Merge branch 'ps/mv-contradiction-fix': Protecting Against AI Scrapers

As you're reading this, you're likely seeing this page because the administrator of our website has set up Anubis, a system designed to safeguard against the scourge of AI companies aggressively scraping websites. While this may seem like a frustrating inconvenience, it's a necessary measure to protect our server from being overwhelmed by malicious actors.

Anubis uses a Proof-of-Work scheme, similar to Hashcash, which is a proposed proof-of-work scheme aimed at reducing email spam. The idea behind Anubis is that the additional load may seem negligible when used individually, but when applied on a mass scale, it makes scraping much more expensive and less viable for AI companies.

However, there's a darker side to this "solution." Many argue that Anubis serves as a temporary fix, allowing developers to focus on fingerprinting and identifying headless browsers – essentially creating a solution that only works if users are legitimate. This raises questions about the true purpose of Anubis: is it a genuine effort to combat AI scrapers or just a stopgap measure?

One important thing to note is that Anubis requires modern JavaScript features, which plugins like JShelter will disable. To navigate this challenge, you'll need to enable JavaScript on your device. Unfortunately, there's no "no-JS" solution in place yet.

It's worth mentioning that the social contract around website hosting has changed significantly due to AI companies' aggressive scraping practices. The shift towards requiring JavaScript as a security measure highlights how far websites have strayed from their original purpose – providing content and services to users, rather than serving as tools for malicious actors.

In conclusion, Anubis may seem like an inconvenient hurdle, but it's a necessary step in the ongoing fight against AI scrapers. While there are questions surrounding its true purpose, one thing is clear: the need for innovative solutions like Anubis will only continue to grow as the threat of AI-driven scraping evolves.