[Dxspider-support] Discussion: Informing Users About Registration Requirement for Spotting

[Mikel EA2CW]

> While I 100% support registration before you can post (i.e. you have contacted me and I have authorised you to be allowed to spot through my node), I don’t see value in taking the next step of adding a password for an end user. Many users do only want to read spots - and passwords prevent them accessing anything. I only feel the need to regulate the side that sends spots. I don’t have an issue with passive network consumption as passive consumption is not in any way able to be harmful.
> 
Sorry Grant, probably I have not explained myself clear enough (I always 
repeat my poor english richness)

I agree completely with you on the policy of identifying users only if 
they want to add data to the network circuit! I even have a <bold>read 
only</bold> web cluster interface at https://cluster.gautxori.com/spider/

Only read , non-registered & non-authenticated users are 100% valid for 
me. They will not alter the data, so no problem to access.

I am 100% aware of the problems that will carry the implementation of 
the "password needed to write access". Both among the developers and the 
users. This would be the last step.

I would not want to be very explicit about how the fake spots can be 
injected, we all know that this forum is open,  and that bad guys can be 
reading it, but I have once and again said which, in my opinion, the 
critical steps should be given to rise up the security level of our 
network, the basic four:
https://mailman.tobit.co.uk/pipermail/dxspider-support/2025-March/020357.html
Later we can evaluate whether they were enough or not and afford 
subsequent changes, in case we feel that can be necessary.

I am sure that last weekend, at least big contesting stations, at one 
point, disconnected from the cluster, just for not having to see the 
flow of garbage from it. If you are trying to make a ratio on 2-4 Qs per 
minute, you cannot play these games. I understand it, of course, but I 
don't like it.

Will we be condemned to see the death of the dx cluster network because 
of our lack of reliability?

73 de Mikel Berrocal EA2CW-AE2CW
Bilbao, Basque Country
ea2cw at gautxori.com
https://www.ea2cw.eus