With the security concerns about PHP that have hit the headlines in the last 48 hours, on top of regular noise levels, I am reviewing the receptionist and worker filters. Part of this is looking around to see how the various bits of code (web servers, and then after them Coffee Shop code) filters out noise.

The issue with PHP is not something newly added to the language - it's just that it's newly discovered in a relatively obscure corner. Now that it's been discovered and documented (that was necessary to define the fix), there is an almost-certainlty that some malware or maligned humans will look to exploit the hole for unfortunate purposes. So we are taking steps to minimise or eliminate the risk. The question in this poll is an important one to help educate us on further on the balances of the forum.

Over coming days, backroom research and other work will be ongoing. Members answers to this poll are a vital piece of that research and I ask you to vote even if you leave most of our polls alone.  If you are a regular guest/viewer this is a really good time to register - it's free - but if not please email me ( graham -at- sn12 -dot- net ) to help me build up the best possible picture.

There are - always - various automated processes ongoing, and manual ones from time to time too - which keep an eye out for rogue visitors and activities. Over coming days and beyond, these processes may well be tuned and reset rather more often than has been the case. Tightening gates may trip you up, and short outages / abnormal responses are more possible. As ever, if you have issues I remain reachable as the "webmaster" level via the forum or my personal email.

 
I'm going to help with a couple of sample answers ...

I have voted for two options - that
* I visit the Coffee Shop from the UK and
* I visit from outside the UK (currently in Spain)

My wife Lisa - who very occasionally reads as a guest - would vote
* I visit using a VPN
She has a virtual private network activated most of the time, primarily to allow her to access USA based content not available in the UK or Europe. I can also lean over and ask her to check how the forum looks for a guest from a different country if need be.

 

Probably it would look good, while perhaps with a Florida accent. 

 

It does look good - lets me see what is seen by overseas guests - and also to check blocks from a very limited number of distant countries that typically have "travel advisories" on them anyway.

"Lean over and ask" is not an option right now - middle of night and six hours on a metre gauge train rockin and rolling has left her sleeping well beside me.