...and, now it’s back!  This seriously impairs use of the forum for those affected.  Besides other concerns, having Javascript enabled (and running Cloudflare’s scripts) also increases memory usage to the degree that I can’t open many tabs as I am accustomed to doing.  At least in the break, I managed to do most of the searching necessary to nail a copypaste spammer (will post results later).

The obvious inference is that Cloudflare’s incompetent system can’t handle a heavy DDoS, so they ratchet up this Javascript garbage whenever the site gets hit.  To add insult to injury, they have failed to keep the site consistently available during DDoS attacks in the past few months.


For the “please wait” message, please see Meretrix’s screenshots a few posts above yours.  Do those look familiar?

It’s more than “just a few seconds of waiting”.  What the hell is that script actually doing, when it says “checking your browser”?  I don’t know.  I do know that even against Tor Browser, there exist fingerprint attacks which could be used for deanonymization—and I don’t trust Cloudflare.

One of the great things about the Bitcoin Forum is that it’s run by a clueful admin who cares about privacy and security.  I understand the untenable position in which theymos has been placed by the large-scale attacks of Internet arsonists; but in the long term, Cloudflare can ruin the site in the manner of a cure worse than the disease.