[lkw]

Just for my curosity, in many forums, all posts are followed by
the link

IP: logged

Where "logged" is a link, but not accessible by members. I assume this is an administrative feature. What is it for?

 

[Chris Blount]

Everyone who posts here has their IP address placed into a log file. We only use it to track down spammers.

 

[Rick_EE]

In other words, the internet ain't as anonymous an some think it is.

 

[Nick]

It never was.

 

[Chris Blount]

There is still some measure of privacy. It really depends on your connection. If you are behind a firewall at a company, we only see the proxy IP for the company.

The IP log is a useful feature for us. Example: One time an individual from a small business on the east coast was logging on late a night spamming us with very inappropriate content. Luckily, he was at a fixed IP address so we were able to actually track him all the way to practically the desk he worked at. We called the office and left a message that someone from there was spamming our board. We never got a reply and the person disappeared. As a precaution though, we banned the IP address (the only one on the ban list by the way).

IP logging is necessary when running a forum like this and is a great deterent against spamming. But, the IP address really doesn't tell the whole story so there is still some privacy.

 

[John Walsh]

I used to post on the MSNBC BBS and they showed your IP on every post. This created quite a problem because my brother who works with me posts on the same board and we would show the same address. My brother is very sarcastic and would tend to antagonize others and they ultimately came to the conclusion that we were the same person.

 

[Steve Mehs]

Wow, Im surprised they made that info public, thats majorr security concern.

 

[Geronimo]

Quite a few board used to leave it in posts or make it readily accessible to computer literate folk. I dont think the general population ws all that concerned until recently. Heck I know one board that expects you to use your real name. So lots of people have different ideas about privacy and security. If someone really wants to track you down they can but I would prefer not to make it obvious.

 

[Steve Mehs]

Not really, in fact, I think it's a better idea than a private log.

I bit my lip earler, but now I decided to ask. Why?

 

[Steve Mehs]

okay...

 

[Neil Derryberry]

No.... It would invite hacking, especially some of the posts in the potpourri forum.

I'm a network engineer by trade, and the 3 greatest security "secrets" that will die with me are my external IP's, my router passwords, and my snmp security strings. Some of these things can be obtained easily, but I sure don't advertise them.

 

[Chris Blount]

I agree with Neil. Publishing IP addresses is a big no-no and it won't happen here.

 

[Neil Derryberry]

We aren't using the IRC chat any longer, I believe.

As far as private IP's... sure, they aren't private, but publishing them leaves the person open to attack, because you can glean enough information form reading posts on a forum like this to direct an attack on someone. Say, for instance, you post a thread that you are having a problem with your dsl. Say that elsewhere you post a thread that advertises your personal website, and elsewhere you post that you are having trouble with your IIS server mapping through your firewall at home. If your IP was logged, I wouldn't have to do any work to find you and exploit IIS because you essentially gave me directions to your "house"..

That's why we shouldn't publish IP addresses. We don't need to be a lookup tool for hackers.

 

[Rage]

Well said.

 

[Chris Blount]

Neil,

You hit the nail right on the head. The intelligence community uses very much the same methods. One piece of information can be harmless but put many pieces together and you have yourself an entire profile for any given individual. It's very scary stuff.

Mark,

If you feel that the internet isn't meant to be private then I would be happy to publish any and all IP addresses that you have accessed this board with. Want me to? I didn't think so.

 

[Jacob S]

Doesnt the entire IP address change each time you get on the internet with those having dial up internet access?

 

[Steve Mehs]

It depends, for me when I dial up with Earthlink, only the last 2 digits change. When I had an local ISP, Wizard, the IP was almost completly different everytime, with the exception of the first 3 digits. Right now my IP is totaly different since Im using a different dial up #. (Which Im never using again) Eathlink made a big mistake by cutting one of the most poplular dial up numbers for Buffalo. I was using that number for years, even before Earthlink, became Earthlink.

 

[Neil Derryberry]

Actually, Mark, to get a class c block like you are describing, you have to show ARIN why you need them. They are being pretty agressive about reclaming unused addresses and forcing new registrants into smaller subnets.

 

[Jacob S]

The reason why I ask is because I want to find out if someone else is getting on someone's id on messenger talking to me or if someone is creating a new id to talk to me on that playing games with me or something and I figured if you guys had a way of figuring out who it was using their IP address I could figure it out this way as well with my problem if I could get their IP address somehow.

 

[James_F]

Mark,

When I'm at work, my IP shows up for AT&T in New Jersey. Thats where our coporate DNS servers are. We lease lines to our office in NJ where most of the corporate IT is done. So an IP for some people doesn't give you much info. IPs can be spoofed as you well know.