blocked from imdb.com?

[leonja]

Hello support. I use x10hosting to host a movie database with my collection. The application is an open source php script called "videodb". I have been running it for over year and half here before encountering this problem. The application automatically searches and extracts information for the movies from imdb.com.

Since about two weeks, I can't retrieve information automatically for new movies from imdb.com. I can enter all the information manually into the database, but that defeats the functionality of the application. The existing data displays ok. No changes have been made to the code of the application. It would seem like the outgoing requests to imdb.com are being blocked. The application just sits waiting for the info and nothing happens.

I have re-uploaded the same code hoping maybe a corrupt file was the problem, with same result. I tried uploading the latest beta version of the application with same result. I can't think of anything else to try. Please help.

Jaime

 

[Anna]

we have made changes to our firewall as a means to combat the abuse we've seen with users uploading proxies and rapidleech type of scripts. This means that outbound access on port 80 is blocked on all free servers which would likely be why your script fails.

We have allowed only a few exceptions to this block, mainly to ensure functionality of version checking/updates to commonly used scripts.

 

[leonja]

Hello Anna,
Thanks for the quick reply. I couldn't find any mention of this change in your firewall being announced. Is there any way you can make an exception in the firewall rules for me? I don't think my use can be considered abusive and the volume of information I retrieve is rather very very small.

I have been very happy with x10hosting so far and I would hate to have to look elsewhere for my hosting.

Thanks again.
Jaime