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#1 2009-05-21 18:27:57

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

wiki - spambot?

Hi!

40 new wiki accounts and I guess that "Someone already noticed and did something about it" a while ago ("old news"). Got no idea if that's a spam-bot preparing for the big launch or something else I'm not familiar with either - just thought it worth mentioning in case everyone else thinks "Someone already noticed and did something about it" instead of doing something, too *g*.

( Something might be happening somewhere under some circumstances perhaps! Someone do somthing before something is to late! Oh, yes, and inform someone! OMG / RUUUUN/PANIC!!! )

Last edited by whoops (2009-05-21 18:29:20)

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#2 2009-05-21 23:26:21

Snowman
Developer/Forum Fellow
From: Montreal, Canada
Registered: 2004-08-20
Posts: 5,212

Re: wiki - spambot?

Post back if they start spamming. I can't really block them as I might block accounts of innocent users in the process. But it does look suspicious as they seem to follow the same pattern.

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#3 2009-05-21 23:51:27

Xyne
Administrator/PM
Registered: 2008-08-03
Posts: 6,963
Website

Re: wiki - spambot?

Just look at the creation times. Bots or not, they definitely do not bode well. You could always check the IP and try to correlate it to a user on the forum. Otherwise it might be worth deleting all accounts created by that IP. Even if the wiki can be restored, if this in preparation for massive wiki vandalism, it will probably be a pain to fix later.

Last edited by Xyne (2009-05-22 00:50:40)


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#4 2009-05-22 00:49:19

ngoonee
Forum Fellow
From: Between Thailand and Singapore
Registered: 2009-03-17
Posts: 7,354

Re: wiki - spambot?

How DO you guys tell who/how many people have signed up for a wiki account?

From a total noob - is it possible to back up the wiki somehow?


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#5 2009-05-22 00:53:11

Allan
Pacman
From: Brisbane, AU
Registered: 2007-06-09
Posts: 11,365
Website

Re: wiki - spambot?

Click on the "Recent Changes" link (upper left on any page).

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#6 2009-05-22 19:16:50

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: wiki - spambot?

I think it's starting to get a bit... "crowded"... can hardly see any real changes in the RSS feed between all those new "users".

So those accounts have no column in common, not even the encrypted password or something?

Last edited by whoops (2009-05-22 19:17:12)

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#7 2009-05-22 19:29:14

Pierre
Developer
From: Bonn
Registered: 2004-07-05
Posts: 1,964
Website

Re: wiki - spambot?

I have written a simple but working Plugin to stop spam bots. Maybe we could think about enabling it. I use it at archlinux.de and even without the need to be registered there is no spam.

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#8 2009-05-22 19:35:08

IcePik
Member
From: Canterbury, UK
Registered: 2008-12-14
Posts: 31

Re: wiki - spambot?

ouch there seems to be a new user on the wiki evry few minutes

any reports of vandalism or spamming in any of the articles??


IcePik
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#9 2009-05-22 21:17:10

Snowman
Developer/Forum Fellow
From: Montreal, Canada
Registered: 2004-08-20
Posts: 5,212

Re: wiki - spambot?

Is there a way to see what IP they used to register? I can only see the time/date  of registration.

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#10 2009-05-22 21:38:54

soupcan
Member
From: ?
Registered: 2008-10-25
Posts: 268

Re: wiki - spambot?

I'd say ban them before they can do anything. There are hundreds; IMO, it's too much of a risk to leave them.

EDIT: Roughly how big is the wiki? Could I just download the entire thing so there's a "backup" of sorts?

Last edited by soupcan (2009-05-22 21:42:58)

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#11 2009-05-22 22:11:47

Allan
Pacman
From: Brisbane, AU
Registered: 2007-06-09
Posts: 11,365
Website

Re: wiki - spambot?

Snowman wrote:

Is there a way to see what IP they used to register? I can only see the time/date  of registration.

I can not find one if there is...  Big wig wiki dudes have been contacted.

Edit:  Damn...  wasted my 4000th post on this!

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#12 2009-05-22 22:28:19

rusty99
Member
Registered: 2009-03-18
Posts: 253

Re: wiki - spambot?

Is it possible to lock down account creation for the time being?

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#13 2009-05-23 07:05:03

IcePik
Member
From: Canterbury, UK
Registered: 2008-12-14
Posts: 31

Re: wiki - spambot?

hmm sounds like a nice idea or have account creation either through request or with one of those security codes (random sequence of numbers and letters in an image) to prevent bots from registering


IcePik
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#14 2009-05-23 07:40:00

fukawi2
Ex-Administratorino
From: .vic.au
Registered: 2007-09-28
Posts: 6,217
Website

Re: wiki - spambot?

IcePik wrote:

...one of those security codes (random sequence of numbers and letters in an image)

Captcha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captcha

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#15 2009-05-23 07:51:21

IcePik
Member
From: Canterbury, UK
Registered: 2008-12-14
Posts: 31

Re: wiki - spambot?

yup captcha is exactly what i meant


IcePik
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#16 2009-05-23 08:26:26

EVRAMP
Member
From: Czech Republic
Registered: 2008-10-03
Posts: 173
Website

Re: wiki - spambot?

At least half of those accounts can't be real people.
I hate captcha, but this type of protection might work.

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#17 2009-05-23 11:41:26

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: wiki - spambot?

I want this one http://i32.tinypic.com/2upqp6s.jpg but w/ more choices and at least three stages: after the correct answer you go to the next -harder - level :-)

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#18 2009-05-23 13:28:51

abesto
Member
From: Hungary
Registered: 2009-03-05
Posts: 49
Website

Re: wiki - spambot?

karol wrote:

I want this one http://i32.tinypic.com/2upqp6s.jpg but w/ more choices and at least three stages: after the correct answer you go to the next -harder - level :-)

Uhh.. I'm positively sure I'd fail that big_smile
Also, with a limited number of choices, a bot has way better chances with this than with a traditional captha, methinks.


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#19 2009-05-23 13:53:08

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: wiki - spambot?

>> but w/ more choices and at least three stages
> Also, with a limited number of choices, a bot has way better chances with this than with a traditional captha, methinks.
I've already taken this into account, abesto. 1/6 >> 1/20 ^ 3 (3 stages, 20 choices each, only one of the answers is correct).
No, I'm not going to implement it :-)

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#20 2009-05-23 14:55:55

IcePik
Member
From: Canterbury, UK
Registered: 2008-12-14
Posts: 31

Re: wiki - spambot?

karol wrote:

I want this one http://i32.tinypic.com/2upqp6s.jpg but w/ more choices and at least three stages: after the correct answer you go to the next -harder - level :-)

we are looking for people who can write a wiki not people with a 150+ iq


IcePik
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#21 2009-05-23 15:37:00

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: wiki - spambot?

IcePik wrote:

we are looking for people who can write a wiki

Can != want to.

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#22 2009-05-23 16:04:56

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: wiki - spambot?

karol wrote:
IcePik wrote:

we are looking for people who can write a wiki

Can != want to.

want to + can < can | want to tongue


Btw, I think it stopped (again)...

Last edited by whoops (2009-05-23 16:05:41)

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#23 2009-05-23 16:08:43

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: wiki - spambot?

Sorry, whoops, my geek skills are almost nonexistent, can I ask for plain English?
Either you messed that line up or I'm really dumb, but I simply don't get it.

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#24 2009-05-23 16:16:31

IcePik
Member
From: Canterbury, UK
Registered: 2008-12-14
Posts: 31

Re: wiki - spambot?

ya looks like the user creation has died down...

at least for now

hope it stays that way


IcePik
Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook NP530U3C-A01US
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#25 2009-05-28 17:12:19

madalu
Member
Registered: 2009-05-05
Posts: 217

Re: wiki - spambot?

I saw that there was some discussion of adding captchas to the wiki on the arch.devel mailing list:

http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.arch.devel/6223

The assumption there seemed to be that it would be difficult to edit a wiki in a text browser.

http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.arch.devel/6230

In fact, it is quite easy and convenient to edit MediaWiki articles in emacs using emacs-w3m and wikipedia-mode.

I, for one, would put in a request not to implement a captcha, since it is an inconvenience for those who primarily use a text browser + text editor to contribute to wikis (rather than having to use a cumbersome graphical browser).

Last edited by madalu (2009-05-28 17:12:54)

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