From: Jim Weirich <jim@...>
Date: 2004-11-15T11:44:55+09:00
Subject: Re: external links editing problem on ruby garden

On Sunday 14 November 2004 11:46 am, Sam Roberts wrote:
> It has become quite hard to edit rubygarden's wiki. Any page with a
> link, if you try to change it you get redirected to:
>
>   http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?ExternalLinks
>
> Your homework assignment is then to search the ruby-talk archives to
> find out what's required...
>
> This is NOT easier than asking for a passwd, not the first time. And
> even once you know the mixed case convention, all editors are forced to
> go through and change all the links in any page they edit. Again, this
> is more time-consuming than logging in.
>
> I wouldn't be so bad if the ?ExternalLinks page described how to fix
> links, and why (everybody appreciates the pain of spam fighting).
>
> Can I add that description, or is it some kind of security thing to only
> let people in the know, or willing to search ruby-talk, edit pages?
>
> I was just about to edit the page, then realized it might be
> intentional...

Sorry for the pain.  I think the HTTP think was partially successful in 
reducing spam.  We have only had a few incidents of spam related activity in 
the past few days.  Perhaps the spammers have gone to greener pastures or 
perhaps they are just waiting until our guard is down.

The ExternalLinks page did at one time have an explaination of how to 
represent external links.  It was expressed as a Ruby algorithm on the theory 
that the casual spammer wouldn't/couldn't read it. Someone removed the 
description because they felt it made the information too readily available. 
At the time, I let it go, but based on your feedback I've restored it.  Take 
a look and see it it is ok.  It should be plain enough to anyone with a ruby 
background.

Regarding existing pages with lowercase links.  You are right, they are a pain 
to edit.  I've fixed a number of them by hand, but the real answer is to walk 
through each page file with a script and fix the page data. I've got this on 
my todo list. 

Thanks for the feedback.  

-- 
-- Jim Weirich    jim@weirichhouse.org     http://onestepback.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, 
not tried it." -- Donald Knuth (in a memo to Peter van Emde Boas)