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What is minimal set of browser features required to ask a question on security.stackexchange.com without a user account?

Specifically, I use Pale Moon portable as an ephemeral browser (it has no persistant data). I was attempting to post a question on security.stackexchange.com without logging into my user account, but I was unsuccessful.

Instead I received "Oh tin of pink meat / I ponder what you may be / Snout or ear or feet?" at https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/ask/submit Am I SPAM?

Some browser settings:

Tools->Options->General->Manage Add-ons...
NoScript

Tools->Options->Content->
enabled 'Block pop-up windows' no exceptions
disabled 'Load images automatically' no exceptions
enabled 'Enable JavaScript' 

Tools->Options->Applications
"Podcast" 'Preview in Palemoon'
"Video Podcast" 'Preview in Palemoon'
"Web Feed"'Preview in Palemoon'
all remaining are 'Always ask'

Tools->Options->Privacy
Pale Moon will: "Never remember history"

Tools->Options->Security
enabled "Warn me when sites try to install add-ons" no exceptions

Passwords
disabled "Remember a password for sites"
disabled "Use a master password"

Tools->Options->Advanced->General
enabled "Warn me when web sites try to redirect or reload the page"

Tools->Options->Advanced->Network
Offline Storage
"Use up to 0 MB of space for the cache" 
enabled "Tell me when a website asks to store data for offline use" no exceptions
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    I have no idea for an answer, but I want a screenshot of that spam screen! – AviD♦ Jul 26 '11 at 18:19
  • @AviD ask and ye shall receive – this.josh Jul 26 '11 at 20:12
  • aww... was hoping for some cool pic :( – AviD♦ Jul 26 '11 at 20:25
  • Still kinda cool though... – AviD♦ Jul 26 '11 at 20:26
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FYI, JavaScript being disabled will hurt you a lot. This is one of our primary "you are a bot" tests.

Also I STRONGLY suggest you log in, as the tests are far stricter for anonymous and unregistered users, too.

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    Thanks for your reply. This question does not describe my normal usage for stackexchange sites. I have several browers configured differently. My ephemeral browser on Windows is as described in the question. I was using it on stack exchange to see what the minimum set of required browser features is. For security profesionals who are interested in a high degree of anonymity, I would like to be able to describe a minimal browser configuration. Asking questions anonymously seems a lower bar than answering questions anonymously, so I started there. – this.josh Aug 7 '11 at 21:52
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    I actually frequently browse web pages without JavaScript, Java, flash, cookies, automatic redirrection, images, cache, etc. Often I find the information I am looking for faster. Sometimes a website is unusable without all those features. My typical reaction is usually to go somewhere else, although on occasion I will enable the required features to see if the information is there. – this.josh Aug 7 '11 at 21:59
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    Requiring Javascript is unfortunate, particularly on a security site, given how many security practitioners use NoScript. (It is one thing to say "We encourage you to enable Javascript to get a better user experience"; it is another to say "You can't post questions to our site if Javascript is disabled".) If requiring Javascript is necessary to avoid spam, then that's just the way the cookie crumbles -- but it is still unfortunate. ... Recommending that users log in seems like good advice. If logging in removed the need for Javascript, that seems like it would be a great way to resolve it. – D.W. Aug 11 '11 at 2:57
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    What sites do we need to be allowing JavaScript from, for minimal (i.e.: login, post Q&A/comments, vote, chat, flag) functionality? Currently on this site, my NoScript has whitelisted stackexchange.com, googleapis.com, and sstatic.net. Are any of these superfluous? – Iszi Oct 6 '11 at 17:13
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    @iszi I would add stackauth.com to that as well – Jeff Atwood Oct 6 '11 at 21:43

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