Posted on 03/16/2025 6:09:41 AM PDT by Lazamataz
I've noticed, over the years, that very old Free Republic accounts, accounts that have been inactive for months or years, suddenly reactivate.... but their politics are suddenly suspect.
Be they Zeeper-oriented (that is, super-favorable to Ukraine) or, conversely, super-favorable to Russia, or even suddenly-liberal... these accounts reactivate with a flurry of posts that are contrary to conservatism.
Are these real Freepers who have had a change of heart about their politics? Are these real Freepers who feel the need to jump on the forum with propaganda and support for one side or the other per the Ukraine/Russia war?
Or are these hijacked accounts?
People will recall some time back, quite a few accounts of active Freepers were hijacked. It created a bit of a problem. When all was said and done, the accounts were returned to their rightful owners, and the site owner (and his moderator crew) pointed out that their passwords were very easy to guess. He instructed people to have stronger passwords.
I also have a friend on Facebook who no longer participates in the forum, but still reads it, who has seen a Freeper posting who he happens to know has been dead for more than a decade.
The problem is, we have far too insecure a login process, and enemies of the forum have been exploiting that.
At the login page, you can attempted unlimited login attempts. This will allow simple brute-force password cracking.
Also, the Forget Password option sends an email with your password in clear text. Emails can easily be sniffed with the right techniques. Passwords can easily be cracked that way.
My suggestions to mitigate these critical security concerns are:
These relatively-simple security changes will stop account-hijacking.
I’m still here.
Good thinking, though. Get with the times.
I think this will enter FR lexion.
You are a FANCIEST.
You embrace FANCIESTISM.
I took a multi-year time-out from posting on Freerepublic during the Covid years. Call it a mental-health sabbatical. I lurked, but didn’t engage in posting. I simply got tired of the food-fights. Today, I try to keep my posts brief and on-topic, and I seldom respond to criticism.
lol, yeah I saw that. there is no way to not know he is in the room... :)
World mandatory credit card verification work?
Nice catch Laz. Years ago - 2004 - - I noticed a lot of new 'freepers' had the feel of undercover liberals. It was after Hillary made her comments about how the internet couldn't be ignored. Maybe requesting newcomers to sign a 'contract' when joining saying they " are conservative Americans and are NOT associated with the democrat party, George Soros or any of his organizations and never have been". Then if the fakes start sabotaging the site Jim can sue them...
my passsword was previously “password” however after being warned it may be to easy,, I changed it to “notmypassword” and have never had an issue.
The mind boggles at the "AGAINST list" that could be generated by our fellow participant
“The easiest way might be a yearly payment of say...50 bucks to become a member.
To do that, simply get rid of all accounts and start over.”
Sure. They could be like Yahoo... and “nudge” long time users that have been using Yahoo since Al Gore invented the internet to have to start paying for an email version that works, right? Instead of leaving it on a volunteer basis, force that donation. That’s a great way to repay loyalty of users. Make them customers or else. (obligatory sarc tag inserted here)
I agree with you. Protecting accounts better in this case leads to real free speech interactions, not garbage from dubious sources.
I will say though that you need to realize that most wealthy retirees are big time Democrats these days. I have a feeling there are some old accounts where the original positions taken 25 years ago have changed dramatically.
Anyone who goes from being a conservative to a liberal democrat must have their independence, agency, and autonomy removed, since it is clear they slipped into dementia.
Could explain some of it.
Just about don’t post anymore, place overrun with trolls and dupes of trolls.
Ain’t the old Free Republic from back in the day.
Such a shame.
You could say that, comparing yesterday to today. Things are ever-changing.
But one thing you can ALWAYS count on, is that Laz would hit it.
I think there's some of that going on, for sure. I remember when it was common for registered users' spouses or children to sometimes post without bothering to register a separate account (though usually they'd note it in the comment). Even if they forgot to post that "sub-user" identity, there was usually a different tone to those posts that readers would notice.
It might be wise to restrict posting privileges on accounts that have been dormant for a period of time - say, 90 days.
Trying to add dual authentication and other measures is a good idea for security, but our user base may not be receptive to that. It'll be tough to find middle ground.
Well. Got along for all those years without FR.
Will get along without it again.
Site will be lucky to survive much longer.
Agreed, that is a huge vulnerability. I'm lucky, if my daughter ever stumbled across this site and started posting for me, I think she's more rabidly conservative than I am.
I have an idea: Biometric authentication based on DNA. All users must submit DNA samples every time they log in.
Two is a no go for me. Make it an option that instead of a phone number you can choose to send a e-mail and I would be ok with it.
Yes, I am paranoid but I have some vulnerable people that live with me. And I would hate what I would have to do if someone hurt them. But I would do it any way.
Ok, I will alter #2. Instead of 2FA by phone, 2FA can be conducted by personal service by a bike courier.
“Site will be lucky to survive much longer.”
I disagree. I think the site is just fine the way it is and will be around as long as the owners want it to be around, some users’ opinions, notwithstanding.
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