Unable to post URLs in [Code] tags

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Tom T.
Field Marshal
Posts: 3620
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:58 am

Unable to post URLs in [Code] tags

Post by Tom T. »

(Split as O/T -- possible forum sw issue -- from "NoScript Sightings" -- Tom T.)
DJ-Leith wrote:
Tom T. wrote:
DJ-Leith wrote:...I recommend that you read them in order but I can't post the URLs....
I'm curious: Why not? You're an established member here, and the site is hardly spam; it's good tech info.
Did you get blocked when you tried to post them?
Yes, the anti spam blocked the post. Nearly all my posts have links (and I've struggled with the anti spam before).
However, on reviewing my posts it is usually the URLs that are NOT forums.informaction .com or mozilla that trigger the anti spam. I'm very happy that you (the Moderators) try and 'keep the spam links down'.
I'm also happy to use the 'Code brackets'.
However, in this case - even the 'Code brackets' failed: I had to break the links.
That makes no sense ... The purpose of Code tags is to allow even malicious code to be posted (for analysis and warning), with the guarantee that it will not be parsed. They are not live, clickable links. I suppose a spammer could just put the spam site or keywords in code tags -- IDK whether search-bots read inside code tags -- but we hard-working Mods would delete them anyway. ;)

Now I'm curious. I have a "registered user" account for just such purposes - to test these things. Give me a few minutes to try to post your links from that account. Will use a different IP, too. BRB.
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Test Account
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:02 am

Re: NoScript Sightings

Post by Test Account »

OK, here I am on an ordinary registered user account, with no special privileges. (Note the name is in the usual blue, vs. green reserved for Mods.)
Also used an IP that I've never used at this forum before, "just to be sure".

http://blog.trendmicro.com/html5-thegood
http://blog.trendmicro.com/html5-the-bad
http://blog.trendmicro.com/html5-the-ugly

Your links, a bit of text so that it isn't a post of nothing but links...

Seems to work for me.

Have you tried clearing cookies and cache before coming to the Forum?
Not sure what's happening, but if you, as a registered member with a number of good, legit posts, can't post three non-spam links, I need to ask Giorgio why.

We have people reporting problems who give several examples (URLs) of where it happens. They often don't break the links, and it works.
(We may or may not break them, depending on how "commercial" the link is... )

Anyway, please try again, with the above suggestions. If you are still being blocked, I'll report a possible problem with the forum sw, thanks.

- Tom T.
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DJ-Leith
Senior Member
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:23 pm

Re: NoScript Sightings

Post by DJ-Leith »

@ Tom T.

Thanks for splitting this off.

I suspect that my 'normal method of posting' may be the cause.

Like many readers here I use my computer system with the least level of
privileges. Of potential relevance: I never login to web sites
unless I have to, I never 'let my Computer / browser' do it for me.
So, I read here often. I only login to post (and then I logout).
Have you tried clearing cookies and cache
When I close Firefox I clear nearly everything.

Firefox Menu, Tools, Options, Privacy Tab
"Accept cookies from sites" [Keep until: I close Firefox]

"Clear history when Firefox closes"
All checked (on most Fx profiles).
All checked EXCEPT "Browsing History" on this Fx profile.

So the only cookies I have, when I am posting, are the ones set by this site in this session.

Re: cache - I also use CCleaner frequently.

To post I do the following:

1. THINK - Do I have something constructive to contribute? Can I assist?
[If I can't because I won't be able to follow up (due to time constraints), or because I don't know, then I won't post.]

2. Use Notepad to write the post.

3. Copy to LibreOffice Writer, to spell check. I can't spell, I'm dyslexic.

4. Copy back to Notepad and save.

5. Go to the thread where I want to post: I want to check that there is no better answer,
since I last read, before I post.
Sometimes copy the URL, this could be where my 'unexpected behaviour' might
cause an issue for the phpBB software.

6. Login, I'm sent back to the board index BUT
http://forums.informaction.com/index.php now has ?sid=dadcd ... 32 characters after the "?sid=

Code: Select all

http://forums.informaction.com/index.php?sid=dadcd ...
7. Go to the thread.

8. (optional use the "Quote" button), use the "PostReply" button.

9. Paste in the text as at 4 (above).

10. Add Bold URL etc tags

11. Use the "Preview" button, often several times.

12. Sometimes the anti spam kicks in at this point.

So, I am now going to attempt this in the next post.

Continued ...
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DJ-Leith
Senior Member
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:23 pm

Re: Unable to post URLs in [Code] tags

Post by DJ-Leith »

Below the ****** is very like my 'post that failed' in the "NoScript Sightings" sticky thread.

This 'whole post' has the three URLs in 3 separate 'code tags'.
I am going to post it, a few lines at a time, by pasting from the Notepad verson.
I will press the "Preview" button after each 'chunk': as I would have
done on previous attempts at posting.

First, I tried to paste the 'the whole post', followed by a "Preview".
This failed with a

Code: Select all

Ooops, something in your posting triggered my antispam filter...
Please use the "Back" button to modify your content and retry.
I pressed the "Back" button.

Good news, I've reproduced it.

Also, I had a sid=86...

Code: Select all

http://forums.informaction.com/posting.php?mode=reply&f=14&sid=86ab2 ... 637&t=8586#preview
Then, I tried breaking the URLs, by adding two spaces in each, as before in the "NoScript Sightings" sticky thread.


******

With the demise of Firefox 3.6.xx we will all soon be using a browser with HTML5.

In November 2011 Trend Micro published three linked blog posts on
HTML5: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Code: Select all

http: //blog.trendmicro. com/html5-thegood

Code: Select all

http: //blog.trendmicro. com/html5-the-bad

Code: Select all

http: //blog.trendmicro. com/html5-the-ugly
At the end of the third post, HTML5 – The Ugly, Robert McArdle says:
... there are two free tools which can offer very good protection:
1. NoScript: The NoScript browser plugin is already well known in security circles. This excellent

tool restricts how JavaScript and other plugins run on untrusted sites. ...
I transitioned from Fx 3.6.28 to Fx 11 on 20-April-2012.

DJ-Leith
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DJ-Leith
Senior Member
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:23 pm

Re: Unable to post URLs in [Code] tags

Post by DJ-Leith »

The time between posts is because I am documenting as I go, this takes time.

This reply is typed in the phpBB form, then copied out to Notepad. My Fx spell checker does find some errors as I type which I can correct before I post.

As I type the URL is
http://forums.informaction.com/posting. ... =14&t=8586
No sid=86... but I am still logged in.

"Preview" is OK so far.

Next I will try a single URL in a 'code tag pair'.

Code: Select all

http://blog.trendmicro.com/html5-thegood
This works.
I started with the 'html5-thegood' URL 'with added spaces', did "Preview", OK,
removed one space, OK,
removed the second space, still OK.

So, I think it may be a 'timing issue': the anti spam 'sees lots of off domain url' within a short time since login.

Next I'll try the whole post, slowly, as I've been logged in for some time now (more than 1 hour).

Just before I do, the URL of this TAB is now

Code: Select all

http://forums.informaction.com/posting.php?mode=reply&f=14&sid=86a ... 637&t=8586#preview
So, it has changed as I type

Continued ...
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DJ-Leith
Senior Member
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:23 pm

Re: Unable to post URLs in [Code] tags

Post by DJ-Leith »

Lessons,
Take your time, start at the Board Index
http://forums.informaction.com/index

Login, and go from there.
"Preview" often, let the board catch up.
Wait till you see a 'sid=86ab ...'

Code: Select all

http://forums.informaction.com/posting.php?mode=reply&f=14&sid=86ab ... eea633a637&t=8586#preview
before you try and post an off domain URL.

So far, so good. Now try one of the Trend Micro URLs: first with spaces, then without, then as a URL ...

Code: Select all

http: //blog.trendmicro. com/html5-the-ugly

Code: Select all

http://blog.trendmicro.com/html5-the-ugly
http://blog.trendmicro.com/html5-the-ugly

All three worked! :)

However, adding a 'large size' tag to the "Take your time" (above in this post) triggered the anti spam!!
I've removed this.

General conclusions,
1. @Tom T. - no need to report.
2. Take your time.
3. Don't put in too much 'decoration' including size tags.

DJ-Leith
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Tom T.
Field Marshal
Posts: 3620
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:58 am

Re: Unable to post URLs in [Code] tags

Post by Tom T. »

DJ-Leith wrote:... Next I'll try the whole post, slowly, as I've been logged in for some time now (more than 1 hour).
Stop right there; that's the issue.

This forum, like most, and like many web sites, has an automatic timeout. If you do not interact with the site within that time period, it assumes that you are no longer active, and it logs you out. The reason is that otherwise, if many users forgot to log out, the server becomes over-burdened with connections, and others can't log on.

At one time, IIRC, this timeout was 30 minutes. The team discussed with Giorgio that there had been user complaints about this, and some of us (team) had experienced it, too. I *believe* it's now one hour (don't quote me), but you did exceed that. So you were logged out, and were essentially back to guest user status. Which would require doing the CAPTCHA dance to post.

Unless I'm gravely mistaken, previewing is done directly in the browser. So previews don't count as interactions, and the number of URLs in the preview shouldn't affect the spam filter, because (again IIUC), it doesn't "see" the post until you click "Submit". It wasn't that you were adding URLs; it was that the meter was ticking, and expired. If you find that frequent previewing alone resets the timer, good.

What to take away is: Compose a long post completely in your text editor, as you did. When ready to post, log in, then copy/paste/preview. Edit any typos, etc., and when done, Submit, within the time limit. If you spend a lot of time in Preview, keep updating your text-editor copy, in case you're logged out,
*** OR
Use the "Save Draft" feature. This is a definite site interaction, and so should reset the timer. You'll then have to click "Reply" to the desired post or topic (not "quote", because your quotes should already be in the saved draft), then click "Load Draft". Follow the links there, which will recreate the Compose box with the saved draft and a fresh timer.

Another workaround is to open another tab or window and click on other posts. Again, the timer sees your registered account interacting, and regards you as active. This should extend the timer for your work-in-progress, too.

It shouldn't matter whether you start at Board index or a direct link from a notification e-mail. Nor should a size or color tag, at least for registered users. There may be additional restrictions for guest posters in that regard, but I don't remember it coming up as an issue.

Give these a try, and see what happens.
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dhouwn
Bug Buster
Posts: 968
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:51 pm

Re: Unable to post URLs in [Code] tags

Post by dhouwn »

Tom T. wrote:Nor should a size or color tag, at least for registered users.
Yes it does, you can't post a link in a size other than the default size.
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Tom T.
Field Marshal
Posts: 3620
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:58 am

Re: Unable to post URLs in [Code] tags

Post by Tom T. »

dhouwn wrote:
Tom T. wrote:Nor should a size or color tag, at least for registered users.
Yes it does, you can't post a link in a size other than the default size.
Oh, a LINK.

Sorry, I thought you meant size and color tags in general, as in my example to OP.

You can imagine that spammers would love to make their links large and colorful if they could.

I get away with it as a Mod, but I'm sure you agree that this would be badly abused by spammers, and so is a good restriction to have.
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