I was looking at it bass ackwards.

Thank you for your help Lucy24 and Kendo. I really appreciate it.

I may not have to be concerned about indexing because it is on a local PC and I could provide a nofollow if necessary.

My goal is to have users be able to sign up for a email alerts, and provide customer service quality feed back (at a kiosk near our register) that will all be kept locally on a text or spreadsheet file on a PC and also be sent to our web site CMS as well when they click the Submit button.

After clicking submit, I am having a "Thank You for your Feedback" page time out to return to the home survey page after 10 seconds or so.

It looks like I will have to make a local form and use it with a little javascript to duplicate the data to a text/spreadsheet and web based form in another open (possibly hidden) browser?

Do you guys think I am on the right path now?