Merge branch 'cb/daemon-retry-interrupted-accept': Understanding Anubis' Anti-Spam Measures

As you're reading this, it's likely because the administrator of this website has set up Anubis, a powerful tool designed to protect against the scourge of AI companies aggressively scraping websites. This measure is necessary due to the growing threat posed by these companies, which can cause downtime and make resources inaccessible to everyone.

So, what exactly is Anubis? In simple terms, it's a compromise that uses a Proof-of-Work scheme inspired by Hashcash, a proposed proof-of-work scheme aimed at reducing email spam. The idea behind Anubis is that while the additional load may seem insignificant at an individual scale, it becomes a significant burden when mass scrapers are involved, making scraping much more expensive and less feasible.

But why does this matter? At its core, Anubis serves as a temporary solution to give website administrators more time to work on fingerprinting and identifying headless browsers – essentially, understanding how they operate and identify legitimate users. This is crucial because AI-powered scrapers often use sophisticated techniques that make them nearly indistinguishable from real users.

However, Anubis comes with a caveat: it requires the use of modern JavaScript features that certain plugins, like JShelter, may disable. If you're using such plugins on this domain, please consider disabling them or updating to a version that supports modern JavaScript features. This is essential because AI companies have altered the social contract around website hosting, making a no-JS solution a work-in-progress.

It's worth noting that Anubis requires users to enable JavaScript in order to bypass the challenge proof of work page. This may seem counterintuitive, given that AI-powered scrapers often rely on JavaScript. However, this measure is necessary to maintain the integrity of the website and prevent legitimate users from being unfairly blocked.

In summary, Anubis is a vital tool in the fight against website scraping, providing a temporary solution while website administrators work on more permanent solutions. While it may seem like an inconvenience for some users, its purpose is to protect websites from those who would seek to exploit them. By understanding and embracing this technology, we can help create a safer online environment for everyone.