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November 17

Contenteditable attribute in HTML

The web application I am developing at work needs the user to be able to edit strings of text that are then stored in the database. The design of the UI shows that the user should be able to edit normal text "in place", without using a separate edit box.

From what I've found on the Internet, this could be done by placing the text in a div element with a "contenteditable" attribute set. But there are some questions.

I specifically want to avoid HTML or JavaScript injection. Whatever the user types into the element should stay as plain text and not interfere with the actual HTML elements. Is there a guarantee for this? Also, what happens if the content in the div element includes HTML elements to begin with? JIP | Talk 23:11, 17 November 2021 (UTC)

If code injection is a risk, the client's browser is broken. There is no hard guarantee that all web browsers out there behave as they should. But how is the user-supplied input transmitted from their browser to the server side?  --Lambiam 16:08, 18 November 2021 (UTC)

Alternative browser to Firefox for XP

Hi, this isn't a question, just info for the archives and anyone interested. Apparently only 1% of the world's PCs are running XP... Yes, I know it's not exactly secure.

The last version of FF I've been happy with on XP has been 47, although 52 is meant to work. I came across the Mypal browser today, based on Pale Moon, a fork of FF. The best thing is that it plays HTML5 videos and audio, which FF doesn't. It installed seamlessly, even has a fully portable version. Pale Moon stopped supporting XP from v 26.5, the reason for Mypal (which, I discover, was recently discontinued in September 2021 because of licensing issues.[1][2]

Palemoon extensions are here. Some current extensions/add-ons don't work on Mypal, but Tabmix Plus 0.5.8.1 is here (you might have to find Mypal in Program Files the first time you install a .xpi), and Ublock Origin (Firefox-legacy-1.16.4.30) is here (NB click Assets for .xpi file). MinorProphet (talk) 23:23, 17 November 2021 (UTC) Minor edit for sense MinorProphet (talk) 01:12, 18 November 2021 (UTC)

November 18

Uploading data in metered connection

While using a metered connection (4G), does uploading data counts towards the data spent? Or is it free? I have my bittorrent client in mind. --Bumptump (talk) 23:07, 18 November 2021 (UTC)

It impossible to answer this question with specificity without knowing your provider and maybe your plan. But it will be easier for you to check your ISPs T&C or plan details yourself, or contact them to check if you can't find it, thanthen for askus to see if we can find it. It's obviously perfectly possible for ISPs to do either, I think most count both but I'm sure you can find at least one which doesn't count uploads for whatever reason. Nil Einne (talk) 10:28, 19 November 2021 (UTC) 12:44, 20 November 2021 (UTC) 11:54, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

November 19

Consensually spoofing IP address

My family in a different country has a static IP, am I able to access the Internet through their network? (With their permission, of course.) I basically need to access a web service in their country and I can't use a VPN, it needs to be a static IP. Thank you for any help! {{u|Abillionradios}} {Static} 13:10, 19 November 2021 (UTC)
A quick search - which I probably should have done before - has led me to understand that one can "purchase" a static IP address. {{u|Abillionradios}} {Static} 13:13, 19 November 2021 (UTC)

IP addresses are allocated in blocks to ISPs; a cable modem rents one from its ISP. Some ISPs allocate a static IP address from their block to their users; some use dynamic IP addresses, where the cable modem, when it connects to the internet is allocated an IP address from the ISP's block. If you want your internet connection to be routed through your family's IP address, you'll need to install a VPN end-point server on a computer in your family's home, and the corresponding client on your computers. LongHairedFop (talk) 10:39, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

Another possible option is to set up a proxy server at the family network and then set the parameters on your browser. This will not work for every IP function however. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 03:30, 21 November 2021 (UTC)

November 20

Question about Microsoft 365

I have three different computers: a desktop (Windows 10), a laptop (Windows 10), and another laptop (Windows 11). They all have Microsoft Office (I think it's officially called Microsoft 365). I believe that I have one subscription to Microsoft Office ... but, that one subscription is allowed to be installed on my three different computers. In other words, all of my three Office installations fall under the same, singular, Microsoft account. So, my question: two of the Office software programs look the same as they always did; the third account suddenly -- out of the blue -- got some "new and refreshed look" (mostly cosmetic). Why did only one computer show the "new and revised" Microsoft Office Suite, while the other two computers showed no changes at all? On all three computers, I have performed multiple "checks for software updates" and -- on each computer -- it says "you have the latest version available". If it matters ... the one computer that gained the new cosmetic look is the laptop with Windows 10. Any ideas? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 02:34, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

Looks like that's normal – not every device or user gets the update at the same time (relevant MS support article). The other two computers will get the update eventually, but it may take some time. Rummskartoffel 13:50, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

Thanks. I had done a Google search, but I never came up with the article that you found. Thanks. I scanned it quickly; I will read it in more detail later. But, two other quick questions came to mind. (1) Is Microsoft updating each device, one at a time? Or each User Account, one at a time? I guess that I assumed that one account was treated as simply one account, and any action upon that one account would impact all three of my computers. That's an incorrect assumption? Hard to believe that "they" (Microsoft) would sort through each account, multiple times, for multiple devices. I would have assumed that they just update the single account -- not the multiple devices within -- and just be done with it. (2) When I click the tab for "update my software now" ... and it replies "you currently have the most recent software" ... what exactly is falling through the cracks? In other words, what's the point of performing the "update software" ... to request an update ... and be told that no updates are available ... but indeed updates are available? What's the whole point of that function / tab button? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 16:57, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

According to What's new in Microsoft 365 the latest version is 16.0.14326.20238. It talks about the "new visual refresh". There's a link at the top for how to find your Office version. There may be no purpose in attempting to understand MS's arcane policies. MinorProphet (talk) 18:40, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

Is this "new and refreshed look" observed at the Windows 11 machine? Ruslik_Zero 20:19, 21 November 2021 (UTC)

Nope ... this happened with the Windows 10 laptop. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 02:32, 22 November 2021 (UTC)

Can you report the version numbers installed on different machines? Ruslik_Zero 20:57, 22 November 2021 (UTC)

Thanks. Yes.

* The Desktop with Windows 10 says ... Microsoft® Excel® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2110 Build 16.0.14527.20234) 32-bit.

* The Laptop with Windows 11 says ... ( I just realized that I never installed Microsoft Office on this computer, as it is basically brand new. It has the "free trial version" pre-installed on the machine, but I have never used it at all, as of yet. )

* The Laptop with Windows 10 says ... Microsoft® Excel® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2110 Build 16.0.14527.20234) 32-bit.

Thanks again. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 21:13, 22 November 2021 (UTC)

Actually it is not a new problem. May be laptops and desktops are treated differently. Ruslik_Zero 20:29, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

November 21

Question about Wi-Fi extender with Ethernet connection

Referring to my earlier problems with getting Wi-Fi to work with Fedora 32 Linux, I bought an ASUS RP-N12 Wi-Fi extender with an Ethernet port and set it up to use my iPhone's Wi-Fi network and attached it via an Ethernet cable to my Linux PC.

The instructions said to connect a Wi-Fi enabled device (my work laptop) to the extender's network and open up its admin console in a browser, so I did that. Then I was able to log in to my iPhone's Wi-Fi. Now when I switched over to my Linux PC it was able to connect to the Internet. I'm typing this message on the Linux PC right now.

Now my question is, what happens if I have to switch the iPhone's Wi-Fi, or the extender, off and back on? Will the extender remember the connection or do I have to go through the entire set-up process again? JIP | Talk 18:44, 21 November 2021 (UTC)

It should work again without setting up everything anew. Ruslik_Zero 20:17, 21 November 2021 (UTC)

I have a different ASUS model. I don't reboot it personally, but when we lose power and it resets, it remembers the entire setup. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 14:17, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

November 24

The 'l' with it

Microsoft news has a story about Camilla Tominey and the Duchess of Sussex at [3]. Capital "I" and small "l" render exactly the same but if one types in a small "l" in front of the "X" instead of a capital "I" the story comes up in Simplified Chinese. Why can't websites differentiate all their characters? 2A00:23A8:4015:F500:6569:7504:D1B9:83A9 (talk) 12:40, 24 November 2021 (UTC)

What do you mean by "Why can't websites differentiate all their characters". You're discussing the behaviour of one particular website and ultimately only the developers of the website can say why it does some particularly thing. It would be possible for the developers of the website to code it to treat characters that can look alike as the same thing or at least avoid using them so you get an error. But they seem to have chosen not to, probably in part because they figure few people are typing out the characters so it's rarely an issue. Nil Einne (talk) 13:12, 24 November 2021 (UTC)

On the computer I'm using now there is differentiation on Google Chrome, but on the one I was using earlier there wasn't. Firefox is making the distinction and so is Internet Explorer. Is this something to do with the mechanism by which the individual computer prints out the datastream it receives from the website or maybe the version of the browser which is installed? On the preview of my edit summary there is no differentiation on Chrome, but in the running text in the edit window there is. This does not carry over to Wikipedia pages in "read" mode. Same for Firefox and Internet Explorer. 2A00:23A8:4015:F500:6569:7504:D1B9:83A9 (talk) 13:30, 24 November 2021 (UTC)

I'm still very confused what your question is. I and l are different characters encoded by different bytes and which probably every single browser that has ever existed is able to differentiate without issue. From the browser's POV, the difference between I and l and I and x or K and l or whatever is more or less the same in the vast majority of contexts. The fact that I and l can look the same in some fonts doesn't affect the browser's ability to differentiate to them, confusing the 2 is simply not an issue for the browser. No matter what the characters look like, and if you use a font like Webdings, they'll probably look quite weird there is no confusing them. If you copy them, you can paste them somewhere else with a different font and you'll see that in all circumstances whatever the character is stays the same. If it's an I, it's always an I. It doesn't randomly switch between an I and an l.

On that note, in many circumstances the browser doesn't know or care what the characters are supposed to represent and in most it doesn't know or care what they look like. On some fonts the characters may look very similar, or the same to a user. This may be the browser's "fault" since it may have specified the font. Or probably more accurately the browser has a default preference for a font where certain characters may look the same. It's often also possible for users to adjust these preferences, and the preference may depend on other things like the OS or what fonts are available so in some way the user is also involved. I think in some cases the font used may relate to some OS setting in which case you could say it's the OS designer's "fault" or the user's if they chose that setting.

Note that browser UI elements including the URL bar cannot generally be influenced by the website so it's not something that's the web designer's fault or related to the website. However text on the website itself may be displayed using a font of the website's choosing so for text of the URL on a website you could say it's the webdesigner's "fault". Although again these can also depend on browser settings which may or may not relate to OS settings so I'm not sure whether it's always fair to say it's the webdesigner's "fault".

In all cases, you could also blame the font designers for designing their font in such a way that the characters either look the same or are hard to distinguish. Frankly if this bothers you such much, I'd suggest you just remove any fonts on your OS where it's an issue. This won't completely prevent the problem since websites and some software and document types can provide their own fonts. Still it should reduce it and hopefully eliminate it on the US elements of all browsers.

Nil Einne (talk) 15:40, 24 November 2021 (UTC)

I note that, for instance, http://msn.com/en-gb/news/newsbirminghan/joeseph-stalin-downvoted-for-mediocre-dance-routine/ar-AAQy7IX is the exact same story, whereas changing the upper case i to a lower case L actually produces (in, as you say, Chinese) shopping advice for choosing an explosion-proof infra-red camera for use in facilities such as volatile chemical works. So the human-readable part of the address is completely functionless, except as guidance to humans about which story the code links to.

Which is fortunate, since "Birmingham" is misspelled.  Card Zero  (talk) 19:23, 24 November 2021 (UTC)

lead-filled phone cables

[4] Why the heck do phone cables have 3 pounds of lead per foot? I'm imagining so huge trunk with a lot of individual conductors, but still, that's an awful lot of lead. I've used a lot of 100 pair cables (50 copper twisted pairs) that afaik have no lead at all. So I'm puzzled by the idea of cables with so much lead. 2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:69F6 (talk) 18:13, 24 November 2021 (UTC)

The news article specifically mentions old cables. Before the introduction of plastic sheathing on telephone cables they were sheathed with lead as it is easily worked and non-porous. The conductors in these cables were often insulated with paper, kept dry by pressurising the cable with dry air to protect against minor leaks. 2A00:23C7:5C40:9D01:55C3:DABB:778D:9C1 (talk) 19:20, 24 November 2021 (UTC)