The Surreal News 9-10 AM Friday 1-10-20

Faster tech means new challenges from AI feedback loops to WordPress security incidents.

Sometime we think, been there, done that, but hey, not everyone has done that.

Version 1.1.0 of the official Akismet Drupal module is out with support for Drupal 12. If you’re planning your move to 12, spam protection won’t hold you back. Here are the highlights. Drupal 12 from day one The module now runs on Drupal 10.3+, 11 and 12. On Drupal 12, Akismet checks comments and user registrations as soon as you install it, since both live in core. Contact forms, webforms, and the Key module will be supported as soon as they’re ready for D12. What else is new in 1.1.0 Better spam scoring Every check now gives Akismet a fuller picture of each submission. The module’s bot detection watches how someone fills out a form: how long they take, how they type, and how they scroll, click or tap. In 1.1.0, all of those signals feed straight into Akismet’s spam scoring. With more context, Akismet can better tell a real person from a bot, so you should see more spam caught and fewer real messages flagged by mistake. Better GDPR export drush akismet:gdpr-export now takes –format=json (or csv and yaml) and returns the full stored record for each match, including the original submission. That makes subject access requests easier to answer completely. The export also withholds the moderator’s identity, as GDPR Article 15(4) allows. Clearer warnings about your stored API key The status report now warns you about a leftover copy in yoursettings and stays visible until you deal with it. A new Delete stored API key form removes it in one step. You’ll find the link on the settings page and in the status report. Coming from the community module? Before the official module, some Drupal sites used the community-maintained Akismet module (drupal/akismet). That project is no longer maintained. If you’re still running it on Drupal 10.3 or later, 1.1.0 can take over your install in place. Your API key, connection timeout and protection settings carry over, and the update prints a report of everything it migrated, changed or dropped. Our migration guide on drupal.org walks through the process. Get started You’ll need an Akismet API key. Grab one from our pricing page. It’s free for personal sites. For a new install: composer require drupal/akismet_antispam If you’re already on 1.0, update the module along with the Akismet PHP SDK it depends on, then run the database updates: composer update drupal/akismet_antispam –with-dependenciesdrush updb The module needs Drupal 10.3, 11 or 12 and PHP 8.1 or newer, or the newer PHP your Drupal core requires. Found a bug or have an idea? Tell us in the issue queue. New to the module? Start with our introduction to the official Akismet Drupal module, or see how it’s built on the official Akismet PHP SDK.

Bob Dunn reflects on online conversation styles and an infamous hardware design blunder, offering unsolicited solutions and food for thought.

In this episode, hosts Zach and Carl discuss adapting to technological change, personal reinvention, and the impact of AI on creativity and web development, emphasizing diverse income strategies and effective ADHD management.