User talk:Svdb - Revision history

Svdb: /* Spambots again */ Reply

2025-06-10T21:20:16Z

Spambots again: Reply

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:20, 10 June 2025
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	::It looks like QuestyCaptcha is the module in the ConfirmEdit extension that is currently being implemented here. Based on the table [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:ConfirmEdit here], Questy is supposed to be highly effective until it is cracked - which is what likely has happened. A short-term solution (without any new extension) may be to change the questions and answers. Looking at the mediawiki page for ConfirmEdit, the Turnstile module is the only other one listed as being highly effective against spambots. That could be long-term possibility, but looks to be more involved to implement. I've seen another wiki also use [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:AntiSpoof AntiSpoof], which might prevent some of the similar sounding usernames the bots have been using, and [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:HoneyPot HoneyPot] for spam control. --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 00:17, 7 June 2025 (UTC)		::It looks like QuestyCaptcha is the module in the ConfirmEdit extension that is currently being implemented here. Based on the table [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:ConfirmEdit here], Questy is supposed to be highly effective until it is cracked - which is what likely has happened. A short-term solution (without any new extension) may be to change the questions and answers. Looking at the mediawiki page for ConfirmEdit, the Turnstile module is the only other one listed as being highly effective against spambots. That could be long-term possibility, but looks to be more involved to implement. I've seen another wiki also use [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:AntiSpoof AntiSpoof], which might prevent some of the similar sounding usernames the bots have been using, and [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:HoneyPot HoneyPot] for spam control. --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 00:17, 7 June 2025 (UTC)

			::: Thanks for that research. I've slightly changed the QuestyCaptcha questions now (just asking for the digits in reverse). I hope to be able to look into your other suggestions this weekend. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 21:20, 10 June 2025 (UTC)

Fyzixfighter: /* Spambots again */ reply

2025-06-07T00:17:49Z

Spambots again: reply

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:17, 7 June 2025
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	: Hi Fyzixfighter. Thanks for still whacking bots after all this time. If I can make this easier by installing some new extension, I'll be happy to do so. I'll look into options when I get the chance. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 21:43, 20 May 2025 (UTC)		: Hi Fyzixfighter. Thanks for still whacking bots after all this time. If I can make this easier by installing some new extension, I'll be happy to do so. I'll look into options when I get the chance. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 21:43, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

			::It looks like QuestyCaptcha is the module in the ConfirmEdit extension that is currently being implemented here. Based on the table [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:ConfirmEdit here], Questy is supposed to be highly effective until it is cracked - which is what likely has happened. A short-term solution (without any new extension) may be to change the questions and answers. Looking at the mediawiki page for ConfirmEdit, the Turnstile module is the only other one listed as being highly effective against spambots. That could be long-term possibility, but looks to be more involved to implement. I've seen another wiki also use [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:AntiSpoof AntiSpoof], which might prevent some of the similar sounding usernames the bots have been using, and [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:HoneyPot HoneyPot] for spam control. --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 00:17, 7 June 2025 (UTC)

Svdb: Response

2025-05-20T21:43:15Z

Response

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:43, 20 May 2025
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	== Spambots again ==		== Spambots again ==
	Hey Serge - I don't mind playing whack-a-spambot, but my real life commitments make it difficult to stay on top of the recent surge in spambots. I'm not sure if the CAPTCHA extensions need to be updated or if there's another extension that could be implemented. I'll keep looking through the MediaWiki help to see if there are any other possible things to try. --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 03:14, 18 May 2025 (UTC)		Hey Serge - I don't mind playing whack-a-spambot, but my real life commitments make it difficult to stay on top of the recent surge in spambots. I'm not sure if the CAPTCHA extensions need to be updated or if there's another extension that could be implemented. I'll keep looking through the MediaWiki help to see if there are any other possible things to try. --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 03:14, 18 May 2025 (UTC)

			: Hi Fyzixfighter. Thanks for still whacking bots after all this time. If I can make this easier by installing some new extension, I'll be happy to do so. I'll look into options when I get the chance. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 21:43, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Fyzixfighter: /* Spambots back */

2025-05-18T03:14:16Z

Spambots back

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:14, 18 May 2025
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	:It may actually be the case that since the upgrade before this one, creating new accounts was broken completely.		:It may actually be the case that since the upgrade before this one, creating new accounts was broken completely.
	:I'll see what I can do. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 13:23, 27 February 2016 (CET)		:I'll see what I can do. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 13:23, 27 February 2016 (CET)

			== Spambots again ==
			Hey Serge - I don't mind playing whack-a-spambot, but my real life commitments make it difficult to stay on top of the recent surge in spambots. I'm not sure if the CAPTCHA extensions need to be updated or if there's another extension that could be implemented. I'll keep looking through the MediaWiki help to see if there are any other possible things to try. --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 03:14, 18 May 2025 (UTC)

Svdb: Moved old stuff to User talk:Svdb/Old.

2016-02-28T15:59:31Z

Moved old stuff to User talk:Svdb/Old.

Show changes

Svdb: Reverted edits by Svdb (talk) to last revision by Fyzixfighter

2016-02-28T15:57:59Z

Reverted edits by Svdb (talk) to last revision by Fyzixfighter

Show changes

Svdb: Moved old stuff to User_talk:SvdB/Old

2016-02-28T15:56:21Z

Moved old stuff to User_talk:SvdB/Old

Show changes

Svdb: Reply

2016-02-27T12:23:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:23, 27 February 2016
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	Looks like spambots are back again making a bunch of new user accounts. No spam pages yet. It seems to coincide with the upgrading of the MediaWiki software? --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 14:09, 24 February 2016 (CET)		Looks like spambots are back again making a bunch of new user accounts. No spam pages yet. It seems to coincide with the upgrading of the MediaWiki software? --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 14:09, 24 February 2016 (CET)
			:It may actually be the case that since the upgrade before this one, creating new accounts was broken completely.
			:I'll see what I can do. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 13:23, 27 February 2016 (CET)

Fyzixfighter: /* Spambots back */

2016-02-24T13:09:26Z

Spambots back

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:09, 24 February 2016
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	:I'm afraid not. What I originally did was to replace the names of some form fields. I changed them again now. If that doesn't help, I'll have to figure out something else. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 23:53, 8 October 2014 (CEST)		:I'm afraid not. What I originally did was to replace the names of some form fields. I changed them again now. If that doesn't help, I'll have to figure out something else. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 23:53, 8 October 2014 (CEST)

			Looks like spambots are back again making a bunch of new user accounts. No spam pages yet. It seems to coincide with the upgrading of the MediaWiki software? --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 14:09, 24 February 2016 (CET)

Svdb: Reply

2014-10-08T21:53:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:53, 8 October 2014
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	It looks like they started in earnest right after the massive creation of spam pages by a single user. Any chance that the small internal change to the ConfirmEdit extension that you did last year to thwart the automated spambot scripts somehow got undone when the "mass delete" option got added? --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 03:58, 3 October 2014 (CEST)		It looks like they started in earnest right after the massive creation of spam pages by a single user. Any chance that the small internal change to the ConfirmEdit extension that you did last year to thwart the automated spambot scripts somehow got undone when the "mass delete" option got added? --[[User:Fyzixfighter\|Fyzixfighter]] ([[User talk:Fyzixfighter\|talk]]) 03:58, 3 October 2014 (CEST)

			:I'm afraid not. What I originally did was to replace the names of some form fields. I changed them again now. If that doesn't help, I'll have to figure out something else. — [[User:Svdb\|SvdB]] ([[User talk:Svdb\|talk]]) 23:53, 8 October 2014 (CEST)