AOL implements XFF

As most Wikipedians already know, AOL users tend to change IPs with almost every edit, and IPs tend to get reused frequently. This plays havoc with our blocking system. The X-Forwarded-For (XFF) HTTP header is a technical solution to this.

Soon after Tim Starling's overhaul of the block system in July, Angela reported to wikien-l that AOL would supply XFF information. This was enabled as of 13 July (see earlier report). However, it appears that, for now, it applies only to about one third of AOL's customers; XFF information is not available for the other two thirds due to AOL's network infrastructure (which one knowledgable person characterized as "weird").

Last week in MediaWiki software

New functionality

• Various JavaScript variables were added for the benefit of user-script writers. (bug 6806)
• DjVu images supported (bug 6420)

Bug fixes

• Error in Special:Export fixed (bug 6971)
• Special:Imagelist revamped, new information added.

Last week in servers

• Account creation on Japanese Wikipedia briefly broken; captcha images were not set up properly.
• Captcha enabled, semi-temporarily, on German Wikipedia due to vandal attack.
• Wikimania 2006 registration page disabled due to major Ruby on Rails vulnerability.
• Stewards-l, new stewards mailing list, added.
• E-mail notification for Meta-Wiki watchlists enabled.
• djvulibre installed on wikis in the Korean yaseo cluster.