Logins and saws
Posted by Richard on May 13, 2006
I think there’s a pun in that title, but I’m not sure. So, anyway, I dropped by FreedomSight and learned that Jed had a little accident with a table saw. Nothing too serious, thank goodness. I thought I’d leave a snarky little comment and discovered you have to log in to comment. "Hmm," I thought, "do I have a login here? Have I ‘registered’ as a ‘member’?"
I don’t recall, but I’m slightly annoyed. Jed doesn’t like sites that require JavaScript (among other things); I don’t like all the stupid, pointless registrations (among other things). Jeez, Jed, you can’t have that much more traffic than me — do you really need "memberships" to keep the riffraff out? Or the comment spam under control?
Oh, well, I figured I’d give it a try — I plugged in my standard user name and password that I use when I don’t care about security. Got a 404. OK… Tried setting up a new "account" — 404. Tried the forgotten password routine: enter email, click button — 404.
That’s it. I give up. Jeez, all I wanted to say is something like: Hey, Jed, are you qualified to operate a table saw? Obviously, we need a training requirement, and we need to limit access to table saws to licensed professionals. Background checks at Home Depot. Severe penalties for modifying or removing the rip fence.
If it saves just one finger…
jed said
Well, FWIW, my comment system, when it’s working, doesn’t require regristration, JavaScript, or cookies — it was initially completely open. Then came the spambots. I implemented a CAPTCHA system (still no regristration, JavaScript, or cookies required) but they got around that somehow. So, with comment spam flooding in, the only way to disable new comments and still leave old comments readable was to rename the membership script. Yes, that’s the way pMachine is written — I don’t like it, but there it is. Even comments by unregistered visitors go, initially, through the “members” script. The PHP code is neither well written nor well documenented. I don’t have time to keep up with the spambots using manual deletion. So it’s a stopgap measure, regrettably with the consequences you note.
Anonymous said
Damn, you’re breaking my heart, Jed. 😉
I can’t relate to this “comment spam flood” stuff. According to [http://s88369986.onlinehome.us/freedomsight/index.php?id=P1819 Jed’s latest jibe], Blog-City’s commenting interface doesn’t play fair with the Javascript-disabled, and I’m sorry ’bout that.
But, damn, they sure do a nice job of protecting me from comment spam and trackback spam. I hardly see any of either. Thanks, Alan and Ceri! You Scots rock!