[NTLK] The Oasis NPDS update - Archived for the future!

Scott Ticknor ticknor at me.com
Tue May 24 17:58:44 EDT 2016 

Sylvain, yes, the example uses a Mac but pf exits on other BSD variants. And it should be possible to use the Emerging Threats list in conjunction with a hardware firewall. Anyway, i just wanted to bring the Emerging Threats file to your attention (since i would bet most of you spammers will be on it!)

—
ST


> On May 24, 2016, at 2:07 PM, Sylvain Pilet <pilets at mac.com> wrote:
> 
> Scoot,
> The "AntiSpam" internal NPDs is just a small script which should stop the SpamsBot, this is not a major script.
> The solution of a Firewall is obviously better able to block spam.
> But many users do not have Firewall.
> 
> Thank you for the link, I'll watch it…
> 
> …Seen…
> But it implies that the Newton connects via a Mac (the Mac makes Firewall), so I read. 
> The solution hardware firewall is more optimum (and more expensive it's true!) And perhaps less simple to implement.
> 
> 
> Best regards
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sylvain Pilet
> 
> - A P P L E  N E W T O N  N P D S -
> - Apple Newton NPDS Server: http://message-pad.no-ip.org
> - Apple Newton NPDS Tracker: http://message-pad.no-ip.org:3680
> 
> - A P P L E  N E W T O N  &  M O R E -
> - http://message-pad.net
> 
> Le 24 mai 2016 à 19:14, Scott Ticknor <ticknor at me.com> a écrit :
> 
>> forgot to link! here it is: <https://ikawnoclast.com/security/mac-os-x-pf-firewall-avoiding-known-bad-guys/>
>> 
>> 
>>> On May 24, 2016, at 1:13 PM, Scott Ticknor <ticknor at me.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Newt CAPTCHA is amazing! 
>>> You may wish to add another layer, however, so your poor Newt can be spared having to process the malicious connections at all. Do you have a firewall? Here is an article on blocking based on a list of ‘known bad guys’ with ‘pf’ on a mac. The tutorial could be adapted for any OS/fw product. The IP list is updated daily, and could likely save you some grief. Something to consider.
>>> 
>>> —
>>> ST
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On May 23, 2016, at 7:43 AM, Sylvain Pilet <pilets at mac.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hi everybody,
>>>> Hi Greg (aka Doctor Clu)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Greg, tell yourself that this is the price of success! (No just kidding!)
>>>> 
>>>> I worked for you this weekend…
>>>> I tell thee:
>>>> Good news for you (and all) :-)
>>>> I implemented a simple "captcha" function in the NPDS[NoteServ] module for current NPDS-OASIS version. This should block Spams-bots.
>>>> I will also make some changes in the NPDS[nHTTPd] for current NPDS-OASIS module (correct the link to the play-list and more)
>>>> 
>>>> I'm sending you new releases tomorrow.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> In the meantime you can start cleaning a tone NOTES files and delete all spam :-)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Best regards
>>>> 
>>>> Sylvain Pilet
>>>> 
>>>> - A P P L E  N E W T O N  N P D S -
>>>> - Apple Newton NPDS Server: http://message-pad.no-ip.org
>>>> - Apple Newton NPDS Tracker: http://message-pad.no-ip.org:3680
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> - A P P L E  N E W T O N  &  M O R E -
>>>> - http://message-pad.net
>>>> 
>>>> Le 22 mai 2016 à 11:08, Doctor Clu <drclu at swbell.net> a écrit :
>>>> 
>>>>> Got this page on the Oasis from Pawel on the NPDS.  He writes:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Hi Clu!
>>>>> 
>>>>> 1.  After clock on playlist I have this "The Oasis" This video is no longer available due to copyright claim by Randy R. Brown.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Answer: Yeh that was the original first video on the link.  If you select another video off to the side the music should get started.  Sorry, we are working on updating that.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 2. First page of your NPDS not working properly.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Answer: I froze the Note Server to stop spam from coming in.  Unfortunately NPDS links the website code which is funny, I thought the way Sylvain and I are doing it we bypassed that.  But we have SOME functionality.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 3. I think you should ask Sylvain to modify HTML code and remove Whiteboard code, switch off this module in NPDS configuration and delete this module from Newton.  This should stop this spammer disaster.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I'm sorry to hear that some morons killing your great NPDS...
>>>>> 
>>>>> Answer:  Thanks Pawel.  Hopefully you see this message as the pager doesn't save a e-mail address like the Whiteboard does.  Sylvain does some amazing things with the NPDS software and who knows what is possible.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I would like to see if the Whiteboard can be made more secure, with Captias or some way to identify a human is writing the message.  Other than that, the Oasis would do fine just playing the playlist.
>>>>> 
>>>>> But as a old fan of BBS's in the 80's and 90's, I always wanted to run a BBS and the NPDS helped me realize that old dream.  And a big part of that is the interaction with the users on a message board.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Again, there is always the pager, so glad that at least works without the Whiteboard and Note Server being active.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Your DJ, Doctor Clu
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On May 22, 2016, at 3:43 AM, Doctor Clu wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The Oasis NPDS has been internet archived!
>>>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> https://web.archive.org/web/20160522074244/http://99.88.169.88:8080/html/index.html
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Fully archived, and the youtube playlist comes up on that.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Here is the screen shot complete with green backlight!!
>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> https://web.archive.org/web/20160522081819/http://oasisnewt.ddns.net:8080/html/screen.html
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> You can also see how it all got started in it's humble beginnings:
>>>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> https://web.archive.org/web/20150711152042/http://oasisnewt.ddns.net:8080
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> :D
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Came a long ways.  If we don't get this spammer problem resolved, the website will always be up now in archive form, and as long as I have that youtube account, that playlist will be playable.  :D
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I think on NPDS site we should have internet archive snapshots like this linked so that we can see what Newton's are capable of.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> For example, if not for the archives I would not have seen that Genghis's NPDS site had a window on his site that played a YouTube video. 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> https://web.archive.org/web/20120104202803/http://genghis7777.no-ip.org/
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> From that I was able to figure out with the help of those on the NewtonTalk list I was able to make an embedded PLAYLIST and then we had something really cool and media interactive.  We had a Newton ran Internet Radio station!  :D
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Anyway, in the last hour and as I've been archiving the site with the NoteServer up I have received 76 spam messages.  :P
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I've frozen the Note Server.   Curious to see how the Newton does without it.   Will the Newton stay up without the delay of messages being sent to it, or will it still crash from the spammers trying to access it?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Curious.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> At this point, the Newton displays a website, kinda.  You can still page me, you can get the playlist from the link at the top, and you can see my Newton Screen if you hit the screen link in the middle, not the link at the top.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Doesn't automatically play the playlist, but Sylvain and I are seeing what we can do.  :D
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Maybe not out, or maybe I am.  Either way, the Oasis will at least live on in all it's beauty on the Internet archive!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Doctor Clu
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On May 22, 2016, at 2:13 AM, Clu wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Ok, I have tried to stay upbeat about this, but the spammers are hitting my NPDS site so much it causes error messages and interfere with the Watcher program and the site crashes.  And stays down.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I am frustrated. 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I have worked hard to get this up and going.  Sylvain worked hard to make it a beautiful website.  I simply wanted to make a fun little site.  The Newton MessagePad is simply not up to the task of taking hundreds of spam messages in a day.
>>>>>>> I am going to have to get rid of the Whiteboard feature for people to write on the board.  There is no Captia feature to secure messages and I certainly see what web forums have that annoying feature.  There are people out there that take advantage of the good nature of people.
>>>>>>> I SERIOUSLY would like to borrow a page from Jay and Silent Bob in dealing with the spammers.  (Warning, the following clip does have strong language)
>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpyBPwCmfn0
>>>>>>> Until the Whiteboard feature is disabled, or made more secure with the Captia feature, the Oasis is down.  : /
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Doctor Clu
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On May 21, 2016, at 12:02 PM, Doctor Clu <drclu at swbell.net> wrote:
>>>>>>> (Ok, don't write protect your memory card.   Worked for a bit but eventually the errors caused by the spammers writing and it not being able to save crashes the Newton.  And now we know.)
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> So we have retooled the Oasis.  First off I have shuffled the playlist a bit so more new tracks to welcome you.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> The Whiteboard area is a catch-all area now for those enthusiastic writers who like to write up several hundred messages a day.  ;)   (The spammers).  Basically it all goes to my PCMCIA card and I just hit "erase card" every now and then and that is that.  :)
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> If you would like to give listener feedback, page me!   Or you can write me on the Newtontalk list!  
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Enjoy this Oasis of smooth jazz and new age music!  :D
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Your DJ, Doctor Clu
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On May 20, 2016, at 12:43 AM, Doctor Clu wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Hey all,
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Well, I suppose the challenge of anyone who runs a server are those that get on list of the spammer.   A lot of servers have a way to identify spammers and block them out, but the Newton does not have that capibility.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> What the Newton DOES have is a write protect switch on the PCMCIA card.  :D   So right now the server cannot accept new messages on the message board, or even serve up the existing messages in read only mode.  But the the webpage is just fine, and still serving up great jazz and new age music!  :D
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Until we find a better solution, that is at least something.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Doctor Clu
>>>>>>> 106.1 The Oasis NPDS server page
>>>>>>> http://oasisnewt.ddns.net:8080
>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> http://newtontalk.net/
>>>>>>> http://twitter.com/newtontalk
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> http://newtontalk.net/
>>>>>>> http://twitter.com/newtontalk
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> http://newtontalk.net/
>>>>>>> http://twitter.com/newtontalk
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> http://newtontalk.net/
>>>>>> http://twitter.com/newtontalk
>>>>> 
>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>> 
>>>>> http://newtontalk.net/
>>>>> http://twitter.com/newtontalk
>>>> 
>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> 
>>>> http://newtontalk.net/
>>>> http://twitter.com/newtontalk
>>> 
>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> 
>>> http://newtontalk.net/
>>> http://twitter.com/newtontalk
>> 
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> http://newtontalk.net/
>> http://twitter.com/newtontalk
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> http://newtontalk.net/
> http://twitter.com/newtontalk

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