Number of users online

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SEmert
Posts: 1794
Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 2:48 pm
Real Name: Steve Emert
Location: White Bear Lake, MN

Number of users online

Post by SEmert »

I've noticed recently that there is always an extraordinarily high number of unregistered users online on the forums. As in, one registered user (me) and 35 unregistered users (one me, before signing in + 34 others) in the last 15 minutes. I'm guessing that may be all the bots or spammers that are going to the forums and trying to log in to post the spam sales posts like we were getting before Clayton had to lock down registrations to manual approval again. Good guess, or bad?
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
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clayton
Posts: 1363
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:51 pm
Real Name: Clayton Lindsey
Location: Woodbury, MN

Re: Number of users online

Post by clayton »

If you have permission You can follow the WHO IS ONLINE link at the bottom of the page. It lists registered users then the guest users. Currently as I just checked most of the bots are from SemRushBot and ahrefsbot and a few other crawlers. These are what the browsers are claiming they could be misrepresenting and be malicious.
Clayton Lindsey
FF2Rydia
Posts: 522
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:56 am
Real Name: Kris Hultner
Location: Bloomington

Re: Number of users online

Post by FF2Rydia »

Web crawler bots was my guess.
Kris Hultner
AAVSO observer HCKA
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Deane Clark
Posts: 2446
Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: Mpls

Re: Number of users online

Post by Deane Clark »

At first glance, I currently see just me and 1 guest at the bottom of the page. But when I click WHO IS ONLINE, then Display Guests, I see like 44 guests, half of which it claims are on the user control panel. Perhaps attempting to log in or register?
Deane Clark
Eagle Lake Observatory keyholder
------------------------
I can quit any time I want. I just don't want to.
www.aponon.org
FF2Rydia
Posts: 522
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:56 am
Real Name: Kris Hultner
Location: Bloomington

Re: Number of users online

Post by FF2Rydia »

When I look from the forum index page, it shows me and 84 guests. Looking at who is online, there's me, one guest looking at the Radio Astronomy SIG, and the rest looking at either the index page or the user control panel.
Kris Hultner
AAVSO observer HCKA
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SEmert
Posts: 1794
Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 2:48 pm
Real Name: Steve Emert
Location: White Bear Lake, MN

Re: Number of users online

Post by SEmert »

Yeah, when I looked early this morning there were none besides myself, but when I checked again mid day there were a bunch, with a similar profile. So, more likely actual people rather than bots, perhaps, and it is suspicious that so many are looking at the user control panel. Trying to hack passwords, perhaps?
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
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Deane Clark
Posts: 2446
Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: Mpls

Re: Number of users online

Post by Deane Clark »

Note that when I looked, it was 1:43 am and there were still 44 guests. Those aren’t real people.
Deane Clark
Eagle Lake Observatory keyholder
------------------------
I can quit any time I want. I just don't want to.
www.aponon.org
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SEmert
Posts: 1794
Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 2:48 pm
Real Name: Steve Emert
Location: White Bear Lake, MN

Re: Number of users online

Post by SEmert »

Deane Clark wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 1:08 am Those aren’t real people.
But are we really "real"? What is "real"? Do we really exist physically, or is it all a simulation? Does the world exist outside our minds? Does the present exist, or are we all living a few milliseconds in the past as we process our sensory input? Does anybody know what time it is? Does anybody really care? Maybe it's 25... or 6 to 4! Is 42 actually the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything?

Anyway, enough of this nonsense! :D Happy Holidays, all!
Last edited by SEmert on Sat Dec 24, 2022 10:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
User avatar
Deane Clark
Posts: 2446
Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: Mpls

Re: Number of users online

Post by Deane Clark »

Maybe the better question is “what is “online””. They could be stale entries for guests who haven’t been on the site for hours for all I know.
Deane Clark
Eagle Lake Observatory keyholder
------------------------
I can quit any time I want. I just don't want to.
www.aponon.org
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