Unable to post an OP in some forums, getting "403 Forbidden" error

[sl8]

I've tried and failed to post an OP in GD more than a dozen times over the last few hours.

I tried to post in the Computer Support forum, same content as attempted GD post, and got the same error.

Tried a test post here in Community support, different content than failed GD post, and it worked.

[EarlG]

1. This can sometimes happen if there are special characters in the text you're trying to paste

Try pasting a bit at a time and using the Preview button as you go -- hopefully then when you get the 403 you can identify which part of the content is causing the problem.

[sl8]

2. Thank you.

I'm doing that as we speak, in the Google AI/Robert Redford thread.

I've narrowed the problem down to the paragraph containing the Google search string that I had used.

[sl8]

3. It looks like the capitalized version of *or*, enclosed in quote marks (double or single) is the problem.

I tried including that term in this post and got the same error.

A weird aspect is that my GD post let me use *Or* (in double quotes), but not *OR*(in double quotes). When experimenting with *OR*, or *Or*, (between double quotes, not asterisks) in this post, I get the 403 error for both versions.

[EarlG]

5. Interesting, thanks

I just tested it and got the same result you did. I know that we have some security measures in place to prevent certain text strings from being submitted to the database because they could potentially be used in an attack. Personally I don't know enough about it to know what is forbidden and what isn't, but I guess you found one that is disallowed... hopefully you can just work around it.

[sl8]

7. No problem. Thanks for the response. nt

[ificandream]

4. I'm having the same problem in GD. Will try to post a little at a time as well.

[sl8]

6. Did you see my follow-up about the word in double quotes? Good luck. nt

[ificandream]

8. Yes. And I fixed it and posted it, but that wasn't the problem.

It was a forward slash on a link and another link that was wrong. (I got the whole text from someone else.)

But anyway, it's up now.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220668381

[sl8]

9. Well done. nt

[usonian]

10. Let me tell you the story of a man named NULL

I'd finish the song I started on the title line, but I have bigger fish to fry today.


https://www.wired.com/2015/11/null/
Hello, I'm Mr. Null. My Name Makes Me Invisible to Computers

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160325-the-names-that-break-computer-systems
These unlucky people have names that break computers

[sl8]

11. That's great, thanks for the links.

I knew where we were going with the name "Null", but never would have thought that "McKenzie" would present a problem.