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The Wiki is being gently probed by spammers. [message #103709]

Thu, 09 July 2009 11:23

kerryg

Messages: 1529
Registered: February 2009

Senior Member
Administrator

So far they've been pretty benign - no harm done - but I don't like the "smell" of it, and now we're on their radar, so I've taken steps to secure it against auto-signup spambots.

So if you'd like to sign up for the Wiki (either to participate or to simply access current or future "registered user only" features), the registration for the Wiki will now ask for an invitation code. The invitation code is seven lowercase letters and can be seen in the following image (thank you thewitch!).

index.php?t=getfile&id=648&private=0

Once you have that, this link will take you back to the Wiki to register.

Thanks!

- Kerry, admin

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"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Sun, 12 July 2009 15:18]

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Re: The Wiki is being gently probed by spammers. [message #103748 is a reply to message #103709]

Sun, 12 July 2009 14:27

the witcher

Messages: 12
Registered: July 2009
Location: Illinois

Junior Member

A bot problem you say? Might I suggest that in dealing with bots and other such evil creatures that you use something other than text!

I hear tell they are kind of illiterate that way.

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I'm a Witcher, I solve human problems not always using a sword!

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Re: The Wiki is being gently probed by spammers. [message #103749 is a reply to message #103748]

Sun, 12 July 2009 15:14

kerryg

Messages: 1529
Registered: February 2009

Senior Member
Administrator

Thank you very much for that!

Bots are growing more sophisticated, but hopefully not sufficiently so that they'd be able to parse the instructions on the main page of the Wiki, follow the link to a separate site, figure out which word is the key word and click on a link to return and sign up [and if they do, the end is nigh anyway Very Happy

]

But you know what? I replaced it anyway since what you did just looks so great Very Happy

"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Sun, 12 July 2009 17:00]

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Re: The Wiki is being gently probed by spammers. [message #103754 is a reply to message #103749]

Sun, 12 July 2009 17:35

the witcher

Messages: 12
Registered: July 2009
Location: Illinois

Junior Member

Oh I can do better than that!

Point is bots are getting pretty sophisticated, and sometimes they are backed by humans. Yet bots still can't read images so well, and humans generally turn images off when they are up to no good.

So if you are going to pass along a code, phone number, e-mail etc it is a good idea to do it in an image format.

So tell me how do you know you are being probed by spammers? I'm curious.

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I'm a Witcher, I solve human problems not always using a sword!

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Re: The Wiki is being gently probed by spammers. [message #103756 is a reply to message #103754]

Mon, 13 July 2009 01:09

kerryg

Messages: 1529
Registered: February 2009

Senior Member
Administrator

the witcher wrote on Sun, 12 July 2009 17:35

Oh I can do better than that!

You're right of course, it's better to do it via image. I was rationalizing my own laziness, I suppose Very Happy

Quote:

So tell me how do you know you are being probed by spammers? I'm curious.

I got some auto signups in the Wiki with improbable names that dumped and then deleted strings of apparently meaningless URLs. I did a quick consult with the guys that coded the Wiki, who had seen this before and had a quick fix. An upgrade that shuts this sort of thing down is in the cards too.

"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

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Re: The Wiki is being gently probed by spammers. [message #103758 is a reply to message #103756]

Mon, 13 July 2009 03:36

the witcher

Messages: 12
Registered: July 2009
Location: Illinois

Junior Member

Mere fact that you have Paris up and running is proof that you are not lazy!

Ok strings of meaningless urls's I think I understand. I've seen that url after url one on top of the other in my errors log. The techs said it was an attempt to crash system by overloading the buffers.

I'm a Witcher, I solve human problems not always using a sword!

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