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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
 Posted - 16 July 2009 : 19:37:26
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I have seen some URLs look like this:
www3
but, as a rule, do all URLs start with:
www
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bobby131313
Senior Member
USA
1163 Posts |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:12:33
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Ah! Thank you Bobby!
What got me to thinking about it is shortened urls being used in a forum. I wonder if there is a way to check the shortened url against a database (on site or other) to determine if the url goes somewhere that goes against the forum's policy. For example a tiny url leading to pornography, spam, or something malicious.
My original thought was about shortened urls, but it would be nice to be able to check any link against a filter kind of like when a site checks email addresses against a list of known spammers. That is where this is leading. |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:30:38
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I am wondering how to develop something like this does, for example:
http://untiny.me
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:36:08
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| I did a Google search for "lengthen shortened URL" and found some services to lengthen URLs. Maybe the solution is to recommend users to install a plugin for their browser. Any ideas on this? |
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bobby131313
Senior Member
USA
1163 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:39:32
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| I installed the url shortening mod to prevent horizontal scrolling, then put tinyurl type sites in the bad word filter. I had to do it because of buttheads trying to steal cookies from me, but it would serve the same end result for you wouldn't it? Users just couldn't post them at all. |
Switch the order of your title tags |
Edited by - bobby131313 on 16 July 2009 20:40:34 |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:43:19
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Yes, that is a great idea, Bobby!
A question comes to mind of how to keep up with every tiny url site that comes about. Is there a web site that tracks that kind of stuff? |
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bobby131313
Senior Member
USA
1163 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:45:40
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| Eh, I don't see all that many. Takes 2 seconds to throw them in the bad word filter when I see them. Haven't seen a new one on my forum in months. |
Switch the order of your title tags |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:46:38
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I guess I could use your badword filter and replace the tiny url attempt with (off-site shortened URLs are not allowed).
Instead of a link reading like this:
http://tiny.tr/Ui8s
It would read like this:
http://(off-site shortened URLs are not allowed)/Ui8s
That would get the message across pretty quickly about the site's policies. |
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bobby131313
Senior Member
USA
1163 Posts |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:53:06
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| Also, I want to add a deterrent to registrations and profiles on the forum that will scan for shortened urls and not allow them. That is why I was looking for a filter ... but as you so generously pointed out, the badword filter can do just that or at least a derivative of it can be applied. |
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bobby131313
Senior Member
USA
1163 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 20:59:27
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| There's also a huge rise in images being used by spammers to set affiliate cookies on your users machines. Check out all broken images by new members. Some forum packages assign blank alt tags so you don't even see them. There are forum owners getting robbed blind and don't even know it. |
Switch the order of your title tags |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 21:02:20
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Is that something that is safe enough to talk about here openly? Seems a fix is in order.  |
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bobby131313
Senior Member
USA
1163 Posts |
Posted - 16 July 2009 : 21:08:21
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Other than checking all broken images, your at thier mercy really.
I have my forum set up so that I get an email with every members 1st and 5th posts with a link to thier profile and I check thier posts. I am also constantly on the lookout for broken images. If I find a malicious one, I put the host name in the bad word filter and change it to BAN THIS MEMBER NOW.
They're slick too, they'll put it in the middle of a bunch of off site smileys and it just looks like one of them is innocently busted. |
Switch the order of your title tags |
Edited by - bobby131313 on 16 July 2009 21:10:27 |
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Topic |
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Understanding URLs?
