Distributing and collecting interactive form with fields and signature

[Lisa BNB]

I am really struggling with an interactive PDF and the creation of a public link. I need to be able to create a public link for a fillable consent form, that also needs to be initialed and signed in several places for all of the parents of the school that I contract with (we are getting rid of paper forms).  The functionality I need = create a public link, post said link in the school newsletter, parent sees said link and clicks on it to begin completion, form document opens immediately in their browser, parent completes all fields, initials and signs form, parent clicks on the submit button, and their response is routed/collected.  I know the form is interactive, there are no security issues I can only manage to have them download the doc complete and then return via email.  I am not merely sharing the document or requesting collaboration, comments, or reviews.  I have no need for myself to fill and sign - I need for many other people to fill it out, submit and collect responses. The share tool allows me to send a read only document.  Parents shouldn't have to sign up for an account of any sort (unless they need the right Reader).  They shouldn't have to save the document in order to complete and then send back to me Just to be able to click on the link in the newsletter, complete all fields, initial/sign, and submit to me. I know such creatures exists and are quite common bc I fill them out myself (MD offices, DMV, governmental sites, etc.  You click on the form, you fill it out,initial and sign where needed, hit submit and VIOLA done.  How do I make that happen? I need some specific instructions please. I need this to be as user friendly as possible. These are consent forms that I need to keep on file. 

Also, apparently I need to have some sort of network server, and/or subsite via OneDrive Business... to redirect for submissions if I am not creating a link for email (which still won't do anything but send either an attachment file, or open as a read only doc in the browser? I have signed up for OneDrive Business hoping that it would help to be able to use a sharepoint instead of trying to create what should be very simple and collect via email response... Can't get that to function either. I can follow directions but cannot find what I need in the thousands of articles Adobe has.

How do I properly set up this SharePoint subsite? It just keeps telling me that it is creating the library but then doesn't or tells me that the path is invalid...

I've chatted with Adobe techs for hours this week, with only being redirected to a number of helpx documents that don't have the functionality I need or that I have already read.  Can someone out there please, please tell me - here is step 1, step 2, etc...? Or give me the language I need to get a tech to point me in the right direction?  I am very lost...

[Test Screen Name]

HUGE security issue. Asking people to email personal info is a very serious breach of security, and in some countries could lead to unlimited penalties. Email is considered to be "like a postcard", easily read while it is in transit. What you need is a secure web server (https) to submit to, running a script (app) created by a security professional, that keeps the highest security standards and controls and audits who can access the collected personal info. This what also those sites which "just make it happen" do.

[Lisa BNB]

I do really appreciate your comments and suggestions.  I very much want to avoid using email as a collector - it's cumbersome for my purposes, and not secure for what I need - I agree - which is why I wanted to create a link with a collector.  Pray tell though - how does one without an IT department, extremely limited coding knowledge, working for a small non-profit accomplish the approach you suggest here?  I am more than happy to learn - I just don't have the knowledge base or the financial resources to create a simple form document.  I suppose I could create link to embed on our agency website (no longer wordpress which converted the text to html automatically), but without the knowledge, I'm left with still using multiple software, devices, apps, and survey sites (i'm not taking a survey).  I am more than willing to try to learn - just point me in a specific direction or to easily followed directions.  Thanks a bunch!

[Test Screen Name]

It pains me to say this but you should NOT  be doing this yourself. Nor should a small IT department devoted to fixing and installing. This is SERIOUS STUFF. You are creating something that will sit on the internet, and will be open to attack. And it WILL be attacked. Constantly and automatically. And sometimes by highly motivated patient people. Secure collection systems MUST be written only by skilled specialists who are up to date with the very latest hacking tricks, and always vigilant for new ones. It pains me because this isn't actually that hard to get started and it used to be a great way to get experience.

Get professional, specialist help. Or find a trusted "complete service". Or don't do it. Those are your only reasonable choices.

[Lisa BNB]

Thank you for your candor.  Didn't realize that with all of the resources in the world, that creating and distributing a simple form could be such a dire threat.  Wonder why there are so many types of programs, apps, and builders/collectors for form creation and distribution that millions of consumers and companies use knowing these risks.  Of course nothing electronic is private or secure completely, but I'm thinking that folks in my type of situation (it's seriously a simple form) are still able to find some sort of reasonable solution.  We collect much more data for event and program registrations and have for years using an embed code on our site (which is https) without an issue.  But again - thank you for your direction and concern - you've reminded me of the security risks that are ever present in our world today.

[Test Screen Name]

By the way, I suggest you avoid PDF forms unless you want to get into supporting all the different sofware, apps and devices used by your parents. HTML forms are the way to go. 

[Lisa BNB]

LOL - if only you knew my parents - they are the folks that tech support told to pack up their computers and send them back to the store bc their tech 'issues' were completely the fault of the user.  It's what I would have told them (they are in their 80's)