need to support anonymous users with a simple one time disclaimer agreement

[Gregory Hines]

I am an experienced software developer but new to django.  I am trying to create a simple website in which each new user (either based on their IP address or even more specific machine ID) would be asked to agree to a simple disclaimer before going on to access the site. On subsequent usage I don't want them to be offered the same disclaimer and repeat user should be sent directly to the main page of the website.

I am using TemplateViews  and  basic templates that offer up form that the user fills and submits.  I specifically don't want each user to have to establish a ogin acct etc.  Is this possible w/ django? 

Any and all hints welcome.

[Ken Whitesell]

Gregory,

     Not only is it not practical in Django, it's not a realistic solution using any framework.

There is no "machine ID" that is exposed to a web site, and originating IP addresses completely fails for all people accessing your site from behind a NAT box or other similar functional device. (I work in an office using a private ip address range - 10.1.xxx.xxx. All websites that any of us access all see the same originating IP address. So if I were to acknowledge that disclaimer, your software would assume that everyone in my office has done that - which I don't think you want.)

Yes, there are some options that would cover most of the common cases - you could use a cookie for example, to track on the user's side whether or not they've agreed to that disclaimer. That'll work for as long as they keep the cookies and don't change browsers - or run in incognito mode.

(And all of this is discounting any intentional actions to spoof / avoid that disclaimer.)

If you have any _real_ requirement for that disclaimer to be acknowledged, then an actual per-user account is the only way to do it.

Ken