[conspire] tip for those who use NoScript with their Firefox and also Panera

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Tony Godshall (togo at of.net):

> This workaround prevents getting stuck behind
> an Application Boundary Exception when trying
> to get past the Panera splash page that blocks
> all access until it directs you to the CompleteLogin
> page.  I've used this fix in several Paneras and in
> the last couple stable and beta versions of Firefox,
> presently in 18 beta.
> 
> -- start code --
> Site *.wanderingwifi.com
> Accept POST SUB from SELF *.wanderingwifi.com
> Accept GET
> Deny
> -- end code --
> 
> insert before the LOCAL rule
> 
> in the System ruleset
> 
> Thanks to GµårÐïåñ » Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:20 am and  Giorgio Maone » Wed
> Mar 30, 2011 9:25 pm
> [http://forums.informaction.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6113]


Let me try to fill in some of the missing context:

Short version:  Users of NoScript with its ABE subfeature enabled need
to make a small tweak before they will be able to login to the paid WiFi
at Panera Bread stores.  It's furnished above.


Long version:

There's a really vital, key extension for Firefox called NoScript, whose
main function is to invert Firefox's normal default behaviour of being
willing to run all Javascript elements referenced on a Web page
regardless of what domain they are served from, and instead instituting
a 'default deny' regime where NO Javascript element on a page will ever
be run until you say (via NoScript's context menu) 'Yes, on www.time.com
pages in the future, you should run its own Javascript snippets plus
those of fonts.timeinc.net, img.timeinc.net.  However, continue to
ignore www.time.com's requests that you run snippets from
admin.brightcove.com and page2.googlesyndication.com.'  This is _vital_
because Javascript (especially third-party Javascript invoked from
places other than the site you're visiting) is responsible for a huge
amount of mischief:  data-mining (spying on users, i.e. tracking), 
loading down your pages with advertising, security attacks on your
system, browser bloat and instability.  NoScript also tames the
behaviour of other active content, such as Java and Flash.

One of NoScript's features is the Application Boundaries Enforcer (ABE), 
a set of rules imposed on Web content to prevent one Web site's browser
instructions from intruding on the data and instructions pertaining to a
different Web site.  E.g., it prevents your webmail site's HTML from
snooping into data from your online banking.  NoScript's ABE settings
now include rulesets to control the behaviour of many popular Web sites,
others can be downloaded, and any that you have locally from whatever
source can be user-edited.

Tony's site concerns problems caused by the current ABE rulesets for
Firefox/NoScript users visiting Panera Bread stores and attempting to
use their paid WiFi hotspots, apparently offered through a contractor
named webbeans.com.  ABE's default rulesets prevent redirection of your
initial Web page load to the Webbeans pay-the-man-and-login page,
probably fingering it as a suspicious redirect.

The above instructions explain how to user-edit the relevant (current)
ABE ruleset:  You go to Tools menu, Add-ons, Extensions, NoScript,
Preferences, Advanced Tab, ABE sub-tab, select SYSTEM ruleset (not the 
'USER') one, hit the 'Enable' button if the content window is greyed
out, and add the cited four lines above the line that says 'Site
LOCAL'.  Select 'OK' button when done.

Essentially, the four-line addition permits fetching information from
*.wanderingwifi.com that would otherwise not be permitted in this
Web context.