Grant is now a sysop with er... a bureaucrat flag. I don't understand what these things do.
I GENUINELY don't know if I'm going to be able to install the spam thing - the current installation was a bit of a battle and it looks like it would be several hours of work to upgrade the whole thing and get the spam thing in (particularly if you include making sure it's the right version to install). I REALLY wish there was a decent hosted wiki service out there, or that I could combine user databases...
Send me another pm on the weekend and I'll explore more thoroughly the spam stuff, but I think it's unlikely.
Sysops can also block usernames. Special:Ipblocklist lists currently blocked addresses and usernames. Username blocking is not enabled by default. It can be switched on by setting $wgSysopUserBans=true; in LocalSettings.php. When it is not switched on, you will get an error message telling you the 'IP Address does not exist.' Note: Set this code at the bottom of the script; it does not work placed right at the top. Nonexistent usernames can also be blocked, so be certain you have the correct username.
So I can't block the repeat-offender bots...yet. I've tried, and gotten the error message. (I also can't block IP addresses, but I'm not sure if that's too much power to devolve.
But I have been able to protect the Main Page. I'm willing to extend same to other pages if we're happy that they should stay the way they are on a more or less permanent basis.
I'm also sysopping Mario and Bed Head because they're spam warriors, and this is what bureaucrats do.
I did notice that there seemed to be severeal hundred fake user names on the wiki, which was troubling to me, and makes me think that perhaps an upgrade is in order. It's a fucking tricky install though. Not good at all. The other option is to password protect the whole wiki with something simple, but that seems to rather miss the point.
I just looked at the user list before coming here, and I'd put the fake users in the several thousands range. Thus far, only a handful have been active, and only a few of those appear to be repeat offenders.
I feel *energized*, though. That rollback function makes the clean-up edits a whole lot easier. (only two clicks instead of click-click-scroll-click-type-click or whatever).
So, to avoid cluttering the "Board is Broken!" thread further, an update on our FAQ:
Over 250 spam edits clocked in last night. Several were by repeat offenders, and a few involved creating new Talk pages (including some that I think I have previously deleted).
Being able to block/delete user accounts would be useful. As would some kind of universal password protect or captcha or *something*.
I just fixed everything that came in before:
MN Talk:The Gathering; 20:33 . . QbiSpz (Talk)
(on 10 July)
and have to go do some actual working work now.
The ability for sysops to block registered user accounts is enabled by default since version 1.4.1. It may be enabled or disabled using the $wgSysopUserBans setting in your LocalSettings.php.
If a sysop tries to block a registered user account and this setting is not enabled, then an error message will be displayed, informing the sysop that the "IP Address does not exist".
Enabling IP range blocking
The ability for sysops to perform range blocks is enabled by default since version 1.4.1. It may be enabled or disabled using the $wgSysopRangeBans setting in your LocalSettings.php.
I get the "IP address does not exist" message. Any chance of having that setting changed?
1. the two users I've sysopped are capable of unprotecting pages, since I've just protected a shit-load of annotations pages that could still do with some editing down the line.
2. there aren't any other frequent wiki editors who could help out as sysops. Because it's just three of us right now, and I'm only paying attention to the place out of the corner of one eye.
