[tor-bugs] #3592 [Website]: lack of web forums

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#3592: lack of web forums
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
    Reporter:  cypherpunks  |       Owner:  phobos  
        Type:  defect       |      Status:  reopened
    Priority:  normal       |   Milestone:          
   Component:  Website      |     Version:          
  Resolution:               |    Keywords:          
      Parent:               |      Points:          
Actualpoints:               |  
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------

Comment(by atagar):

 > How much do you feel like running the forums?

 I'd be happy to.

 > Does more traffic cost you money?

 Nope

 > Can we buy a cert to make it https all the time?

 The reason that both the forum and arm's site lacks ssl is that Dreamhost
 has a fee for getting a static ip, and that's a requirement for their ssl
 setup. It isn't much so I should stop being lazy and just do that and get
 a cert.

 > What else is needed to make it a valid beta test?

 The only steps that come to mind are...
 - Make it look nicer. I didn't do anything more than set up a stock phpbb
 instance so I should dig into the themes...
 - Figure out who on tor-assistants@ is interested in moderating. I'll ping
 the list tomorrow.
 - Send a notice to tor-talk@ when we're ready.
 - Maybe add a link to the site? I have mixed feelings - we want this to be
 an experiment where we can trivially pull the plug but on the other hand
 its primary worth is as a support forum so it needs to be discoverable by
 first time users. Thoughts?

 > hidden service access?

 This would be problematic since dreamhost doesn't allow tor on its shared
 hosting (you need to buy a vps). If we get ssl set up then wouldn't the
 only advantage to a HS be avoiding the certificate chain of trust or are
 there other benefits?

 > phpbb attack attempts?

 I'm under no illusion that phpbb has anything but a horrible security
 record. Given the option I'd opt for different forum software on a
 dedicated VM somewhere. However, for a beta this should be fine (it's the
 quickest/easiest thing to set up and the most mature forum option). If it
 really takes off then we can look into investing effort into a better
 setup.

 I'm kinda hoping that Dreamhost does a sane job sandboxing this from the
 rest of the virtual host, thought I wouldn't bet on it.

 > Also, would atagar want jeremy to work up a design and branding that is
 more tor less phpbb-stock setup?

 Sure. I'll see what I can do over the next couple days to make it look a
 bit less awful, and if jeremy has any experience with phpbb themes I'd be
 glad for the help.

 Cheers! -Damian

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/3592#comment:7>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
The Tor Project: anonymity online