Using a form hosting service

Even if you're wary of CGI scripts or if your ISP doesn't allow you to use them, you can still have forms on your Web page.  Several companies create forms for you, give you access to CGI scripts that process the forms, or process the forms directly and send you the results via e-mail.  You generally "pay" for the form by including some sort of advertisement on your page.

To use a form hosting service:

  1. Connect to a form hosting service.
  2. Read their site to answer the following questions:
    Who creates the form, you or them?
    What do you have to do in exchange for them processing your forms?
    Is it OK to use their processing for commercial forms, or just personal ones?
  3. Follow their instructions for setting up your form.

Tips:

Most form hosting services send you the gathered information in an e-mail message.
There is a lot of variety from one form hosting service to another.  Do a search on Yahoo, Lycos or Alta Vista for the one you like best. They generally all do it in exchange for advertising, but some ads are not as intrusive as others.  For example, Response-o-Matic only shows their ad in the Thank You page, not in the form itself.