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#2626 2022-10-23 17:13:07

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re #2625

Nice work!

All clear to resume the script to upgrade TestID's to member?

We have about 4000 left to go.

(th)

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#2627 2022-10-24 05:56:53

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut ...

Best wishes for the work week ahead!

If you have a moment in the next day or so, please confirm you'd like work on the TestIDs to resume .... at the moment we are on pause because you were working on duplicates in the Bans table.

Last night's Pothole Scan reached 164000 with a Green screen...

Completed Sequence for ID: 164000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 163001

Last Number of Run: 164000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-24-2022 at 07:44:47
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
75 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Actual count of potholes is 76. This happens when the first (test) cycle is a pothole.

Admin posts: 479

To see details request file:

Today's Potholes scan will try for 165000.

Mars is approaching a period of transition. 

It has been moving to the left in the view from Earth, against the background of stars. That movement is slowing, and will reverse at the end of October, entering what (I gather) is called Retrograde movement.

(th)

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#2628 2022-10-24 15:29:53

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut ... today's Pothole scan reached 165000 with a Green screen...

The Internet must have been smooth as glass today!

Completed Sequence for ID: 165000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 164001

Last Number of Run: 165000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-24-2022 at 17:28:58
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
33 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admin posts: 433

For details request file: WebRunlog_10-24-2022_09-46-06_35166-Potholes-165000.txt

Tonight's run will try for 166000

(th)

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#2629 2022-10-25 06:18:15

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re Potholes scan...

The overnight run reached 166000 with a Green screen and a modest pothole count...

Completed Sequence for ID: 166000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 165001

Last Number of Run: 166000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-25-2022 at 08:11:37
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
22 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admin posts: 216

To see details request file: WebRunlog_10-24-2022_19-53-30_71610-Potholes-166000

Today's scan will try for 167000

(th)

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#2630 2022-10-25 06:49:13

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut ....

Just a reminder .... we put the TestiD upgrade on hold while you investigated some duplicates in the Bans table.

You reported progress in finding some duplicates, but I have not yet received confirmation to proceed.

While waiting, I just updated the script to perform additional checks to confirm proper operation, when you give the all clear.  We still have on the order of 4000 TestID's to restore to Member status.

The current starting number for the next run is 15003.  15001 and 15002 were upgraded during testing.

(th)

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#2631 2022-10-25 18:32:57

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,877

Re: Housekeeping

I am posting from my cellphone as my computer USB wifi device is broken. Yes move forward on testid as I got them all.

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#2632 2022-10-25 18:44:05

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re #2631

Best wishes for a quick resolution of the WiFi USB device problem!

***
Thanks for the All-Clear to proceed with TestID updates! I'll set up a run after posting the results of today's Potholes run.

Completed Sequence for ID: 167000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 166001

Last Number of Run: 167000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-25-2022 at 20:38:10
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
38 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admin posts: 426

For details request file: WebRunlog_10-25-2022_12-59-37_46777-Potholes-167000.txt

Tonight's TestID update run will try for TestID16000.

(th)

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#2633 2022-10-26 18:36:56

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,877

Re: Housekeeping

I am back online now with the computer after buying and installing a netgear product that I got from Staples.
I see that our busy bee has been keeping things live.

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#2634 2022-10-27 04:49:20

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut ... glad to see the Staples Netgear USB device is working!  Staples is a lot closer than MicroCenter here, so I generally try them first.

Mars_B4_Moon really surprised me this morning, by finding a video of RobertDyck that I did not realize was available, and by setting up a direct link to one of GW Johnson's blog articles, which i also did not realize was possible.

In addition, he has brought back some of our topics from long ago.  One contained question marks, which was a reminder to me to go back and do the touchup where the original bogey cleanup was dropping Extended ASCII. Palomar was quoting some French, so naturally European punctuation was involved.

This post is to report that the latest Potholes run to 168000 succeeded over night.

Completed Sequence for ID: 168000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 167001

Last Number of Run: 168000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-27-2022 at 06:30:31
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
94 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admin posts: 226

For details request file: WebRunlog_10-26-2022_19-10-59_69059-Poltholes-168000

Today's run(s) will try for:
TestID 16000
Potholes: 169000

(th)

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#2635 2022-10-27 10:54:37

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut interim report ...

The TestID update script seems to be subject to interruption.  It reached 15500 and I called it a day.

A Potholes run to 169000 is underway.

Update at 20:30 local time...

Completed Sequence for ID: 169000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 168001

Last Number of Run: 169000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-27-2022 at 20:22:49
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
68 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admin posts: 313

For details request file: WebRunlog_10-27-2022_11-53-47_42827-Potholes-169000

(th)

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#2636 2022-10-27 17:31:40

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut (primarily) (all others welcome)...

The forum does not have a place for this purely IT related item, but I'm interested in experimenting with the capability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Ag8mj-xFk

The YouTube link above points to a talk about a capability of Azure ... the focus is a system called Gremlin, which is a kind of Graphics database. 

I'd be interested in anyone in the NewMars community is able to pull up the talk...

The audio was overmodulated a bit, but the slides are packed with information. The live demo had just the right amount of difficulty to make things interesting.

This capability is a consequence of Covid ... the group went online during Covid, and has retained the online service while returning to onsite meetings for the majority of the membership.

I am a permanent member of the online community, because I ** really ** like saving travel time of two hours out of the day.

However, at the same time, I am glad that plenty of IT folks like meeting in person, because they are the foundation for the community.

(th)

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#2637 2022-10-28 06:15:04

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re Potholes scan

The overnight run reached 170000

Completed Sequence for ID: 170000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 169001

Last Number of Run: 170000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-28-2022 at 08:03:28
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
29 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admin posts:301

For details request file: WebRunlog_10-27-2022_22-38-34_81514-Potholes-170000

Today's scan will try for 171000

(th)

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#2638 2022-10-28 12:57:43

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

This is for SpaceNut .... and it's just for the record ....

JavaScript needs a Proxy Server to handle traffic outbound from a browser. This update doesn't really fit in the JavaScript topic....

There is an Open Source proxy server called SQUID.

There may be many ways to set up a proxy server.

Squid is one that is handy because I do most of my work in Linux.

Squid may very well be available for other OS.

My experience with Squid to this point is limited.

I've installed it on two machines, and learned to use a command to verify it is running.  Output of that command is "zero"(0) if all is well.

However, to learn more, it is helpful to use a tool: SquidClient

SquidClient shows that if the address of Squid is entered correctly, a 503 error will be returned, as compared to a 400 error, indicating the address entered did not find the running Squid instance.

What I'm not clear on at this point is how to configure a URL inside JavaScript to take advantage of Squid, or (for that matter) how to configure Squid to provide the forwarding service that is needed.

(th)

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#2639 2022-10-28 15:18:23

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re Potholes scan...

WBA reached 171000 with a Green screen

Completed Sequence for ID: 171000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 170001

Last Number of Run: 171000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-28-2022 at 17:11:18
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:26
142 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

More potholes this time than we've seen recently

Admin posts: 361

For details request file:

I'll try a short TestID update ... 100

I need to tweak the script to deal better with whatever wave action is hitting the procedure, but have higher priorities at the moment.

Update at 19:10 local time .... the TestID run only reached 15643.

I'll launch the Potholes script to try for 172000 overnight.

(th)

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#2640 2022-10-28 17:41:49

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,877

Re: Housekeeping

I did poke at the os for squid, but it came back as the top listing as a Chinese product and need more time before going there.
Your conversion will take care of it in no time, but I am still wondering why I cannot do this a different way but at some point, I will figure out why eventually as it could just be my os or hardware that is not capable.

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#2641 2022-10-28 18:32:13

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut .... Thanks for starting to investigate Squid!

The lookup you ran (Post #2640) was for a computer game.

The Squid Proxy was developed in 1996.

Wikipedia has an article on the software.

It has nothing to do with China.

(th)

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#2643 2022-10-29 06:32:45

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut ....

First, thanks for the links that will help with setup of Squid on Windows 10!

SearchTerm:Squid for windows 10

Second, as a reminder of status of the JavaScript initiative, the most recent version is able to pull a page of data from NewMars without being logged in.

The caveats are that the program makes use of the demo proxy site for development, and it delivers results to the console.log, so you have to open that feature in your browser.  With those two caveats, you ** should ** be able to pull any existing TestID##### from the User's table.

Last night's potholes scan arrived at 172000 with a Green screen.

I have a theory about all those potholes .... they ** may ** have been created by the spammers themselves. What I'm imagining is that their automation may have been trying to post messages, after achieving membership. FluxBB might have allocated a PostID for a new post, but then the automation might have deleted it.

I don't know how FluxBB works ... It ** might ** allocate a PostID as soon as an Edit window opens.

If ** that ** is the case, and the spammer automation never completed the post, then that would account for a pothole.

In any case, last night's run is reporting 120 potholes.

It occurred to me to wonder when you closed off the Registration pathway.  We might see a dramatic fall in potholes the day after you took that decision.

Completed Sequence for ID: 172000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 171001

Last Number of Run: 172000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-29-2022 at 08:16:09
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:26
120 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admin posts: 396

For details request file: WebRunlog_10-28-2022_19-12-23_69143-Potholes-172000

Today's runs will include at least one try for TestID's, possibly an email send, and another potholes run.

(th)

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#2644 2022-10-30 07:15:20

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re Pothole scans ...

Completed Sequence for ID: 173000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 172001

Last Number of Run: 173000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-30-2022 at 09:10:23
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:26
140 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

140 seems high to me

Admin posts: 302

For details request file: WebRunlog_10-29-2022_23-58-51_86331-173000

TestiD's are updated through 16491 ... i'll set the target at 18375 again and see how far it gets.

Tonight's Pothole scan will try for 174000.

(th)

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#2645 2022-10-30 16:38:49

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re TestID updates ....

Today's run reached 17090 ...

Row: 0 http://newmars.com/forums/admin_bans.php?action=more
Row: 1 TestID17090
Row: 2 TestID17090

  Number of ID's processed: 598

Starting Number: 16492

There are just 1200(or so) to go ... another couple of runs (or three at the outside) should finish the job.

I'll start another Potholes scan now... this one will try for 174000

(th)

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#2646 2022-10-30 17:52:31

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,877

Re: Housekeeping

Pretty good progress in the changing of status.

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#2647 2022-10-31 07:47:25

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re #2646...

Thanks for noting progress despite the occasional Internet wave that swamps the little Dell putting it's way through the list of TestID's.

I'll start today's run at 17091, and see how far we get on the way to 18375.  We almost reached 600 yesterday.

meanwhile, the Potholes scans are proceeding without difficulty ...

Completed Sequence for ID: 174000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 173001

Last Number of Run: 174000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 10-31-2022 at 09:45:39
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
60 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admn posts: 357

To see detail, request file: WebRunlog_10-30-2022_18-43-00_67380-Potholes-174000

over in the JavaScript topic, I am learning variable scope by stumbling around.  In addition, a hint on the Internet about the ".then" operator may be helpful.  The main change I am going to try today is to ask the Fetch command to deliver data from NewMars into a window level variable.  A window level variable is visible to all functions and at the top level of the procedure.  The problem i am dealing with at the moment is that the data from NewMars is visible inside the Fetch function but not outside it, so i can't return it for display to the operator.

Meanwhile, console.log shows the data is arriving as requested.

(th)

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#2648 2022-11-01 07:14:52

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re Potholes ...

I just had an insight.... and with a bit of thought, it turned out to be a false alarm...

I wondered if FluxBB (and specifically the MySQL database) may create a new post number when an edit occurs?

If that theory is correct, then the number of potholes we find might reflect the diligence of the posters in correcting errors.

I wonder (thinking out loud) if there is a way to confirm that theory.

There is: pid=202854#p202854  <<== this is the Post ID after it was created

This is an edit of that post.

pid=202854#p202854 <<==this is the Post ID after edit.

We ** do ** have access to the forum source code (or at least the precursor PunBB).

Something elemental like that might go back to the original PunBB design.

If my theory is correct, the post ID would be changed when a post is edited.

Clearly that is NOT the case.  Oh well! One up! One down!

I'm back to my spammer activity theory.  However ** that ** theory should reveal a dramatic decrease in potholes after the spammers were shut out.

We set up the Recruiting topic 2020-03-01

Did we shut off spammers around that time?

If my theory is correct, the day after we shut off spammers we should see a drop off in potholes.

The Potholes Scan is in the range of 170000 ... 2020-07-13 16:57:51 was the post date of 170000.

(th)

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#2649 2022-11-01 19:12:35

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut .... we've reached the TestiD update goal...

Thanks again for approving this work!

Completed Sequence for ID: 18375


Total Command Lines found: 69
Total input Lines in script: 263

  Number of ID's processed: 315

Starting Number: 18061

Last Number of Run: 18375

Summary for Web Automation Report for 11-01-2022 at 21:08:39
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:50

I'll return to Pothole scans ... tonight's goal is 175000

(th)

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#2650 2022-11-02 05:54:57

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,167

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re Potholes scan ...

WBA completed a run to 175000 with a Green screen ... only 9 potholes showed up!

I am curious to know when you shut the door to the spammers.  I would expect pothole counts to drop if the spammers were unable to create posts.

Completed Sequence for ID: 175000


Total Command Lines found: 34
Total input Lines in script: 206

  Number of ID's processed: 1000

Starting Number: 174001

Last Number of Run: 175000

Summary for Web Automation Report for 11-02-2022 at 07:36:24
Average time of Loop from Main form: 00:00:27
9 Skip Exceptions were recorded.

Admin posts: 487

For details request file: WebRunlog_11-01-2022_21-13-07_76387-Potholes-175000

Today's scan will try for 176000

(th)

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