[axxs-sysadmin] SPAM, (was No Database connection for A-IMC)

[Dave Fregon]

On Mon, 2006-11-13 at 15:47 +1100, aketus wrote:
> No IP logging is great, but when it's only the site itself that is  
> suffering due to a nice theory, well I think we know who the loser is.  
> Remember that the spambots don't care if there are IP logs or not - it  
> will bring the site down either way. If our own rules are detrimental  
> to the running of an Indymedia site, then our own laws are too strict  
> and need to be wavered.

The main issue with IP logging is that the authorities can request it,
indeed sites have been taken down and handed to the authorities so that
they can gather this info, without even asking (eg: UK servers), if we
don't store it, there's no reason for them to do so.

Effectively, actions in the past by the state have made it 'a
requirement' so that we do not have downtime! :) weird eh

By removing the logs, we cannot provide information to the state when
requested to do so, it's just not possible.

The other scary issue while I think of it, is that under aussie law, if
any of us are questioned by the State during a 'terrorism
investigation', we are denied the right to tell anyone we have been.
Indeed, anyone passing on that information is in breach of the law
themselves. This effectively means that any of us can be questioned, and
not allowed to tell anyone that we are under investigation or the like,
even tho we are doing nothing wrong or vaguely 'terrorist', that doesn't
matter. You have to answer their questions, there is no 'right to
silence', and no right to tell anyone.

Dave

> 
> aketus
> 
> Quoting meela davis <meela.davis at gmail.com>:
> 
> > Not sure about other imcs, but Sydney definately has a "no ip logging"
> > policy. So AFAIK, it would be hard to determine who's doing the spamming,
> > and impossible to block them.
> >
> > We recently had a bit of trouble with our drupal spam module going haywire
> > and marking almost everything as spam. So we turned it off for a while,
> > reset some of the strings it searches for, and re-enabled it on the weekend.
> > Fingers crossed, but so far, so good.
> >
> > You're right, aketus. Captcha only reduces amount of work that a person
> > needs to do to deactivate and remove spam. It doesn't actually stop spam.
> > There's some info on (where else?) wikipedia about trapping spammers, etc.
> > Someone else who knows more than I should comment on the methods described
> > there, though.
> >
> > Meela
> >
> >
> > On 11/13/06, aketus <aketus at anarchobase.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Despite the rep for Adelaide IMC installing Captcha to prevent the
> >> massive spam overloads (which I believe have been contributing, if not
> >> are the cause, of the mysql crashes), there have still been way too
> >> many connections to the adelaideimc database, as well as some other
> >> strange
> >> 'mysqlmail4php2you4me2006flunkkeldenjuliebrianshirldeanwaynecrai'
> >> processes - anyone know what these are?
> >>
> >> It's been a noted concern of mine that *after* captcha was installed
> >> on Adelaide IMC, much of mysql's resources have been taken up by the
> >> site regardless.
> >>
> >> Thus I don't think captcha is doing the job - captcha will only stop
> >> the spam comments actually being processed - but it doesn't stop the
> >> hundreds of spambots actually visiting the site and hence racking up
> >> database connections. I think what would be more effective would be
> >> checking some logs to find the IP(s) or IP range of the spambots
> >> hitting AdelaideIMC and block their entire access to the site using
> >> htaccess.
> >>
> >> Or is my logic flawed? I confess I don't know that much about captcha
> >> or mysql and how/when spam affects the server.
> >>
> >> aketus
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Quoting Cameron Gregg <cam at earthanarchy.org>:
> >>
> >>> Danyl Strype wrote:
> >>>> Kia ora
> >>>>
> >>>> We are getting an error message with Indymedia.org.nz:
> >>>>
> >>>> "Database Error
> >>>>
> >>>> Could not establish database connection."
> >>>>
> >>>> Anyone know why
> >>>>
> >>>> RnB
> >>>> Strypey
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Seems ok for me right now.
> >>>
> >>> We've had lots of waves of spam lately. In particular Adelaide IMC is
> >>> suffering. If anyone can offer them some tech assistance in getting
> >>> captcha working (or another solution), that would be good.
> >>>
> >>> Cam
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> axxs-sysadmin mailing list
> >>> axxs-sysadmin at lists.indymedia.org
> >>> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/axxs-sysadmin
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> aketus
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> axxs-sysadmin mailing list
> >> axxs-sysadmin at lists.indymedia.org
> >> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/axxs-sysadmin
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > Power to the sisters and therefore to the class
> > http://dev.anarchafem.org
> 
> 
> 
-- 
NetAxxs
20 Chisolm St
Wangaratta 3677
Australia
+613 5722 9622