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American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Sat, 11/01/2014 - 09:27
I just noticed a long list of "pictureless" users with strange garbled names appearing on the front page just now! I hope this isn't another hacking attempt?
Those are fake accounts created by robots trying to post advertisements on our site. When they are administratively blocked, they briefly appear in other users and then disappear within 15 minutes or so. Several hundred are created per week, and it is a nuisance for us.
I had rather expected, after the major episode a few months ago, that required such a heroic effort on the part of HQ to fix, that by now the URL would have been changed to https://. . . Why not?
An https:// link is on the list rather high right now, truth be told. We already have secure certificates for some of our applications.
Part of the delay has been seeing what effect it will have with a Drupal installation and knowing how to prevent problems before they happen along those lines.
We need to get through the Annual Meeting, and then I feel this will be done, yes.
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Doc Kinne
I've seen this several times Mike, I've always assumed it was a group of students signed in for a science project, or something similar.
Douglas
Hi,
Those are fake accounts created by robots trying to post advertisements on our site. When they are administratively blocked, they briefly appear in other users and then disappear within 15 minutes or so. Several hundred are created per week, and it is a nuisance for us.
Matthew
I had rather expected, after the major episode a few months ago, that required such a heroic effort on the part of HQ to fix, that by now the URL would have been changed to https://. . . Why not?
Folks:
An https:// link is on the list rather high right now, truth be told. We already have secure certificates for some of our applications.
Part of the delay has been seeing what effect it will have with a Drupal installation and knowing how to prevent problems before they happen along those lines.
We need to get through the Annual Meeting, and then I feel this will be done, yes.
---
Doc Kinne