Garrysmod.org change - Steam profile verification

[JamminR]

http://www.garry.tv/?p=1621

Garry's now made it so that when visiting garrysmod.org, if you wish to download any file, you must place a verification text within your own Steam web profile. In doing so, this requires that your Steam page be made publicly viewable, and you even know how to edit your steam page.

Ok, first of all, I own Garry's mod.
Though I rarely agree with or like the way Garry does things, he definitely had a light bulb 'game' moment when he created Garry's mod Sandbox.
Adding Lua to allow entensibility was another good moment.
(Some would argue the idea wasn't originally Garry's... water under the bridge, he single-handedly continued where a few other mod teams died)

With the years I've been monitoring Garry's mod discussions, projects and development both here and on Facepunch, I am of the firm belief this will end up causing more confusion to end users who legitimately own Garry's mod than it will the pirates he's wanting to prevent.
I just see a slurry of questions, most ignored by Garry, of "How do I do this?"
It seems many Gmod users don't know how to follow directions.
One of our most frequently asked questions "how do I get admin?" is an example of this.

I am not going to use the process. I rarely use Garrysmod.org.
Now that I've said that of course, some great project will arise that can only be obtained from there.
I'll suffer without it.

[Megiddo]

This is just sad. He put the complication factor up about 10 notches, forcing people to have a moronic code in their profile AND to have their profile public, and for what? So he can cut off a very small percentage of people downloading files when they didn't own gmod and who are dumb enough not to see a workaround? I'm suddenly seeing bugmenot.com and similar services very handy.

[MrPresident]

Not that I support the need for him to do this.. however it is temporary to activate.

You need only make your profile public and have the code in there for the brief instant his web script verifies your account. After that you can remove the code and lock your profile again.

It is a complicated procedure, sure... but it is a way for him to verify ownership of the game.

[JamminR]

Yes, it is a one time thing...still, it's one of those procedures/changes/DRM methods that force far more legitimate users to be bothered to have to do something more so than the few pirates it will help prevent.

Though he's using encryption of some sort on the hex code that will vary from player to player depending on Steam name, someone will figure out a crack, just like whatever is being used by the pirated players to not have to use online mode.

I have to admit though, its been fun watching the people respond with "all someone has to do is get one person who paid to post thier tag".
They don't realize it will change for every player.

[dracotonisamond]

there is no need for cracking anything as complicated as that... he is trying to hide a public url guys...  there are many ways of retrieving urls from hosts.  case and point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9dZ9yANhCI
i own gmod, i am not a pirate.  i do not condone piracy.  i just like playing arround with stuff like this.  fun fun fun
took me arround 5 minutes to figure out how to derive a url out of public info all at hand
http://steamcommunity.com/id/SPiRALFACToR

[JamminR]

dracotonismond, I figured from looking at the source (of a non-logged in page) that it would be that easy.
One challenge though... how do you know the file name if it's not plastered at the title like gm_bigcity.zip ... What about, just as an example, "Combine Sniper"
Trying the following doesn't work.

Code: [Select]

http://s3.garrysmod.org/files/73224/Combine_Sniper.zip
http://s3.garrysmod.org/files/73224/Combine%20Sniper.zip

Also, something that might be much easier ( IF he uses the same methods within his actual scripting ) to not have to worry about the file name deciphering.
]www.garrysmod.org/downloads/?a=view&id=73224[
See where a=view ?
Would it be as simple as seeing if Garry uses an action word for download? (get, dl) etc

[dracotonisamond]

it can be done with any download.  due to when someone uploads a file, the filename is the original name of the download.  so the disqus header is always the filename. 

and yeah, if i had any incentive i would look a bit further.  but i don't see any worth in it.  it was really just to have a bit of fun.

[Megiddo]

Just wait till someone makes a greasemonkey script for this...