[MLB-WIRELESS] [Committee] wiki and spam

[mw at freenet.net.au]

G'day,

> > Since the issue has been raised and complained about several times, I
guess
> > it is high time that someone put up a hand to chip in and fix it.
> > Before that can be done, there are a couple of obvious questions that
need
> > to be asked:
> >
> > 1.  what is it based on - I assume it is some open source solution
that's
> > been somehow integrated to the MW site, so what is the original source?
> 
> I believe Tyson wrote it from scratch. It's a flat file based wiki that
was
> custom written.

OK, let me at it - first things first: I'll find out what it is written in
and whether he's bothered to comment it! ;-)

> > is some kind of admin interface where access security can be set for
> > individual users, grant and revoke read/write rights etc.
> 
> I guess Tyson would be the admin? or writer? Everyone in the melbwireless
> group on the server has access to change it - however I don't think anyone
> is really up to scratch on how it all works.

So possibly the best solution may be to simply replace it?  Certainly a
tough job and total PITA to replce it and then try to migrate the content,
but not impossible I suspect.

> > There are two possible solutions to this problem the way I see it:
> >
> > a. shut down write access to the wiki to only users who have been vetted
> > e.g financial members or similar
> 
> This would need more discussion - as you wouldn't want to exclude just
> about everyone - as that takes away the usefulness of a wiki - however I
> think the issue is more a fact that people can automate signups to the web
> site and then spam away.

Discussion?  My experience is that there is no discussion around here.  If
one waits for discussion to happen, then nothing gets done.  Better to just
announce the intent and wait for any complaints.  Again, experience suggests
that there will be no complaints either.

> > b. add captcha test on account sign-up
> 
> Might help - but as far as I know, most have been broken at some stage...
> It will still be better than it is now however...
> 
> I think this was fully automated to eliminate the overhead of someone
> actually having to do it.

Sure - but if it was known in advance that there will one day be spam-bots
designed to exploit this fact, then it would have been designed differently.
I don't think that there is any problem about human interaction.  There are
less than two dozen financial members - heck, I'll do it myself if nobody
else wants to.

I repeat:

> > Anyhow, if someone can give up some access details and background info,
then
> > if nobody else fesses up to having any skills in this sort of thing,
then
> > let me at it.  I have about as much spare time as the next giy (as in
> > 'bugger all' ;-) so let me at it!

Cheers!  Mike.