~~Title: Note about Hotot+ ~~
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metatag-description=(Notes and info about Hotot+ project)
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===== July 4, 2017 =====
Today [[wp>Twitter]] has suspended again the API key used by [[Hotot+]].
Please read below for info about how to solve the issue for now.

===== June 13, 2017 =====
Today [[wp>Twitter]] has reactivated the API key used by [[Hotot+]].

===== June 5, 2017 =====
Today [[wp>Twitter]] has suspended again the API key used by [[Hotot+]].
Please read below for info about how to solve the issue for now.

===== May 20, 2017 =====
Today [[wp>Twitter]] has reactivated the API key used by [[Hotot+]].

===== May 8, 2017 =====
Today [[wp>Twitter]] has suspended again the API key used by [[Hotot+]].
Please read below for info about how to solve the issue for now.

===== April 19, 2017 =====
Today [[wp>Twitter]] has reactivated the API key used by [[Hotot+]].

===== April 18, 2017 =====
A couple of days ago [[wp>Twitter]] has suspended (again) the write permissions for the API key used by [[Hotot+]].

{{ :hotot:note:88ad0514-a6f4-47e4-8ef5-8150e63bf07e-2017-04-16-11_36-06.png?direct |}}

This already happened in the past and so far they always told me that it was their anti [[wp>Spamming|Spam]] detection system that "by mistake" identified [[Hotot+]] as [[wp>Spamming|Spam]] maker.\\ 
But, after I contacted them for the umpteenth time, they replied that it's not a mistake this time, [[Hotot+]] is indeed guilty of mentions [[wp>Spamming|Spam]]:

{{ :hotot:note:88ad0514-a6f4-47e4-8ef5-8150e63bf07e-2017-04-17-23_14-18.png?direct |}}

Since [[Hotot+]] has no automatic function that could let users to do automated [[wp>Spamming|Spam]] mentions, this essentially means that there are only two possibilities:
  - Some users use [[Hotot+]] to do mentions [[wp>Spamming|Spam]] (but I think it's implausible, as having to do it "manually" would take too much effort and time for any normal user).
  - Someone uses the API key of [[Hotot+]] in any other tool/app to do mentions [[wp>Spamming|Spam]], so that for [[wp>Twitter]] [[Hotot+]] appears to do this even if it is not actually so.

Now, the first case is easily fixable by me (I already planned to insert a check that limits the number of mentions feasible in a certain period of time) but the second case is unfortunately unsolvable by me: the API key must be inserted into the program code (of course) and then anyone with a little knowledge of [[wp>JavaScript]] can find it and extrapolate it trivially. The problem is that even if I uses functions to encrypt it, however these functions will always be visible in the source code (it's [[wp>JavaScript]] after all) and so there is no way to totally obscure them and keep them safe.

In addition to this in the next version I plan also to insert a check on the actual validity of the API key, so that when and if [[wp>Twitter]] will block it again in the future, the user will be alerted with a warning screen and redirected to this page with further details.

===== Bypassing the API Key block =====
Usually [[wp>Twitter]] replies to email communications in 2-3 days, so it may take a long time for [[Hotot+]] to return to work.\\ 
In the meantime, if you want you can use your own API key instead of the default one, so you can get it to work right away.\\ 
To change the API key used by [[Hotot+]] you need to go in the **Preferences**, click on the **Advanced Settings** item and enable the **Use a custom source app** option:

{{:hotot:note:en1_1_.png?direct&0x300|}} {{:hotot:note:en1_2_.png?direct&0x300|}} {{:hotot:note:en1_3_.png?direct&0x300|}}

Then enter Consumer Key and Secret values in the fields below it, close the window, restart [[Hotot+]] and you're done.

But how to get a valid //Consumer Key// and //Consumer Secret//? It's very simple. Create a new application from this official [[wp>Twitter]] page https://apps.twitter.com/app/new and then you will find the two values you need into the tab **Keys and Access Tokens**:

{{ :hotot:note:88ad0514-a6f4-47e4-8ef5-8150e63bf07e-2017-04-18-12_26-07.png?direct&0x300 |}}

Alternatively, on the web you will surely find the API keys of the most popular/official [[wp>Twitter]] apps (for example here: https://gist.github.com/shobotch/5160017 ). But take heed, using them will cause other users see you're posting from those specific apps and not from [[Hotot+]], so it's not really correct/legal and I do not take any responsibility for what you will do.