Checking browser before accessing Audacityteam.org

When I first access this forum and often when I switch to a different page, I get the message in the attached screenshot.

Does this have something to do with the Windows 10 “security” feature just released?

It’s not a huge problem – just annoying.
Screenshot 2020-10-14 17.29.24.png

The forum is protected by Cloudflare. If you are connecting to the forum from a network that Cloudflare considers to be “potentially unsafe”, then it performs a couple of additional security checks before allowing the connection. You probably won’t see that message when connecting from a normal home Internet account.

steve wrote:

The forum is protected by
Cloudflare. If you are
connecting to the forum from a network that Cloudflare considers to be
“potentially unsafe”, then it performs a couple of additional
security checks before allowing the connection. You probably won’t see that
message when connecting from a normal home Internet account.

I am connecting from a normal home Internet account.

And why does it check multiple times during the same login session. Is it not smart enough to remember that it already checked my connection?

I’ve no idea. I’m just the forum administrator, not the SysAdmin.

How are you getting on with Audacity?

steve wrote:

[quote=“Cynthia Moore” post_id=406567 time=1602724020
user_id=259778]
And why does it check multiple times during the same login session. Is it
not smart enough to remember that it already checked my connection?
[/quote]
I’ve no idea. I’m just the forum administrator, not the SysAdmin.

Will you pass it along to the SysAdmin?

How are you getting on with Audacity?

Just getting started. I am having problem with stereo recording. I posted about that in the Windows section.

Already have done :slight_smile:

steve wrote:

[quote=“Cynthia Moore” post_id=406574 time=1602727580
user_id=259778]
Will you pass it along to the SysAdmin?
[/quote]
Already have done :slight_smile:

Great, and maybe ask why “CouldFlare” needs to put in a 5-second delay when I click on Preview? I guess I can understand before a post, but a preview?

…and only sometimes. I did not get the delay when previewing this post. Is CloudFlare just a random number generator?

And this is unrelated, so I might get scolded for that, but why is the quoting mechanism different in this section and it also does not have any text formatting controls?

Ah! That time I got the delay before the preview. Sure looks like a random number generator to me.

Is CloudFlare just a random number generator?

It may be reacting to lists of perceived evil posters. Have you ever been refused access to or banned from any of those dozens and dozens of forums, Cynthia?

Koz

kozikowski wrote:

It may be reacting to lists of perceived evil posters. Have you ever been
refused access to or banned from any of those dozens and dozens of forums,
Cynthia?

Koz

Nope! But if that’s what it’s doing, why does it only “check” some of my actions and not all of them? I still think it’s doing nothing at all – just a random number generator.

CloudFlare does browser finger-printing with JavaScript, and likely some kind of user behavior tracking as well. Exactly what and why they don’t disclose. They’re trying to differentiate actual human users of a browser, vs bots and scripts that are doing naughty things. I get their interstitial a lot, too.

I have a vague suspicion CloudFlare is more likely to trigger on “unusual” combinations of OS/browser/plugins/settings/etc., but that’s pure speculation on my part. I also suspect opening lots of new tabs/windows (instead of just following links in one window) tends to trigger a new interstitial, but again, no proof.

Granting the site you’re trying to visit (audacityteam.org in this case) exceptions to things like privacy filters, ad blockers, tracking protections, etc., (i.e., so the site is allowed more freedom to do things with your browser) may help.

I’ve also seen a suggestion that having an incorrect clock date/time or time zone set on one’s computer can make them more likely to trigger.