What has happened to the unblinkingeye site?

pentaxuser

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I was doing a bit of research this afternoon and wanted to look at the above site. I tried the link in the site I was on, then tried my own bookmark and finally Googled it Everytime I got the same notice of "403 Forbidden

Has it folded and been removed ? It was sometime ago that I last tried it

Thanks

pentaxuser
 

pschwart

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The site became inaccessible for me from my pc some time ago. Still accessible from my Android phone so I expect a backend config problem: Failed to load resource: net::ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT
 

MattKing

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IIRC, @pentaxuser is working with a relatively old operating system, so that might have a role in the problem.
 
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pentaxuser

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BrianShaw said:
It opened for me.

Try going directly: https://www.unblinkingeye.com/
Click to expand...

Just tried your link Brian with same 403 Forbidden message It says in full 403 Forbidden and underneath" openresty/ 1.25.3.1

So a little bit different from Philip Schwartz but it may be the same reason, I suppose

Matt, I use Windows 7 but have never experienced any problems with other sites

pentaxuser
 

koraks

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The '403/forbidden' can often be triggered by a security feature on a website when it hits a false positive on some kind of protection feature. The fact that you see a reference to openresty is in agreement with this.

I'm not sure how actively this website is being maintained; issues like these are more likely to pop up on sites that don't get much upgrade & maintenance attention.
 
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pentaxuser

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Thanks , I did a bit more research and it seems that it is the site that is forbidding my access but as it is not forbidding others the crucial question is why me?

I even temporarily paused my internet security but it made no difference but if the site's software sees me as the problem then lowering my security was unlikely to make any difference

If it's not being maintained but I am the sole or one of the few being denied access there may be little chance it will be fixed

I'll leave it for a day or so then decide what course of action to follow if I am still being denied access

pentaxuser
 

BrianShaw

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Perhaps there is a tariff on eyes that you need to pay.
 

djdister

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Aside from using an unsupported operating system, what browser and version are you using? Websites can reject what they deem as unsecure browsers.
 
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pentaxuser

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djdister said:
Aside from using an unsupported operating system, what browser and version are you using? Websites can reject what they deem as unsecure browsers.
Click to expand...

Thanks It's Google Chrome and this no longer supports Windows 7 so Google isn't updated. Might the unblinkingeye site recognise this and its software denies anyone with Windows 7 access on the basis that my Chrome is now unsecure?

I had always thought that a browser that isn't updated makes only the user vulnerable when he browses and not the site he attempts to access but that is simply a thought on my part which may be wrong

I went down all my bookmarked sites tonight to access them and while several can no longer be found and give a 404 Not Found ( I probably haven't looked at them for years in some case ) and so far unblinkingeye is the only site with the 403 Forbidden sign

pentaxuser
 

djdister

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Hmm, well websites typically block access by browsers coming from a range of known "bad IPs" or from IPs that are associated with known malicious software, so it is still a bit odd. Other websites may use those anti-robot challenges when certain IP addresses try to access them ("prove you are human"). Have you tried using other browsers and/or platforms to access the website. Just about everyone else (me included) have no problem accessing unblinkingeye.com. It is hard to believe that the unblinkingeye.com site is that advanced, so trying other browsers or platforms to access is a good thing to test.
 
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pentaxuser

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djdister said:
It is hard to believe that the unblinkingeye.com site is that advanced, so trying other browsers or platforms to access is a good thing to test.
Click to expand...

Thanks My Google Chrome has not supported Win7 with updates for some months and yet I have never has this problem of access with any other site I use

As you have suggested I have tried almost all my bookmarked site , even those like unblinkingeye that I haven't visited for many months . I can access all

What I find strange is that unblinkingeye is largely a site which has changed little in all the years I have used it. It is an almost a static site where there is little happening and where no financial transactions occur so not a lot for it to worry about in terms of needing to keep it "secure " in the same way as a transactional site such as say Amazon

Still a bit puzzling

pentaxuser
 

Adam W

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Try isolating individual variables. Start with the browser. Try downloading Firefox and see if you can access the site with that browser.
 

MattKing

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A brief browse through stuff on the internet leads to the conclusion that most browsers no longer support Windows 7, and Firefox support for Windows 7 is mostly finished.
Don't forget that all programs, including browsers, use and work with your operating system.
So if the security provisions in a continuously updated browser need something in an operating system, and your operating system is now 13 years past its "best before" date, then your operating system may not be able to provide what is necessary.
There may be old stuff in the coding for the unblinking eye website that older browsers in conjunction with older operating systems could work around, but current browsers refuse to deal with, without the help of more modern operating systems.
 

koraks

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djdister said:
Hmm, well websites typically block access by browsers coming from a range of known "bad IPs" or from IPs that are associated with known malicious software, so it is still a bit odd.
Click to expand...
This is likely the problem in the case of @pentaxuser as well; somewhere in the security chain, someone or some algorithm may have decided to block an entire IP range, throwing out a lot of wheat with the chaff. This can happen if there have been repeated attacks from IP addresses in a certain range; at some point an admin may exasperatedly just block the entire range and be done with it.

Keep in mind that blocks can be enforced automatically; bad/suspect IPs are stored in databases by certain services you can subscribe to and then automatically block these IPs to prevent problems. There's little arbitration on these lists, so there'll be a lot of perfectly valid/benevolent IPs on those lists.

@pentaxuser in case you have a mobile device, you could try accessing the site using the mobile device from a different network than your home internet connection.

boring old man said:
Do you have a VPN? Sometimes sights block their servers.
Click to expand...
That's true, although in case @pentaxuser is not using a VPN, he could consider doing so to get out of an IP-based blockage.

Of course it's also possible to try and contact the admin of the site to highlight the problem. They may be compelled to do something about it as this surely cuts their advertising income.
 
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pentaxuser

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npl said:
It seems that they do have some weird IP/geographic restrictions at the moment : https://geopeeker.com/fetch/?url=https://www.unblinkingeye.com/&csrf_token=hdE/X1/Tft7NFOpbmQXievNRtvTXZRyY1FNSlUms37M=
Click to expand...

Thanks I am a complete novice in "matters computer" but the link seems to indicate that of the countries listed only Singapore and California have access. Others get the 403 Forbidden

I was surprised that the U.K where I am was not mentioned at all but I can say that on another photoforum site where the majority are based in U.K or rest of Europe none of the rest on that site had a problem yesterday nor did any of the the members here on Photrio It might be that you link is only applicable to real time so reflects the situatíon right now ?

The site seem to be concerned with mobile data but can I take it that what I see there applies to all internet traffic irrespective of whether you have a mobile phone or a desktop PC?

Who are the "they " you refer to who have the weird IP/ geographic restrictions?

Thanks

pentaxuser
 

npl

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"They" as the people running unblinkingeyes.com

The website I used, geopeeker.com, allows you to test access to a domain from various countries. The test will be performed any time you would click the link or refresh the page.

Now, the results don't necessarily mean that everyone in the country where the test failed will encounter problems, it just mean that the particular IP used for the test can't access the website.
It is relatively common now for websites to ban access to a range of IP or even whole countries to protect them from attacks, but here the odds results (a Singapour IP works but not one in Virginia, USA..) most likely indicate a configuration mistake server-side.

If you want you can report to them that you can't access the site from the UK : webmaster@unblinkingeye.com
If they ask for your IP you can get it at https://www.whatismyip.com/fr/
 

snusmumriken

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It’s not a country thing, because I am in the UK too, and can access the site fine.

Do give Firefox a try, because:
“Firefox is currently the last supported browser for Windows 7, with version 115 being the final release that will receive security updates until August 2025.”
 
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pentaxuser

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Thanks npl and snusmumriken

npl it just seems strange a configuration on the server side would be the cause when not one person so far has reported an issue Are you able to access it yourself?

My impression but I may easily be wrong is that on a relatively static site like unblinkingeye which has remained the same for many years in a form of stasis so to speak, would be having any work done to it

Does Geopeeker give a real time view of the situation in each of the countries shown? So if I link to it right now it shows me any problems with unblinkingeye right now? I can see no change from about 4 hours ago

snusmumriken Your suggestion is one that may hold out the best hope but as things stand the Firefox solution, if that is the solution, only lasts another 6 weeks

I looked but could not find any assurance from Firefox that it is likely to extend its support for Win 7 beyond another 6 weeks but it is something to consider as it may be the only way

I'll sleep on it

pentaxuser
 
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