Being blocked from certain sites after using VPN (?)

[hbuchtel]

Has anybody else experienced this?

I started using a VPN service about a week ago, and since then have been unable to access a Chinese dictionary website that I used to use a lot. When I try to do a search I get the following message:

对不起，来自10.1.0.（XXX）的用户可能存在恶意抓取本站数据的行为。为保障其他用户正常使用，该IP暂时被禁止访问。

如有疑义，请通过意见反馈与我们联系。

The website is http://dict.cnki.net/

I can load the website with no trouble, but get the above error message (basically saying my IP address has been blocked because of the possibility that I was "maliciously seizing the site's database"). I get the error message whether or not I'm connected to the VPN. (The XXX in the message is from me) I'm using a mac, so it is unlikely my computer is infected with malware

So am I just making up the VPN--blocked IP address connection? Has anybody else experienced this?

[roddy]

Quite possible - for the webmaster, it may not be obvious that he's got 500 users coming from one VPN IP address, it could well look like one user taking up a massive number of page views - and that usually means someone is robbing your content or doing something nefarious (or at best unnecessary). I ban IP addresses for this reason, although I'll generally check to see who or what they are first.

If it's happening when you've disconnected the VPN I'd guess they're setting a cookie - maybe try clearing cookies for that particular site, or using a different browser.

[hbuchtel]

Thanks for the reply. It gets a little more complicated, as it seems that site is suddenly under construction...can anybody get to it?

I think this might be related to the problem I'm having - I got an error message (I'm using Chrome on a Mac) just a bit ago that said:

Adobe Flash Player has stopped a potentially unsafe operation. The following local application on your computer or network:

[object]

is trying to communicate with this Internet-enabled location:

static.ak.fbcdn.net

To let this application communicate with the Internet, click Settings. You must restart this application after changing your settings.

Can anybody with better computer skills than I tell what is going on?

[gato]

Steve Jobs did say that Adobe Flash is not the best piece of software on the Mac. The site's loading fine for me in Firefox on Windows.

[hbuchtel]

The site's loading fine for me in Firefox on Windows.

Thanks - it turns out that it does not open when I use Safari (!?!?!), but does open with Chrome. However, even with Chrome, no variation of clearing/not clearing cookies and using/not using the VPN was able to get me past the original "your IP is blocked" message when doing a dictionary search on the site.