**Protecting Against Unscrupulous Scrapers: The Anubis Challenge**

As a journalist, I've come across numerous instances where websites are being unfairly targeted by aggressive scrapers. These companies use automated scripts to extract valuable data from unsuspecting sites, often without permission or compensation. In response to this scourge, the administrators of various websites have implemented Anubis – a system designed to protect their servers against such malicious activity.

**What is Anubis?**

Anubis is a Proof-of-Work scheme that aims to deter mass scrapers from targeting websites. At individual scales, the additional load may seem insignificant, but it can become overwhelming when applied at scale. By making scraping more expensive and time-consuming, Anubis seeks to discourage malicious actors from engaging in such activities.

**How Does Anubis Work?**

The system utilizes a similar concept to Hashcash, a proposed proof-of-work scheme for reducing email spam. When an AI company attempts to scrape a website protected by Anubis, the administrator is presented with a challenge page that requires a specific amount of computational power to solve. This "work" serves as proof that the request is legitimate and not part of a malicious scraper campaign.

**The Catch**

However, there's a catch. Anubis relies on modern JavaScript features, which plugins like JShelter may disable. To bypass this challenge, users must enable JavaScript – a requirement that some websites are still working to accommodate without compromising their security. Unfortunately, the social contract around website hosting has shifted in recent years, with AI companies pushing for a no-JS solution that's still a work-in-progress.

**The Consequences**

While Anubis is intended as a temporary measure, its implementation can cause downtime and make resources inaccessible to everyone. The added load from these Proof-of-Work schemes may be negligible at individual scales, but it can become prohibitive when applied en masse. It's essential for administrators to weigh the benefits of Anubis against the potential drawbacks, ensuring that their systems remain secure without hindering legitimate users.

**The Future of Website Security**

As AI companies continue to push the boundaries of what's possible with web scraping, website administrators must adapt to stay ahead. While Anubis may not be a long-term solution, it serves as a vital step in the process of identifying and mitigating these threats. By understanding the mechanics behind systems like Anubis, we can work towards creating a more secure online landscape for everyone.