Wake Forest University has this scheme where all incoming students are given IBM ThinkPads. They all have Mozilla (currently, the suite) preloaded, and people are told to use it. Random complaints? Yes. Notable campus-wide virus infections? No!
Wildcard spam more rare than targeted? Okay. sudo cat/var/log/maillog | grep "User unknown" | uniq | tail
Jul 18 11:18:11 eh.net sendmail[15793]: i6IFIB3t015793: <philip.n.newbold@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:13 eh.net sendmail[15794]: i6IFID3t015794: <philip.ruscoe@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:14 eh.net sendmail[15795]: i6IFIE3t015795: <rach4@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:17 eh.net sendmail[15796]: i6IFIH3t015796: <r5717917@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:18 eh.net sendmail[15797]: i6IFII3t015797: <ra1ha@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:20 eh.net sendmail[15798]: i6IFIK3t015798: <lil_passion@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:21 eh.net sendmail[15799]: i6IFIL3t015799: <lilevans@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:23 eh.net sendmail[15800]: i6IFIN3t015800: <nw-b5request@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:24 eh.net sendmail[15801]: i6IFIO3t015801: <rockon@eh.net>... User unknown Jul 18 11:18:27 eh.net sendmail[15802]: i6IFIR3t015802: <roddett@eh.net>... User unknown
On an old, short domain name with no more than half a dozen regular email users, I'd say that there's far, far more random spam than there is targeted. Incidentally, in less than a week when we get our new server we're going to implement SPF, and hope to see a lot less of this garbage.
Don't slashdot North Korea! They've probably never been slashdotted, don't know what to expect. What if they think it's cyberterrorism and launch some of their missles?!? I hear some of those suckers are nuclear (or might be before long)! You guys want to start World War III or something?
On the other hand, there are some very simple measures that certain sysadmins could take. For example, it would be nice if I could get to my campus email through a secure POP link. But the server doesn't have one enabled. Well then, say hello to PINE, via ssh! (mmm, PINE)...
And on another level, they can force people to use some amount of SSL. Make the mail server SSL-only, for instance. This is especially the case at my university: each student is issued a standard university ThinkPad, and they can control the load on those things. Set up a secure POP connection, have the new laptops set up to use it, and within one replacement cycle (two years) you can have everyone checking their mail securely. Would this be excessively burdensome? It won't protect your web mail or Slashdot account from packet sniffing, but it keeps your email (which usually shares your Important University Password) nice and secure!
(Incidentally, they've been loading Mozilla on them for mail and browsing. I can only see good coming of that, at least.)
You can't completely trust it (heck, you can't really completely trust your own sanity, let alone Encarta), but it is excessively convenient and quite useful.
Wikipedia implements the GFDL without front-cover texts, back-cover texts, or invariant sections. See [[Wikipedia:Copyrights]] for details. Principal authors? Wikipedia just keeps page histories which index all authors.
The other issues are still poignant, which is why we place hope in GFDL2.
Well, there is CVS but it tends to be a little more controlled- mostly because people tend to be much more careful about what goes into your software (don't want unqualified idiots or malicious evil types introducing bugs and backdoors into your code). In Wikipedia, which is *viewed* online as it's edit and stuff can be swiftly reverted, there's really not anything you can do to actually harm or compromise the computer in question.
A note: The systems in place to prevent abuse are almost all implemented in wetware (some spam-sites URLs' in regular expressions notwithstanding). The resolution to the problem sit betweeb keyboard and chair. Administrators can also block usernames and IP addresses.
No, Wikipedia tries not to talk about itself much in the article namespace. Self-referential pages are generally better in the Wikipedia: namespace or on the Meta-wiki.
Oh, and a peek at the Recent Changes IRC channel. The following took place during the minute of 3:15pm Eastern Standard Time, today.
<enrc> User talk:Thue http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=User_ta lk%3AThue&diff=0&oldid=4587234 Diberri (Disambiguation) <enrc> User talk:Sannse http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=User_ta lk%3ASannse&diff=0&oldid=4587235 Bcorr (More Mediation Committee items) <enrc> Talk:Taiwan and weapons of mass destruction http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Talk%3A Taiwan_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction&diff=0&oldi d=4587236 Roadrunner <enrc> Wentworth letter http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Wentwor th_letter&diff=0&oldid=4587237 67.41.226.71 (/* Related article */) <enrc> Ladies' Home Journal N http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies%27_Home_Journ al 172.142.164.60 <enrc> Category:Lithuanian history M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Catego ry%3ALithuanian_history&diff=0&oldid=4587238 PolishPoliticians (H) <enrc> Talk:The Beast (Angel the series) N http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AThe_Beast_%28 Angel_the_series%29 24.90.59.226 <enrc> Kennebunk (CDP), ME N http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennebunk_%28CDP%29% 2C_ME Sethbot (Seth Ilys - Creating state abbreviation redirect) <enrc> Jason Alexander M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Jason_ Alexander&diff=0&oldid=4587239 Dori (Reverted edits by 24.117.85.67 to last version by 64.230.160.155) <enrc> Notre-Dame de la Paix Basilica M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Notre- Dame_de_la_Paix_Basilica&diff=0&oldid=4587240  ; Gerald Farinas <enrc> New Hope, Pennsylvania M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=New_Ho pe%2C_Pennsylvania&diff=0&oldid=4587241&nb sp; Guanabot (Guanaco - Robot bypassing redirects: USA) <enrc> Jerry Stiller M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Jerry_ Stiller&diff=0&oldid=4587242 Dori (Reverted edits by 24.117.85.67 to last version by Jgm) <enrc> Adam Sandler M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Adam_S andler&diff=0&oldid=4587243 Dori (Reverted edits by 24.117.85.67 to last version by Guanabot) <enrc> Wikipedia:Categories for deletion http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Wikiped ia%3ACategories_for_deletion&diff=0&oldid=4587244 Wilke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Artificial_ Life) <enrc> Judge Reinhold M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Judge_ Reinhold&diff=0&oldid=4587245 Dori (Reverted edits by 24.117.85.67 to last version by Lst27) <-- enrc has quit (Excess Flood)
Hello, and welcome Wiki-trolls. We're glad to have you with us. Is this 142.*.*.* speaking? Perhaps you can tell us which you are, so that we can post the detailed explanation of why you are banned? We'll be open if you are.
For those not in the know, and are interested enough to type shortcuts of the form http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/shortcutgoeshere- WP:VFD is Votes for Deletion, where pages are sent to be voted on for deletion, WP:RFA is Requests for Adminship (now featuring at least one completely ludicous candidate), and you can look up the WP:RULES which this user finds so oppressive.
Wikis tend to implement that sort of stuff in wetware. You know, between the keyboard and the chair. If you don't watch your wiki, it will be abused by the clueless, the malicious, the spammers, and those seeking free web space. It's a publicly-writable site. No amount of software will prevent all abuse.
Take (WIKI NAME REMOVED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT), for example- it now serves more or less as a combined blog and Wikipedia hate site of the user (IP RANGE REMOVED TO PROTECT THE GUILTY), who has incidentally been permanently banned. This user essentially seeks to destroy the Internet and all online communities (especially Wikipedia) and says that they should all be troll-friendly. A lofty goal, indeed. =b
Wiki may be fast- instant edits, et cetera- but dispute resolution is often slow, what with article disputes, debate on a talk page, protection of pages in edit wars, mediation, Requests for Comment, Requests for Arbitration, and Arbitration itself.
(While wiki is fast, I refrain from saying that Wikipedia is fast; why not donate today so that they can buy new servers and make it that way?;)
The short answer is probably No, but the long answer is more involved. Wikipedia prefers to implement access controls in wetware where possible, to prevent abuse by technically saavy trolls and/or vandals. So, while there may be facilities (eventually) for a web of trust of some sort, and an article review/verification-type system is often spoken of speculatively (ideas and plans bandied about), Wikipedia is notEverything2 and does not, will not have coded experience of that sort.
You can already download the software, the database (just current articles, or history too), the image dumps (available separately- copyright violations and fair-use images at your own risk!) and there are periodic Tome Raider exports as well. So, as we say in Template:sofixit, why don't you throw one together for us?:)
Last I heard, the block was lifted (at least mostly-lifted) some time ago (think about June 13). However, the potential for future actions of a similar nature is still an interesting question.
Yes. Incidentally, the latest on the Wikitech-L mailing list is the best way to put up a beg notice for all slashdot referrers.:) It seems a quick Javascript statement would get many people without breaking caching (and without caching, the servers would be more or less vaporized under the load...)
Slashdot Mirror
Wake Forest University has this scheme where all incoming students are given IBM ThinkPads. They all have Mozilla (currently, the suite) preloaded, and people are told to use it. Random complaints? Yes. Notable campus-wide virus infections? No!
Wildcard spam more rare than targeted? Okay. sudo cat /var/log/maillog | grep "User unknown" | uniq | tail
Jul 18 11:18:11 eh.net sendmail[15793]: i6IFIB3t015793: <philip.n.newbold@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:13 eh.net sendmail[15794]: i6IFID3t015794: <philip.ruscoe@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:14 eh.net sendmail[15795]: i6IFIE3t015795: <rach4@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:17 eh.net sendmail[15796]: i6IFIH3t015796: <r5717917@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:18 eh.net sendmail[15797]: i6IFII3t015797: <ra1ha@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:20 eh.net sendmail[15798]: i6IFIK3t015798: <lil_passion@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:21 eh.net sendmail[15799]: i6IFIL3t015799: <lilevans@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:23 eh.net sendmail[15800]: i6IFIN3t015800: <nw-b5request@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:24 eh.net sendmail[15801]: i6IFIO3t015801: <rockon@eh.net>... User unknown
Jul 18 11:18:27 eh.net sendmail[15802]: i6IFIR3t015802: <roddett@eh.net>... User unknown
On an old, short domain name with no more than half a dozen regular email users, I'd say that there's far, far more random spam than there is targeted. Incidentally, in less than a week when we get our new server we're going to implement SPF, and hope to see a lot less of this garbage.
Don't slashdot North Korea! They've probably never been slashdotted, don't know what to expect. What if they think it's cyberterrorism and launch some of their missles?!? I hear some of those suckers are nuclear (or might be before long)! You guys want to start World War III or something?
And on another level, they can force people to use some amount of SSL. Make the mail server SSL-only, for instance. This is especially the case at my university: each student is issued a standard university ThinkPad, and they can control the load on those things. Set up a secure POP connection, have the new laptops set up to use it, and within one replacement cycle (two years) you can have everyone checking their mail securely. Would this be excessively burdensome? It won't protect your web mail or Slashdot account from packet sniffing, but it keeps your email (which usually shares your Important University Password) nice and secure!
(Incidentally, they've been loading Mozilla on them for mail and browsing. I can only see good coming of that, at least.)
You can't completely trust it (heck, you can't really completely trust your own sanity, let alone Encarta), but it is excessively convenient and quite useful.
Guns don't kill people: bullets kill people!
Google? I thought we were supposed to try Wikipedia: Black Tuseday. Now, to get Slashcode to recognize [[wikilinks]]...
That suggestion is exactly what Wikipedia is not.
The images, however, are about 3.6 gigabytes, and their copyright status is less than sound. Fair use and all that.
The other issues are still poignant, which is why we place hope in GFDL2.
Well, there is CVS but it tends to be a little more controlled- mostly because people tend to be much more careful about what goes into your software (don't want unqualified idiots or malicious evil types introducing bugs and backdoors into your code). In Wikipedia, which is *viewed* online as it's edit and stuff can be swiftly reverted, there's really not anything you can do to actually harm or compromise the computer in question.
Besides the fact that Wikipedia likes the neutral point of view, Wikimedia (who runs the site) is trying to register as a tax-exempt organization, for fundraising! fundraising! fundraising! purposes. That may potentially restrict what the Foundation may do from that perspective.
A note: The systems in place to prevent abuse are almost all implemented in wetware (some spam-sites URLs' in regular expressions notwithstanding). The resolution to the problem sit betweeb keyboard and chair. Administrators can also block usernames and IP addresses.
No, Wikipedia tries not to talk about itself much in the article namespace. Self-referential pages are generally better in the Wikipedia: namespace or on the Meta-wiki.
Oh, and a peek at the Recent Changes IRC channel. The following took place during the minute of 3:15pm Eastern Standard Time, today.
a lk%3AThue&diff=0&oldid=4587234 Diberri (Disambiguation)a lk%3ASannse&diff=0&oldid=4587235 Bcorr (More Mediation Committee items)A Taiwan_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction&diff=0&oldi d=4587236 Roadrunnerr th_letter&diff=0&oldid=4587237 67.41.226.71 (/* Related article */)p ; Gerald Farinasd ia%3ACategories_for_deletion&diff=0&oldid=4587244 Wilke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Artificial_ Life)
<enrc> User talk:Thue http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=User_t
<enrc> User talk:Sannse http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=User_t
<enrc> Talk:Taiwan and weapons of mass destruction http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Talk%3
<enrc> Wentworth letter http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Wentwo
<enrc> Ladies' Home Journal N http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies%27_Home_Journ al 172.142.164.60
<enrc> Category:Lithuanian history M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Catego ry%3ALithuanian_history&diff=0&oldid=4587238 PolishPoliticians (H)
<enrc> Talk:The Beast (Angel the series) N http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AThe_Beast_%28 Angel_the_series%29 24.90.59.226
<enrc> Kennebunk (CDP), ME N http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennebunk_%28CDP%29% 2C_ME Sethbot (Seth Ilys - Creating state abbreviation redirect)
<enrc> Jason Alexander M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Jason_ Alexander&diff=0&oldid=4587239 Dori (Reverted edits by 24.117.85.67 to last version by 64.230.160.155)
<enrc> Notre-Dame de la Paix Basilica M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Notre- Dame_de_la_Paix_Basilica&diff=0&oldid=4587240&nbs
<enrc> New Hope, Pennsylvania M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=New_Ho pe%2C_Pennsylvania&diff=0&oldid=4587241&nb sp; Guanabot (Guanaco - Robot bypassing redirects: USA)
<enrc> Jerry Stiller M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Jerry_ Stiller&diff=0&oldid=4587242 Dori (Reverted edits by 24.117.85.67 to last version by Jgm)
<enrc> Adam Sandler M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Adam_S andler&diff=0&oldid=4587243 Dori (Reverted edits by 24.117.85.67 to last version by Guanabot)
<enrc> Wikipedia:Categories for deletion http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Wikipe
<enrc> Judge Reinhold M http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Judge_ Reinhold&diff=0&oldid=4587245 Dori (Reverted edits by 24.117.85.67 to last version by Lst27)
<-- enrc has quit (Excess Flood)
Whoops. A bit too fast there.
Wikipedia is not a place for source texts. You want Wikisource (same Wikimedia foundation, same Mediawiki software, same server farm, different website.)
Besides, everyone knows that there is no Cabal.
For those not in the know, and are interested enough to type shortcuts of the form http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/shortcutgoeshere- WP:VFD is Votes for Deletion, where pages are sent to be voted on for deletion, WP:RFA is Requests for Adminship (now featuring at least one completely ludicous candidate), and you can look up the WP:RULES which this user finds so oppressive.
Take (WIKI NAME REMOVED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT), for example- it now serves more or less as a combined blog and Wikipedia hate site of the user (IP RANGE REMOVED TO PROTECT THE GUILTY), who has incidentally been permanently banned. This user essentially seeks to destroy the Internet and all online communities (especially Wikipedia) and says that they should all be troll-friendly. A lofty goal, indeed. =b
Let's watch the Recent Pages feed for a minute or two. Yes. That's a lot of recent changes. A peer-to-peer system would have problems coping.
(While wiki is fast, I refrain from saying that Wikipedia is fast; why not donate today so that they can buy new servers and make it that way? ;)
The short answer is probably No, but the long answer is more involved. Wikipedia prefers to implement access controls in wetware where possible, to prevent abuse by technically saavy trolls and/or vandals. So, while there may be facilities (eventually) for a web of trust of some sort, and an article review/verification-type system is often spoken of speculatively (ideas and plans bandied about), Wikipedia is not Everything2 and does not, will not have coded experience of that sort.
You can already download the software, the database (just current articles, or history too), the image dumps (available separately- copyright violations and fair-use images at your own risk!) and there are periodic Tome Raider exports as well. So, as we say in Template:sofixit, why don't you throw one together for us? :)
Last I heard, the block was lifted (at least mostly-lifted) some time ago (think about June 13). However, the potential for future actions of a similar nature is still an interesting question.
A wikipedian answers for you: No. He even uses User:Jimbo Wales as his (central) Wikipedia user page.
Yes. Incidentally, the latest on the Wikitech-L mailing list is the best way to put up a beg notice for all slashdot referrers. :) It seems a quick Javascript statement would get many people without breaking caching (and without caching, the servers would be more or less vaporized under the load...)