botguards!
So, I had fun checking out some of googles code because well…I was bored, and I'm trying to learn as much as I can about how code works and my way of doing that is coding and reading code. Anywho, I found this fun part of their code:
/* Anti-spam. Want to say hello? Contact (base64) Ym90Z3VhcmQtY29udGFjdEBnb29nbGUuY29tCg== */
Obviously there's something coded to base64 there, and it says when decoded: botguard-contact@google.com
So, out of curiousity, anyone seen this before? And, why are they having this up? Is this a common way among larger websites like google to keep bots off? Anything else you can tell me about it that I most likely don't know?
Oh, and please delete anything that's not appropriate in this if there's anything!
Also, I'm a newbie, so keep in mind I want to learn and therefore I ask!
Syz wrote: Seriously? No one? Hm…Maybe I've discovered something maaajoooor….or not. Any ideas, please do tell! I've been checking around the internet for hours..
Not at all. You should just email them and ask what that email address is for.
I googled around and found a forum post and this is a comment in the javascript of the code that was posted there:
markup/* This is an anti-spam system. Want to say hello? botguard-questions@google.com. Remember, don't help the bad guys. */
Read the code after the comment and it's probably exactly what it says. It's way too long for me to delve into because I have to go to work in half an hour and I have homework to do when I get home.
Syz wrote: I'm trying to learn as much as I can about how code works and my way of doing that is coding and reading code.
I did this by writing my own programming language.
Syz wrote: Is this a common way among larger websites like google to keep bots off?
http://www.google.com/robots.txt
Syz wrote: Also, I'm a newbie, so keep in mind I want to learn and therefore I ask!
I'm under the impression that you aren't as much of a newbie as you'd like us to believe. But I encourage people to ask questions (after doing your own research, which you have done). If nobody asked questions in the classroom, the professor would be out of work. If nobody asked questions in general, we as a species could not progress. So this is a very good question, and I'm sorry that I do not have the answer.
Good luck with your endeavors!
Interesting about the crawlers, have to read up on that! I sent an email to the address I found, I don't really think I'll get a reply though.
Thanks for the help, and maybe when I'm a bit better with all of this(yes, I am a newbie, I started doing all of this when I became a member here) I'll write my own programming language too! Although I figure that'll take years…^^
Syz wrote: Hah, interesting! Maybe it's actually possible to do my own language in less than a few years then. I'll post a thread if I get it done someday:P
But seriously, 8 weeks?? That's…fast.
I started January 22nd 2011, and I released to sourceforge May 21st 2011, so it took about 4 months.
I just released the source code for it also if you'd like to take a look.
You can also uncomment the // LINUX comments and comment out the // Windows stuff so you can compile on a Linux desktop.
Edit. Removed the "" from the sourceforge url . Rex.
Syz wrote: So as a basic question: how did you do it? Use C or any other?
I wrote it in C++. I basically just wrapped the functionality of C++ with a language that is interpreted by the program itself. So you give it instructions and there is C++ code that knows how to handle it.
I create stacks for all of my objects (using vectors), and I implement my own garbage collection (using flags in objects).
I could get a lot more in-depth about this, but I would probably only bore you and everyone else who reads this to tears. Literally. Lulz
Aah cool! And no, I don't htink I'd get bored, I think I'd learn more:P Also, most of the books on things like this are really tiring and boring to read, but usually you just pick out whatever you find interesting and need to learn, and learn from that.
If you happen to have time over and would like to write more about how you did it, I'd be happy if you'd give me a link or something to were I could read it!