Posting this from Serpent, with a lot of difficulty.

I want to say that the site actually seems to look good using the latest MyPal68 build 78.0.3 (which has more up-to-date engines), but I can't login because the dreaded Cloudflare is getting me stuck in an infinite "Verify you're human" loop.

@xper

i understand this is necessary to keep the site up in 2026; but would it be possible for you to include some polyfills that makes this site usable for older(?) browsers if they get made? (as additional scripts/styles)

6 minutes ago, hexagonwin said:

@xper

i understand this is necessary to keep the site up in 2026; but would it be possible for you to include some polyfills that makes this site usable for older(?) browsers if they get made? (as additional scripts/styles)

We are running Invision Community and Cloudflare, the polyfills are already automatically bundled into software core.

1. Inside Invision Community Forum Files

Modern forum suites use heavy frontend JavaScript frameworks. To make sure forum loads properly for users on older mobile phones, older iPads, or older desktop browsers, IPS automatically includes files like polyfills.js or uses services like polyfill.io.

2. The Cloudflare Challenge Page / WAF

Cloudflare's browser integrity verification system uses polyfills to run complex cryptographic security challenges silently inside a user's browser. If a user blocks JavaScript or has a browser that fails to execute these polyfill scripts correctly, Cloudflare will get stuck and repeatedly serve them a Managed Challenge / Verification page instead of letting them onto your site.

I will try my best.

---

16 hours ago, Tomcat76 said:

Posting this from Serpent, with a lot of difficulty.

I want to say that the site actually seems to look good using the latest MyPal68 build 78.0.3 (which has more up-to-date engines), but I can't login because the dreaded Cloudflare is getting me stuck in an infinite "Verify you're human" loop.

Try this SSUAO in Mypal 78.0.3 for solving manual CF challenges only:

On 7/28/2026 at 4:56 PM, AstroSkipper said:

  On 7/25/2026 at 10:57 PM, AstroSkipper said:

@GH0st So, here is a workaround. Create a SSUAO for cloudflare.com, i.e. general.useragent.override.cloudflare.com with the following user agent:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/68.0

Test it and report here!  And if that doesn’t help, try disabling uBO completely, i.e. the extension in the Add-ons Manager, if you’re using it.  An uBO set too aggressively made it impossible for me to complete the CF challenges. 

You can select the version of the SSUAO up to 78 at the moment. That might change in the next releases. We will see. The current discussion can be read here: Mypal 78.0.3 - Cloudflare challenge loops and their solution 

And here is my userscript MSFN Navigation Menu Popover Fix.user.js for polyfilling the broken menu positions:

// ==UserScript==
// @name         MSFN Navigation Menu Popover Fix
// @namespace    https://msfn.org/board/profile/311648-astroskipper/
// @version      1.0
// @description  Fixes the navigation dropdown positioning on older browsers without native :popover-open support
// @author       AstroSkipper
// @match        https://msfn.org/*
// @icon         https://msfn.org/board/favicon.ico
// @grant        GM_addStyle
// @run-at       document-start
// ==/UserScript==

(function() {
    'use strict';

    // 1. Inject a CSS fallback (simulates the @supports duplication)
    // If the browser does not recognise :popover-open, this CSS rule takes effect.
    // We use the [popover] attribute if the forum sets it, or we control it via the script.
    const fallbackCSS = `
        i-navigation-menu:defined .ipsNavBar > li > .ipsNav__dropdown {
            position: fixed !important;
            left: 0 !important;
            top: var(--_anchor-v-fixed, var(--_anchor-v)) !important;
        }
    `;

    // Check whether the browser does NOT support :popover-open
    if (!CSS.supports('selector(:popover-open)')) {
        if (typeof GM_addStyle !== 'undefined') {
            GM_addStyle(fallbackCSS);
        } else {
            const style = document.createElement('style');
            style.textContent = fallbackCSS;
            document.head.appendChild(style);
        }
    } else {
        // If the browser supports the modern popover, we’ll stop here
        return;
    }

    // 2. DOM monitoring for the "Open" event (setting --_anchor-v-fixed)
    // As the page resets the variable when it closes, we need to set it when it opens.
    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
        
        // We monitor clicks on the menu triggers
        document.body.addEventListener('click', (event) => {
            const trigger = event.target.closest('[data-ipsmenu]');
            if (!trigger) return;

            // Find the relevant drop-down menu
            const dropdownId = trigger.getAttribute('id') + '_menu';
            const dropdown = document.getElementById(dropdownId) || event.target.closest('li')?.querySelector('.ipsNav__dropdown');

            if (dropdown) {
                // Determine the current scroll position and the vertical position of the trigger
                const rect = trigger.getBoundingClientRect();
                const anchorV = rect.bottom + window.scrollY; 
                
                // Set the CSS variable required by the fix on the drop-down menu so that `position: fixed` remains scroll-correct
                dropdown.style.setProperty('--_anchor-v-fixed', `${rect.bottom}px`);
                dropdown.style.setProperty('--_anchor-v', `${anchorV}px`);
            }
        });
    });
})();

Edited Saturday at 08:10 PM4 days by AstroSkipper

4 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

Try this SSUAO in Mypal 78.0.3 for solving manual CF challenges only:

And here is my userscript MSFN Navigation Menu Popover Fix.user.js for polyfilling the broken menu positions:

// ==UserScript==// @name         MSFN Navigation Menu Popover Fix// @namespace    https://msfn.org/board/profile/311648-astroskipper/// @version      1.0// @description  Fixes the navigation dropdown positioning on older browsers without native :popover-open support// @author       AstroSkipper// @match        https://msfn.org/*// @icon         https://msfn.org/board/favicon.ico// @grant        GM_addStyle// @run-at       document-start// ==/UserScript==

(function() {
    'use strict';

    // 1. Inject a CSS fallback (simulates the @supports duplication)
    // If the browser does not recognise :popover-open, this CSS rule takes effect.
    // We use the [popover] attribute if the forum sets it, or we control it via the script.
    const fallbackCSS = `
        i-navigation-menu:defined .ipsNavBar > li > .ipsNav__dropdown {
            position: fixed !important;
            left: 0 !important;
            top: var(--_anchor-v-fixed, var(--_anchor-v)) !important;
        }
    `;

    // Check whether the browser does NOT support :popover-open
    if (!CSS.supports('selector(:popover-open)')) {
        if (typeof GM_addStyle !== 'undefined') {
            GM_addStyle(fallbackCSS);
        } else {
            const style = document.createElement('style');
            style.textContent = fallbackCSS;
            document.head.appendChild(style);
        }
    } else {
        // If the browser supports the modern popover, we’ll stop here
        return;
    }

    // 2. DOM monitoring for the "Open" event (setting --_anchor-v-fixed)
    // As the page resets the variable when it closes, we need to set it when it opens.
    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
        
        // We monitor clicks on the menu triggers
        document.body.addEventListener('click', (event) => {
            const trigger = event.target.closest('[data-ipsmenu]');
            if (!trigger) return;

            // Find the relevant drop-down menu
            const dropdownId = trigger.getAttribute('id') + '_menu';
            const dropdown = document.getElementById(dropdownId) || event.target.closest('li')?.querySelector('.ipsNav__dropdown');

            if (dropdown) {
                // Determine the current scroll position and the vertical position of the trigger
                const rect = trigger.getBoundingClientRect();
                const anchorV = rect.bottom + window.scrollY; 
                
                // Set the CSS variable required by the fix on the drop-down menu so that `position: fixed` remains scroll-correct
                dropdown.style.setProperty('--_anchor-v-fixed', `${rect.bottom}px`);
                dropdown.style.setProperty('--_anchor-v', `${anchorV}px`);
            }
        });
    });
})();

Thanks for that. I'm posting from MyPal 78.0.3 now. 👍

I actually tried the useragent override before, including another one that covers challenges.cloudflare.com, but I had them set to
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/115.0

I set them to Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; rv:78.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/78.0 now and it works.

BTW... For some reason, I was unable to select the code text in your message in both Serpent and MyPal so it was a bit challenging to get this going. After releasing the mouse button, the page would scroll to the bottom and the text got unselected. Now, the text doesn't get unselected but the scrolling still happens most of the time. I seem to remember having come across this issue before and may have mentioned it a few years ago.

Oh, wow. When I got the email, I figured there would likely be an "extreme makeover," but this is ridiculous. Almost everything is now black on white, which I don't like but can live with. But many clickable buttons are now dark blue on black and nearly unreadable. (I found I can highlight the text to make them readable though.) The main topic pages have ballooned in size, with each topic often taking a full page now.

The new site is ugly as hell, but at least it works. Well, for the most part.

I've been using @roytam1 's Serpent 55 (and an older version dated 5/15). Clicking the "*" to go to the first unread post brings up Cloudflare's challenge, which St 55 cannot pass. I just have to go to the last page and try to figure out which post I read last.

Trying to click the arrow in a quoted post to go to the original post is blocked too.

Edited Sunday at 04:52 AM4 days by Mathwiz
Added another function blocked by Cloudflare

I'm lucky; I'm on Win 7 so I have access to newer browser versions. Site looks much better in R3dfox 142. But I can't sign in! As soon as I try I get stuck in a Cloudflare "verify you are human" loop. I tried the SSUAO @AstroSkipper gave above but had no luck, even with uBO completely disabled.

At least with St 55 I can sign in and post.

I don't totally blame MSFN for that. Cloudflare has been making life miserable for users of browsers over 2 months old for months now.

Edited Sunday at 04:55 AM4 days by Mathwiz
Reported disappointing results with Cloudflare SSUAO

2 hours ago, Mathwiz said:

Cloudflare has been making life miserable for users of browsers over 2 months old for months now.

That "was" my experience as well.

BUT... recently, Cloudflare has been passing on Chromium/Chrome v144 (SEVEN months old - pre-dates browser AI Infestation!).

Even for my city utilities billpay.

Knocking on wood, not to jinx it.

6 hours ago, Mathwiz said:

I'm lucky; I'm on Win 7 so I have access to newer browser versions. Site looks much better in R3dfox 142. But I can't sign in! As soon as I try I get stuck in a Cloudflare "verify you are human" loop. I tried the SSUAO @AstroSkipper gave above but had no luck, even with uBO completely disabled.

The SSUAO posted above works fine with Mypal 78.0.3 when trying to solve manual Cauldron Filthcare challenges only but not the automatic ones. New Moon 28 and Serpent 52/55 actuallly don't need that SSUAO since they are whitelisted to solve these challenges. Luckily, I'm using Firefox Nightly 114.0.3 on Windows XP as of recently which has no problems with MSFN or GitHub, and Cauldron Filthcare. No special SSUAO necessary. All works natively. However, none of this changes the fact that MSFN goes offline at regular intervals, displaying the ‘Bad gateway 502’ error message.

Edited Sunday at 01:31 PM4 days by AstroSkipper

However, none of this changes the fact that MSFN goes offline at regular intervals, displaying the ‘Bad gateway 502’ error message.

I know about that problem. It happens when there is suddenly a large number of bots on the forum and the database is under heavy pressure. The CPU spikes to 100% and crashes the site. I'm working on it.

13 minutes ago, xper said:

I know about that problem. It happens when there is suddenly a large number of bots on the forum and the database is under heavy pressure. The CPU spikes to 100% and crashes the site. I'm working on it.

I think it is very important to address the many, many accounts unused or never visited that have been set up automatically over the last few years and continue to be set up today, which are being or can be used for bot attacks. It must be many hundreds or even more. https://msfn.org/board/search/?&type=core_members&joinedDate=any&group[3]=1&group[25]=1&sortby=joined&sortdirection=desc I have reported on this on several occasions.

Edited Sunday at 02:35 PM4 days by AstroSkipper

I know you are. But it's not that simple. I could end up deleting the wrong members.

Anyway, pruning inactive members on the way.

39 minutes ago, xper said:

I know you are. But it's not that simple. I could end up deleting the wrong members.

Anyway, pruning inactive members on the way.

Very good decision and action. 👍 As far as I can see, it must have been round about two and a half thousand in total for now: ≈ 68300 - 65800 = 2500 🕵

Edited Sunday at 03:59 PM4 days by AstroSkipper

12 hours ago, Mathwiz said:

But I can't sign in! As soon as I try I get stuck in a Cloudflare "verify you are human" loop.

https://github.com/Eclipse-Community/r3dfox/issues/251

Sometimes it helps to first clear ALL msfn.org and cloudflare cookies (especially the cf_clearance one, if old), clear cache and restart browser; others have also suggested relaxing native browser seurity/privacy settings, as well as disabling uBO (which you said you did) ...

Edited Sunday at 04:26 PM4 days by VistaLover

On 8/28/2026 at 4:23 PM, anton12 said:

xper said:

"I don't have time for arguing. End of discussion. You don't like it? You have other forums. "

Hello xper,

the numbers of posts AstroSkipper quotes speak for themselves.

Your rude answer is reminiscent of a Contract Killer (paid by M$ ??) !

I haven't seen this one before! :-)