IP Adresses showing on posts ALL READ

[Mike Turber]

The issues has been brought up a couple of times about IP addresses showing up in posts. One person states the there may be a security issue. Well that is not an issue at all as we track IP addresses now with other software not related to UBB. Also someone would need your password to do anything anyway.

The main reason for the IP showing is this.

The placing of the IP is a deterent to some hit and run idiot who thinks that he can come in and rattle the cages without being tracked. Sure we can track them now but showing the IP reduces the risk and most flamers think that tracking the IP is a huge problem and takes a long time and it might not be worth persueing. By showing the IP they figure out that no tracking is necessary and therefor no more fun for them.

Now I know about Dynamic IP's and the like and no software is perfect but remember this is a deterent.

Now for the diplomatic side of me

If there are enough members who do not wish there IP to be shown we can turn that feature off but remember, your IP shows up on everything you do on the web. You do not realize it because it is not shown there for all to see but it does happen, just behind the scenes.

My thoughts on the matter are that the pros out way the cons and I would like to see them stay. But it is in effect your site and you all call the shots here so let me know your feelings on this in this thread and not emails. It is a feature that Spark and I can simply turn off should it become necessary.

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Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
www.wowinc.com

 

[DC]

Mike..I have no problem with IP#.
As an Internet veteran, who used to do my share of hacking and nuking until I grew up

, people should be aware that IP# only denotes one's server, not your personal info.

If for example, Mike's hypothetical idiot blew thru...that person's ISP can be determined in most cases and that whole ISP can be banned from Mike's side or a complaint registered with the particular ISP...from then on it is in their hand's, not Bladeforums.
There is a ton of free software availble that can track ISP's. This is no real security breach.

 

[Jim March]

I'm with Mike on this one. Although I think I'm dynamic...? Heh. I'll find out in a sec...

Jim March

 

[Jim March]

I disconnected and went back in, lesse what happens...

JM

 

[Axel Yup]

Uh oh, my IP is showing! Not a problem.

Axel

 

[Jim March]

Ya, same #.

For grins, I put DC's IP through TRACERT and found her ISP...that gave me what state she's probably in. By using the UBB search engine it might be possible to see what other posts she might have done under a different alias. In some cases it can track hackers, sometimes with the cooperation of the ISP in question.

JM

 

[DC]

Jim ya twit!! You all ready know what state I'm in

You'll also see that I have posted under 4 diff IP#.

NeoTrace is a great program, also shows the routers.

 

[Walt Welch]

I can tell you EXACTLY what state DC is in: hungover. She posted that she was going to drink tequila last night because of the impeachment vote.

Walt

 

[bald1]

Mike...no problem from my court with the IP addresses.

Dona, bet ya didn't eat the worm!

Walt, er excuse me... Whacko Uncle Walt, you never fail to amaze <hehehehe>

!



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-=[Bob]=-

I did NOT escape from the institution! They gave me a day pass!

 

[Jim March]

Isn't it supposed to be "wacko"?

DC: I was just showing an example of what you could do with it

.

JM

 

[DC]

Bob
I always eat the worm. As a matter of fact, how come ya still only get one worm, regardless of bottle size? Why doesn't Congress do something about that?

 

[Yekim]

I just don't understand why we need a deterrant for something that is not a problem in the first place. I don't like it. That's just me. If thereWAS a problem with flamers/hackers/whatthehellever, I could see it institutionalized, but not now.


YeK

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"No, it's a Vaquero Grande in my pocket, but I am happy to see you!"
yekimak@hotmail.com
MegaFolderians Unite!!

 

[bald1]

DC,

and here I thought you were worldly

. There is only one worm because it's so much fun for a guy and gal to split it mouth to mouth after doing a bottle together. I thought they did stuff like that in Kalifornia?

-=[Bob]=-

 

[Jim March]

Yekim? Got two words for ya:

Josh Burbank.

'nuff said.

Jim March

 

[Spark]

Let's all let the Josh Burbank thing die down now. I'd like to think that he has indeed made a clean break from the past and is "flying right" these days.

Yekim, in the past it was found out that certain people had a tendency to post flames under one name, then come back under another and say the complete opposite. There were also more than a few "identity thefts" where one person would pose as another and start flamewars. IP addresses helped end that behavior, though there are way's around them... Either way it's just a visual deterrent, and if it stops something before it starts, then it's worth the slight inconvenience.

Spark

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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here

[This message has been edited by Spark (edited 13 February 1999).]

 

[KenN]

Yekim,

Think about if we forum members, ALL of us were to do this forum thing in person in a huge hall or a physical forum. Everyone knows that everybody else is armed with at least one, two, three or more

knives and some with firearms, I don't think we'd be too quick to start messing with each other. Yes, most everyone here is levelheaded and courteous enough without 'tools', but they definitely are an excellent 'coolant' for potential one-shot flamers.
I'm not very familiar with network/internet/hardware in general, so I personally don't know for certain how my security is compromised. I do know that I don't have anything to hide(so far

). Let's just see how things work out for a bit.

Thanks,
Ken

 

[dbruns]

Actually, if someone here has a dedicated line, the IP address listed underneath would be for their specific machine, not their servers...and consequently, someone could try and hack their machines (and suffer the consequences, I would hope) or do some sort of attack on that one machine.

I'd be much happier if only the admins and moderators would see this, instead of everybody out there.

 

[Yekim]

What dbruns said.....


Yek

P.S.

It would be just as effective to post a little not in the reply screen that said "your IP# is bla.hbl.ahb.lah and has been logged to prevent abuse of this service.." It is the same kind of little note you see when you use some secure servers or ftp's.

[This message has been edited by Yekim (edited 14 February 1999).]

 

[mtaber]

I don't think that the IP issue should bother most folks, If someone is using a dedicated line their security should handle any hack attempts, if not UPGRADE SECURITY FIREWALL! The software is out there to snoop and people could pickup packets by snooping the forum and back track anyways. This just openly shows people that they DO leave tracks.

Marvin

 

[Bob Irons]

Mike, thanks for bringing this up. Your diplomatic side is really showing here.

What dbruns says is true.

I believe the best solution would be similar to what Yekim said about showing the IP# in the reply screen we all see when we post. This would let any trouble makers know you are aware of where they post from. At the same time, this would prevent lurkers from seeing your IP#.

Mike, having said that, I'll go along with whatever you and Spark decide to do. It's your forum and as I said in email to Spark, I believe you've got the best-of-breed here on Bladeforums.