wiki - spambot?

whoops · 2009-05-21 18:27:57

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)

Snowman · 2009-05-21 23:26:21

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.

Xyne · 2009-05-21 23:51:27

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)

ngoonee · 2009-05-22 00:49:19

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?

Allan · 2009-05-22 00:53:11

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

whoops · 2009-05-22 19:16:50

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)

Pierre · 2009-05-22 19:29:14

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.

IcePik · 2009-05-22 19:35:08

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??

Snowman · 2009-05-22 21:17:10

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

soupcan · 2009-05-22 21:38:54

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)

Allan · 2009-05-22 22:11:47

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!

rusty99 · 2009-05-22 22:28:19

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

IcePik · 2009-05-23 07:05:03

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

fukawi2 · 2009-05-23 07:40:00

IcePik wrote:

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

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

IcePik · 2009-05-23 07:51:21

yup captcha is exactly what i meant

EVRAMP · 2009-05-23 08:26:26

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

karol · 2009-05-23 11:41:26

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 :-)

abesto · 2009-05-23 13:28:51

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
Also, with a limited number of choices, a bot has way better chances with this than with a traditional captha, methinks.

karol · 2009-05-23 13:53:08

>> 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 :-)

IcePik · 2009-05-23 14:55:55

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

karol · 2009-05-23 15:37:00

IcePik wrote:

we are looking for people who can write a wiki

Can != want to.

whoops · 2009-05-23 16:04:56

karol wrote:

IcePik wrote:
we are looking for people who can write a wiki
Can != want to.

want to + can < can | want to

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

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

karol · 2009-05-23 16:08:43

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.

IcePik · 2009-05-23 16:16:31

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

at least for now

hope it stays that way

madalu · 2009-05-28 17:12:19

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)

Arch Linux

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

wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

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

Re: wiki - spambot?

#25 2009-05-28 17:12:19

Re: wiki - spambot?

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