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sl8

(16,898 posts) Tue Sep 23, 2025, 12:59 PM Sep 23

Unable to post an OP in some forums, getting "403 Forbidden" error

I've tried and failed to post an OP in GD more than a dozen times over the last few hours.

I tried to post in the Computer Support forum, same content as attempted GD post, and got the same error.

Tried a test post here in Community support, different content than failed GD post, and it worked.

11 replies

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Unable to post an OP in some forums, getting "403 Forbidden" error (Original Post) sl8 Sep 23 OP

This can sometimes happen if there are special characters in the text you're trying to paste EarlG Sep 23 #1

Thank you. sl8 Sep 23 #2

It looks like the capitalized version of *or*, enclosed in quote marks (double or single) is the problem. sl8 Sep 23 #3

Interesting, thanks EarlG Sep 23 #5

No problem. Thanks for the response. nt sl8 Sep 23 #7

I'm having the same problem in GD. Will try to post a little at a time as well. ificandream Sep 23 #4

Did you see my follow-up about the word in double quotes? Good luck. nt sl8 Sep 23 #6

Yes. And I fixed it and posted it, but that wasn't the problem. ificandream Sep 23 #8

Well done. nt sl8 Sep 23 #9

Let me tell you the story of a man named NULL usonian Sep 23 #10

That's great, thanks for the links. sl8 Sep 23 #11

EarlG

(23,206 posts)

1. This can sometimes happen if there are special characters in the text you're trying to paste

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:06 PM

Sep 23

Try pasting a bit at a time and using the Preview button as you go -- hopefully then when you get the 403 you can identify which part of the content is causing the problem.

sl8

(16,898 posts)

2. Thank you.

Reply to EarlG (Reply #1)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:08 PM

Sep 23

I'm doing that as we speak, in the Google AI/Robert Redford thread.

I've narrowed the problem down to the paragraph containing the Google search string that I had used.

sl8

(16,898 posts)

3. It looks like the capitalized version of *or*, enclosed in quote marks (double or single) is the problem.

Reply to EarlG (Reply #1)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:29 PM

Sep 23

I tried including that term in this post and got the same error.

A weird aspect is that my GD post let me use *Or* (in double quotes), but not *OR*(in double quotes). When experimenting with *OR*, or *Or*, (between double quotes, not asterisks) in this post, I get the 403 error for both versions.

EarlG

(23,206 posts)

5. Interesting, thanks

Reply to sl8 (Reply #3)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:34 PM

Sep 23

I just tested it and got the same result you did. I know that we have some security measures in place to prevent certain text strings from being submitted to the database because they could potentially be used in an attack. Personally I don't know enough about it to know what is forbidden and what isn't, but I guess you found one that is disallowed... hopefully you can just work around it.

sl8

(16,898 posts)

7. No problem. Thanks for the response. nt

Reply to EarlG (Reply #5)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:35 PM

Sep 23

ificandream

(11,430 posts)

4. I'm having the same problem in GD. Will try to post a little at a time as well.

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:33 PM

Sep 23

sl8

(16,898 posts)

6. Did you see my follow-up about the word in double quotes? Good luck. nt

Reply to ificandream (Reply #4)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:34 PM

Sep 23

ificandream

(11,430 posts)

8. Yes. And I fixed it and posted it, but that wasn't the problem.

Reply to sl8 (Reply #6)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:43 PM

Sep 23

It was a forward slash on a link and another link that was wrong. (I got the whole text from someone else.)

But anyway, it's up now.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220668381

sl8

(16,898 posts)

9. Well done. nt

Reply to ificandream (Reply #8)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 01:46 PM

Sep 23

usonian

(21,242 posts)

10. Let me tell you the story of a man named NULL

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 02:09 PM

Sep 23

I'd finish the song I started on the title line, but I have bigger fish to fry today.

https://www.wired.com/2015/11/null/
Hello, I'm Mr. Null. My Name Makes Me Invisible to Computers

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160325-the-names-that-break-computer-systems
These unlucky people have names that break computers

sl8

(16,898 posts)

11. That's great, thanks for the links.

Reply to usonian (Reply #10)

Tue Sep 23, 2025, 02:19 PM

Sep 23

I knew where we were going with the name "Null", but never would have thought that "McKenzie" would present a problem.

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