403 Error

[Bernard Gui]

I was not allowed to open a new topic because of a 403 Error. What is that?

[Calm]

Usually a banned word or combination of words, includes drug names.  Could be in the URL as well if posting a link.

having too many "sex" or "porn"s or combing "child" with sexual terms will do it.

Seems to be more sensitive if in title.

If you can't figure out what it is, break your post into parts and test as you add to it.

Edited September 14, 2019 by Calm

[Robert F. Smith]

Its not a 404 error.

[Glenn101]

49 minutes ago, Calm said:

Usually a banned word or combination of words, includes drug names.  Could be in the URL as well if posting a link.

having too many "sex" or "porn"s or combing "child" with sexual terms will do it.

Seems to be more sensitive if in title.

If you can't figure out what it is, break your post into parts and test as you add to it.

Calm, I don't think this has anything to do with an censored post. If I understand Bernard correctly the site would not even allow him to open a new topic. I could be wrong.

1 hour ago, Bernard Gui said:

I was not allowed to open a new topic because of a 403 Error. What is that?

A 403 error is usually an http error. It means that for some reason you are being denied access to a web page. You can try clearing your browser cache and try it again.

If that does not work, contact the site admin.

Glenn

[Calm]

I haven’t been able to start a new thread because “porn” was in the title and I got a 403 error. Almost every 403 error I have gotten I found a banned word or phrase (in the sense of otherwise completely banned or banned if used in the post too many times)

Edited September 15, 2019 by Calm

[Stargazer]

If you want some dreary reading, here's a link to the various HTTP Error codes that one might get when web surfing.  This being part of my profession, I find this highly interesting, but not everyone is like me! Probably a good thing.

Anyway, status codes starting with 4 are client status codes -- you being the client, and if the server doesn't like you or what you submitted for a particular reason, you get one of these.  Here's the most common codes one runs into:

• 401 Unauthorized - Similar to 403 Forbidden, but specifically for use when authentication is required and has failed or has not yet been provided. 
• 403 Forbidden - The request was valid, but the server is refusing action.  (Like @Calm said, here on MDDB it's because you've put some forbidden thing into the post and the server has been configured to toss you out on your ear.
• 404 Not Found - The requested resource could not be found but may be available in the future. Subsequent requests by the client are permissible.

Servers can be configured to display special pages to be more "friendly" in case of these, but sometimes aren't so configured.

I once spent a couple of hours sanitizing a post here to remove objectionable content, so I know whereof I speak.  For @Glenn101

[Stargazer]

6 hours ago, Calm said:

I haven’t been able to start a new thread because “porn” was in the title and I got a 403 error. Almost every 403 error I have gotten I found a banned word or phrase (in the sense of otherwise completely banned or banned used in the post too many times)

I have a workaround for you: instead of the "porn" use "p0rn".  That's a Zero substituting for the Oh.  I just experimented and it let me post it.  That's the new topic This is a test.  When I first posted it I used p0rn in the title.

[Calm]

I usually puts spaces or dashes in these days.

[Stargazer]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

I usually puts spaces or dashes in these days.

Yeah, me too.

[Bernard Gui]

Thanks to all for the information. The new topic was to be about the young LDS men recently arrested for trafficking fentanyl.

[Calm]

The drug name in the title or too many mentions of it in the post (probably because the censor thinks it is a sign of selling it) is likely the issue. 

[Glenn101]

10 hours ago, Stargazer said:

I once spent a couple of hours sanitizing a post here to remove objectionable content, so I know whereof I speak.  For @Glenn101

Can you elaborate on that? I have gotten 403 errors when attempting to access files that I had not permission to open because I was not logged in, etc. I did not know you can get a 403 error when attempting to post a comment also. I guess I keep my posts so bland that the site filters never saw any smoke. None of the sex and porn stuff.

I added the last to see if it goes through.

Glenn

[Glenn101]

7 hours ago, Bernard Gui said:

Thanks to all for the information. The new topic was to be about the young LDS men recently arrested for trafficking fentanyl.

I don't know why. I was just able to open a topic with that as the subject. Hope you will add your comments and links to it.

[Calm]

4 hours ago, Glenn101 said:

Can you elaborate on that? I have gotten 403 errors when attempting to access files that I had not permission to open because I was not logged in, etc. I did not know you can get a 403 error when attempting to post a comment also. I guess I keep my posts so bland that the site filters never saw any smoke. None of the sex and porn stuff.

I added the last to see if it goes through.

Glenn

Censorship of that type varies over time. It seems to be less sensitive now than when I first started getting it.

It usually takes at least four mentions or combing child with the potentially objectionable terms to trigger the 403. 

For example, Ambien

Never used to be able to write that out. Let’s see what happens when I add some more. 

Edited September 15, 2019 by Calm

[Calm]

Well, it let me post, but won’t let me edit. Let’s see if I can edit if I remove those names. 

Yep, removing drug names allows editing...weird. 

Let’s see what happens with the phrase that gets me most 403 in the past 

child sexual abuse

child and porn without the and gets me no editing 

Edited September 15, 2019 by Calm

[Glenn101]

4 hours ago, Calm said:

Well, it let me post, but won’t let me edit. Let’s see if I can edit if I remove those names. 

Yep, removing drug names allows editing...weird. 

Let’s see what happens with the phrase that gets me most 403 in the past 

child sexual abuse

child and porn without the and gets me no editing 

I see what is going on. I am getting educated. Thanks to you and stargazer for the information

[Calm]

Glad to help 

[Stargazer]

10 hours ago, Glenn101 said:

Can you elaborate on that? I have gotten 403 errors when attempting to access files that I had not permission to open because I was not logged in, etc. I did not know you can get a 403 error when attempting to post a comment also. I guess I keep my posts so bland that the site filters never saw any smoke. None of the sex and porn stuff.

I added the last to see if it goes through.

Glenn

I didn't document my efforts, and I should have.  One of the things I remember was copy/pasting text from a source that contained hidden digital markers.  I couldn't get rid of it in one case, and had to type it manually to avoid the hidden item(s).

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

There seems to be a few topics that are now forbidden, I wrote, and rewrote a thread (with many drafts), but it was closed with no error code mentioned, is was just closed, and no one was allowed to comment. I was attempting to defend the Church against many  actuations that some, or many, were committing suicide only due to our Church’s doctrines and teachings. I took days, actually sitting up in a straight back chair, using a laptop, which is very painful for me to do. I did many rewrites, over a number of days,  in an effort, not to be offensive or seeking to insult anyone. The thread that was locked immediately, it gave no error codes (probably because I did not use andy links), I received no warning, no rebukes, nothing at all. I “did have” posters who contacted me in PM’s, wanting to know what happened? But I could not tell them what the problem was, or is. Not long after (something that may be common) my mailbox was almost almost completely emptied  In that mailbox, were poems I had written for posters who were having some problems. Because they were personal to those posters, they were only in those PM’s, now they are gone, and my mailbox is almost empty. Of course, storage space being what it is, maybe it is common to clean out mailboxes, to make space when their are too many “bites”, to use a definition for computers, things I know little about. Whomever donates their server, only has a finite amount of space, that I do know. I am grateful that anyone has any space for us, but this is what my son tells me, or speculate to be the case. Of course, I believe him, he travels the world setting up servers, in many countries, making them speak the sane digital language, to the tune of $250,000 a year, with great bonuses. Although, it is like pulling teeth to get him to help out his Dad, as he seems to me, to be speaking in another language, and get frustrated I don’t seem to be keeping up. He is a wonderful man, but all I want him to fix it, where I just have to turn it on, and have my laptop do all the work. Oddly, he wants me to pay attention, so I can fix the problems myself. He once asked, “are you taking notes”? My reply was, “why take notes, I have you”? Of course I do have him to fix my problems, but I was joking. I need his help right now, but he is in Texas for the week, he was not supposed to leave until tomorrow, but had to leave early today. 

Having said all of that, to get to the point, things have changed here. Be it good or bad, things have changed, and many long time posters are now gone. But all of life requires that we adapt, or die. But, knowing why, would be helpful for all, members, contributors, and new posters. But for that, I leave it to the Moderators, who do this for free, and get little thanks. But, it does seem the original charter of defending the Faith against all who came here has changed. I for one wish we had the original “Mission Statement”, if possible. That of defending the Faith, and the work of apologetics, taking on all critics, as well as those who would troll, our peaceful waters.

[Stargazer]

23 hours ago, Bill “Papa” Lee said:

There seems to be a few topics that are now forbidden, 

The 403 Forbidden status code that Bernard was talking about is an automatic feature that the web server implements.

What you're talking about is the mods deleting a topic, which is something done by humans.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

7 hours ago, Stargazer said:

The 403 Forbidden status code that Bernard was talking about is an automatic feature that the web server implements.

What you're talking about is the mods deleting a topic, which is something done by humans.

I thought I made that clear, it just seemed a good place to address both. It seemed much better than reposting the entire topic. But, I thank you for pointing out the obvious, something far too often done by humans. But, love ya anyway brother. 

[Stargazer]

On 9/17/2019 at 4:15 AM, Bill “Papa” Lee said:

I thought I made that clear, it just seemed a good place to address both. It seemed much better than reposting the entire topic. But, I thank you for pointing out the obvious, something far too often done by humans. But, love ya anyway brother. 

Sorry, but you might have thought you made that clear, it was not clear enough to me.  I will admit that I sometimes fail to "get" things.  And I'm not saying it was your fault, either.