[RESOLVED] "POST requests from foreign hosts are not allowed."

[NoteMe]

What is that? Is that a new feauture to decrease the stress on the servers? Won't that make it hard for others to find information on this page with search engines? I did a search with Kanoodle, and I got a VBF hit, clicked the link, and was not allowed to enter, since it was from a different host. Has it always been like this? Well, copy the link and paste it in a new tab is a work around though. But it seems to me to beat it's purpose if it is to relief the stress of the servers. Don't you think so?


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[mendhak]

Kanoodle uses a CGI script to perform a POST operation to a VBForums page. When you 'copy' the text, you get the right URL, but clicking on the link causes the POST to occur.

[mendhak]

And yes, it's a standard security procedure, I'd say.

[NoteMe]

Ohhh...someone should ask them to stop that. Can't see why it is a security risk though. But then again, I am not in charge of security here at work..

[visualAd]

I think its a grey area; maybe Brad should comment.

The way I see it, is that it is ok to make a post request as long as the client is actually taken to the website along with the request. It is possible to create a link which goes to a site and posts data too using java script. However, it would not be ok to make a post request from a CGI script and pipe the response back thorough to the client as if it were you who generated by the site running the script.

In general unless the usage policy states otherwise, I would says its ok, but there is a rule in the AUP here which states that you shouldn't bypass the forum software; constructing links or post requests of any kind would in effect violate this rule because you are not using the Form templates provided to you.

[brad jones]

I'm not totally following this thread. In looking at Kanoodle, it seems that this is an error many of their links give to sites other than just VBForums....

Brad

[mendhak]

You can look at it this way, someone using a script on their website to submit comments to your guestbook, essentially spamming it. It's similar to that. While a simple link consisting of t=375189 or forumid=7 is essential a GET operation (harmless), Kanoodle is attempting to submit the same information using POST.

[NoteMe]

I'm not totally following this thread. In looking at Kanoodle, it seems that this is an error many of their links give to sites other than just VBForums....

Brad

We outsmart you, don't we....at least Mendhak and Visual



Thanks Mendhak and Visual, I see the problem. I can't understand why they can't do it the normal way though. They are asking not to be used that way...


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