Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/Torbot

The following discussion is an archived debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. The result of the discussion was Withdrawn by operator.

Torbot

• (BRFA
• Approved BRFAs
• talk
• contribs
• count
• SUL
• logs
• page moves
• block log
• rights log
• flag)

Operator: Pgk

Automatic or Manually Assisted: Automatic, but watched.

Programming Language(s): Python.

Function Summary: Editing through open TOR nodes to add to a page listing those nodes

Edit period(s) (e.g. Continuous, daily, one time run): Adhoc.

Edit rate requested: No more than 3 edits per minute, 15 edits per run.

Already has a bot flag (Y/N): N

Function Details: Since cronbot was withdrawn and TawkerbotTorA didn't make it through RFA, this is a stop gap. This is the result of some work done on tor a while back which I bought together as a proof of concept along the lines of cronbot. It will use the TOR directory to obtain a list of current routers on the outbound side for port 80. It checks to see if the IP for that node is blocked, if not it then attempts to edit a wikipedia page (User:Torbot/Torlist) adding a single line providing the router name and signing as the IP (this doesn't edit at the torbot user). To avoid providing a comprehensive list of tor nodes which aren't blocked each run will limit to succesfully editing through a limited number (15 say) of nodesm the expectation being that these are blocked prior to the next run. It ignores robot.txt however as I am running the tor client to enable editing through tor, I have also configured it to act as a tor directory (though this will only be visible within my lan), I am then reading the directory from this my own directory server and thus ignoring my own robots.txt file --pgk 18:16, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Discussion

There is still an open question as to what should be done with TOR, theoretically it's an open proxy and should be blocked, I believe Jimbo has said as much in the past, however most discussion I've seen pre-dates the current block functionality. It also seems generally accepted that there are those (some in China for instance) who do legitimately edit through tor. As mentioned this is meant as a stop gap until a better alternative, such as a media wiki extension arrives. I currently have no plans to work on such an extension. --pgk 18:36, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Make it, run it, and we click block a lot, sounds good to me -- Tawker 05:12, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I've made a run, the results can be seen (the tor routers are now blocked) --pgk 11:55, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Sounds great, however I've already made something similar to that. If you want the code, I'm more than happy to give it to you so you can bounce ideas off it. — Werdna talk criticism 12:33, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Code sharing is always welcome, and Werdna, if this is successful, we may very well need multiple bots doing this. — xaosflux ^Talk 16:22, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

• If this will be cycling through these nodes recurringly, I'd suggest a shorted block interval (30 days?) as tor nodes may not last forever. — xaosflux ^Talk 16:21, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Trial Approved

• Approved for month long trials. In light of the recent rfa failure, this request may generate a fair ammount of community response. Please provide a link to this request on Wikipedia:VP Wikipedia:OP and Wikipedia:AN. — xaosflux ^Talk 16:18, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

What is the status of this bot? -- RM 13:13, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

May as well archive for now. I haven't had time to do anything significant and probably won't for the forseeable future. I'll rerequest as and when. --pgk 13:17, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Withdrawn by operator. This bot has been withdrawn due to inactivity of its operator, as per above. -- RM 13:29, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section.