User:Bender the Bot
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| This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bender235 (talk | contribs) at 19:01, 6 March 2017 (→Tasks). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision. |
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This user account is a bot that uses AutoWikiBrowser, operated by bender235 (talk). It is a legitimate alternative account, used to make repetitive automated or semi-automated edits that would be extremely tedious to do manually. The bot is approved and currently active – the relevant request for approval can be seen here. To stop this bot until restarted by the bot's owner, edit its talk page. If that page is a redirect, edit that original redirecting page, not the target of the redirect. Administrators: if this bot continues causing harm after receiving a message, please block it or remove from the approved accounts. |
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Emergency bot shutoff button
Administrators: Use this button if the bot is malfunctioning. (direct link)
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HTTP → HTTPS
The purpose of this bot is to convert existing external links on Wikipedia, where ever possible, from HTTP to HTTP Secure (HTTPS), i.e. from an unencrypted to an encrypted transportion protocol. There are three reasons for using HTTPS: (i) data is sealed from eavesdropping on the internet cable (privacy) which also prevents censorship, (ii) data cannot be manipulated (integrity), and (iii) data came from the correct source (authentication). Rather than further elaborating, here are some news reports emphasizing the importance of each point.
- Privacy (prevents eavesdropping and censorship)
- "How the German Foreign Intelligence Agency BND tapped the Internet Exchange Point DE-CIX in Frankfurt, since 2009". Netzpolitik.org. March 31, 2015.
- "Russia Is Banning the Internet Archive and Blaming It On Terrorism". Gizmodo. June 25, 2015.
- "Chinese censors have blocked 50 websites for "spreading rumors" about the Tianjin explosions". Quartz. August 17, 2015.
- "'Snooper's charter' bill becomes law, extending UK state surveillance". The Guardian. November 29, 2016.
The new surveillance law requires web and phone companies to store everyone’s web browsing histories for 12 months [...]
- Integrity (prevents data manipulation)
- "How a banner ad for H&R Block appeared on apple.com—without Apple's OK". Ars Technica. April 7, 2013.
- "Verizon's 'Perma-Cookie' Is a Privacy-Killing Machine". Wired. October 27, 2014.
- "AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot reportedly stuffs extra ads into Web pages". PC World. August 25, 2015.
- "Linux bug leaves 1.4 billion Android users vulnerable to hijacking attacks". Ars Technica. August 15, 2016.
The tl;dr is for Android users to ensure they are encrypting their communications by using VPNs, [or] ensuring the sites they go to are encrypted [...]
- Authentication (prevents phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks)
- "Why Public WiFi Hotspots Are Trouble Spots for Users". AOL.com. March 10, 2013.
Tasks
Done Archive.org (WP:BFRA)- Done Google News, Google Books (WP:BFRA)
- Done YouTube (WP:BFRA)
- Done Electronic Frontier Foundation, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, American Civil Liberties Union (WP:BFRA)
- Done The Guardian (WP:BFRA)
- Done Yahoo.com (WP:BFRA)
- Done New York Times (WP:BFRA)
Doing... The New Republic, The Atlantic, Wired, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Die Welt, Handelsblatt, Foreign Policy, ForaDeJogo (WP:BFRA)
Not done Boston Globe, Ars Technica- Not done British Museum, Find a Grave
Done 
Doing... 
Not done 
