Did 2 expanded searches and got disabled

[QwnsKnight]

Using 0.4.4.4 directly pulled from github https://github.com/fabacab/fetlife-aslsearch/raw/master/fetlife-age-sex-location-search.user.js

message below -----

I’m xxxxx, a caretaker with FetLife. I’m really sorry to say this, but our system seems to think you’re a robot and locked you out of your account. :-(

Recently our engineering team took some extra steps to improve FetLife’s security. One of the steps we’ve taken is to lock out profiles that are sending suspicious signals to FetLife. This can be caused by browsing the site very quickly or using add-ons/extensions made for FetLife. In order to figure out why your profile caught our system’s eye, we’d really appreciate some more info from you.

• Would you please let us know what you were doing on FetLife before you were locked out?
• Do you have any scripts, extensions or add-ons installed in your internet browser that are made for FetLife?
• How are you accessing FetLife?

Knowing this will help us pinpoint the problem so that we can get you back online and keep our system from locking you out again in the future.

I hope to hear back from you soon! :-)

[majtymit]

I'm currently using master and I'm not experiencing any problems.

[CheeseburgerWithFries]

I had the same issue.

I had been using 0.3.9 for about ten months (May '15) with no problems and used the same cautious search settings for that period (7 second delay / 70 results per search), but my account was disabled about the same time this issue was opened. I was not actively using the search function at the time the site logged me out and displayed the "Account Disabled" message.

I was able to regain access to my account after a couple days without admitting to the caretakers/support that I was using an add-on, but following that I also began experiencing the other open issue for the extension where the checkbox flashes for a second and then disappears.

I then upgraded to 0.4.4.4 (current master), but that second issue was still occurring.

I'd guess that Fetlife made some updates to the site code or their add-on detection last week, but I do not have evidence to support this.

Running on Windows 8.1, Chrome Version 48.0.2564.109 m (64-bit) with Tampermonkey v3.12.58.

[CheeseburgerWithFries]

@majtymit

OK, but in this situation you won't experience any issues until it happens. Fetlife doesn't issue warnings, your account will just suddenly get disabled.

If one person gets caught through their own incompetence, that's one thing. If multiple people experience issues on the same day after a long period of no problems, it might be a sign that Fetlife has changed their add-on detection and the extension is no longer invisible.

[quasi8]

They definitely changed something I'm running a modified version of 3.11 and got disabled around 2/8 before that had been using the add-on for months. I also promptly emailed the dev.

[Ornias1993]

I checked the code:

1. The extended should not trigger this, mainly because the search itself does not directly access the FL database.
2. This could, in theory, could happen when you are opening multiple tabs in quick sucession with the plugin running. If this is the case, just reply "I dont know how this could happen", because low amount of calls shouldn't trigger this.
3. The Classic search could, in theory cause this and the behaviour is very bot-like. I would recommend agains using it.

After reviewing other issues with this and other plugins and the reply's from fetlife, I can conclude that their safety is to easily triggered and they know it is so they re-enable everyone that reply's to the standard bot email.

I will create an extra warning on the classic-mode page and then it could be closed as any further issues are either user error or fetlife-bugs.