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Discussion on: Pitch me on PHP

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n8chz profile image
Lorraine Lee

Yeah, but how do we know? The letters "php" in the URL?

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wiseai profile image
Mahmoud Harmouch

Yup! That's one way to find out the language being used. Additionally, If the website is open-source like Forem, then you go to the place where the code is being hosted and find out what you are looking for. Besides, the following is a list of websites that you can use to gather information about a particular domain name, like, for example, dev.to:

In cybersecurity, gathering such info is known as reconnaissance or recon for short. I am not a lawyer myself, but I think recon is legal since you are just sniffing what is being cooked unless you take illegal actions based on collected information, such as exploitation. However, it is just a matter of opinion; the correct answer thought is to consult a lawyer to look up the laws that are tied to a specific region and vary from one place to another.