Problems with posting/ replying?

[JMLF]

This is a test as I can’t reply to anything just see my if can post!

[stuart]

I've just removed the Cloudflare check/cache.* Does this make any difference?

* It'll come back on the moment the AI bots spot the opportunity to start training on STF again.

[stuart]

Well it took the bots just 8 hours to sniff out we had disabled the Cloudflare attack mode bringing down the server again. Cloudflare and the server are both back up again now.

AI is crippling the online world destroying any open site it feeds on for 'training' (aka stealing other people's work). Our upgrade costs have more than doubled in the last 6 months due to them cornering memory and storage chips. It means our IT suppliers have upped their cost by over 30% and we expect more. Any business using IT - that's about every business will be having these costs handed on and eventually to the consumer. Oh, don't forget the environmental cost and energy grab.

AI can really help us in some fields especially pattern matching. Summarising stuff, correcting grammar, generating 'funny' or indecent images is very costly in the damage it is doing to society and the economy. Please use LLM AI sparingly and only when it's really useful please. Don't let Copilot (if you are a Windows user) take control.

Rant over. Have a nice weekend or a noisy one if you are near Crystal Palace Park.

Stuart

PS Reply with both Cloudflare on and off works for me as you can see. Check you have 'Remember Login' ticked on sign-in.

[JMLF]

I ca reply! It was the remember me that wasn’t ticked so I was stuck in a weird loop. Thanks for looking at this/all the work you do!

J

[JGD]

Ihis is a test reply - attempt 1.

Success - all ok at this end.

Thank you.

[syd]

I ca reply! It was the remember me that wasn’t ticked so I was stuck in a weird loop. Thanks for looking at this/all the work you do!

J

I second that! In a world full of misinformation and bots this is an oasis

[alywin]

I've finally managed to get back in here after getting logged out and struggling for a week or more to get in.

[stuart]

Well it took the bots just 8 hours to sniff out we had disabled the Cloudflare attack mode bringing down the server again. Cloudflare and the server are both back up again now.

AI is crippling the online world destroying any open site it feeds on for 'training' (aka stealing other people's work). Our upgrade costs have more than doubled in the last 6 months due to them cornering memory and storage chips. It means our IT suppliers have upped their cost by over 30% and we expect more. Any business using IT - that's about every business will be having these costs handed on and eventually to the consumer. Oh, don't forget the environmental cost and energy grab.

AI can really help us in some fields especially pattern matching. Summarising stuff, correcting grammar, generating 'funny' or indecent images is very costly in the damage it is doing to society and the economy. Please use LLM AI sparingly and only when it's really useful please. Don't let Copilot (if you are a Windows user) take control.

Rant over. Have a nice weekend or a noisy one if you are near Crystal Palace Park.

Stuart

PS Reply with both Cloudflare on and off works for me as you can see. Check you have 'Remember Login' ticked on sign-in.

I had another go this week at removing the annoying Cloudflare protections. This is what happened. The graph shows the server load average bumbling along until I removed the Cloudflare 'proxy & under attack feature. The load average starts increasing until the agents probably tell other bots that the data is there for grabbing. An explosion!

Everything over 1.0 on that scale spells disaster for the forum and other services on this server. Re-imposing the proxy and attack mode kills the killers - instantly.

[JGD]

It's regrettable that the server is being swamped to the extent it collapses Stuart.

More power to your elbow and many thnaks that you have at least some tools available to protect it.

Good luck in your fighting endeavours.

[stuart]

This morning the Cloudflare proxy that normally protects the Forum when attacked failed. I had divert all page requests elsewhere. They have given up right now so I have re-instated the Forum. Will it be hours, days or weeks before they catch on STF is open again. Stay tuned to this cat and mouse game.