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I have verified that a verified email address is required to edit (by creating an account).<BR>
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-- Ashley<BR>
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On Sat, 2012-07-14 at 20:52 -0700, Mark Lentczner wrote:<BR>
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We probably need more than just recaptcha (don't use anything else - they are breakable) - there are real-time forum spammer lists one needs to consult, and other measures. It may seem draconian, but for other communities I run on the web, we've given up and have to resort to manual review of every account request.
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- Mark
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On Sat, Jul 14, 2012 at 6:05 PM, Don Stewart <<A HREF="mailto:dons00@gmail.com">dons00@gmail.com</A>> wrote:<BR>
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More admins on the wiki is good, esp. those with experience to implement anti-spam measures.
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Ashley is around , but as usual, we need more help.
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On Saturday, July 14, 2012, Gwern Branwen wrote:<BR>
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I recently moved, and when I returned to the Internet a few days<BR>
later, I was greeted with several hundred spam pages in Recent<BR>
Changes. The torrent of spam has not let up, and I estimate that I<BR>
have blocked 3-500 accounts and deleted as many pages. (I blocked<BR>
another 5 or so while composing this email.) Certainly the deletion<BR>
and block logs are long enough:<BR>
<BR>
- <A HREF="http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=delete&user=&page=">http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=delete&user=&page=</A><BR>
- <A HREF="http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/index.php?title=Special:Ipblocklist&limit=500">http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/index.php?title=Special:Ipblocklist&limit=500</A><BR>
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I have asked Ashley Yakeley to turn on additional anti-spam measures,<BR>
but he has not been active on the wiki since January<BR>
(<A HREF="http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Special:Contributions/Ashley_Y">http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Special:Contributions/Ashley_Y</A><BR>
<A HREF="http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/index.php?title=Special:Log&user=Ashley_Y">http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/index.php?title=Special:Log&user=Ashley_Y</A>),<BR>
and has not replied to my talk messages or accompanying emails.<BR>
<BR>
I had to do this single-handedly as there are no other administrators.<BR>
This took up a good chunk of today and yesterday, and the spam is<BR>
continuing. I cannot handle it much longer: it's incredibly tedious<BR>
and using up far more time than I have to give it. Measures need to be<BR>
taken:<BR>
<BR>
1. Email confirmation needs to be checked that Ashley did in fact<BR>
enable it. I suspect he did not, since I also administrate the<BR>
LessWrong wiki - which I know for certain has email confirmation is<BR>
enabled - is being attacked by the same spammers (similar or identical<BR>
templates & spam) but at a much reduced scale.<BR>
2. Additional administrators must be created. I suggest:<BR>
<BR>
- dons<BR>
- Magnus Therning<BR>
- Neil Mitchell<BR>
- byorgey<BR>
- Henk-Jan van Tuyl<BR>
<BR>
I am sure there are others who can be trusted.<BR>
3. Additional bureaucrats should be created. I suggest myself.<BR>
4. ReCAPTCHA enabled for 'edits adding new, unrecognized external<BR>
links' - which is all of the spam. Further reading:<BR>
<A HREF="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Combating_spam">http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Combating_spam</A> &<BR>
<A HREF="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Anti-spam_features">http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Anti-spam_features</A><BR>
5. if Ashley is inactive, his account may be a security risk. The<BR>
English Wikipedia now removes administrator bits after a year of<BR>
inactivity; we should consider a similar policy.<BR>
<BR>
None of these can be taken by myself, as I am neither a sysadmin on<BR>
Haskell.org nor a bureaucrat on the wiki.<BR>
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If none of these steps are taken and spam continues to remain a<BR>
problem in 2 months (15 September 2012), I will cease patrolling<BR>
Recent Changes. I no longer have the time or patience.<BR>
<BR>
--<BR>
gwern<BR>
<A HREF="http://www.gwern.net">http://www.gwern.net</A><BR>
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