> You are right anyone can use an anonymizer/proxy but the majority dont and
> apparently they crash a lot and are a pain to use.I say apparently because
> although I havent used one I`ve heard this.Correct me if that statement is
> wrong.
> Before ip addresses were shown in part the board was even crazier than it
> is now (although it does have relatively quiet periods of course) and the
> site owner probably felt he had to do something.The improvment was only
> slight though as many people can be on a particular server.Some posters
> have numbers displayed but i`m not sure if this is the full set of numbers
> or not and it probably means also that the server is a smaller one.
> Anyone using an anonymizer will have constanly changing numbers and not
> the more limited range of numbers from a genuine dynamic ip address so it
> could still be possible to spot them,but obviously more difficult than a
> non user.
> I personally am in favour of the full ip addresses being displayed even
> though it would still mean most poster with dynamic ip`s having several
> sets of different numbers (within a certain range) and let the few
> determined proxy users run amok.I`m not the site owner though of course
> and I appreciate the privacy/security dilemma too.
> All said and done however the argument is,should the site be regulated or
> a free for all? Or as it is now,partly controlled through (inconsistent)
> moderating and ip addresses being partially shown with posts?
> I suspect it all depends on whether anyone is a troll,semi troll or
> definite non troll on what view one takes.
I think that these "anonymizers" do crash because they cycle through a list of IP's. For some reason some of these IP's in the list will be rejected at certain sites. I don't know the technical reasons. I just know that I did it as a challenge to see if I could.
So instead of using a tool like anonymizer or switchproxy to switch proxies every 2 minutes or whatever interval, you just pick one number that works and use it. Under tools, options, connections, eventually you'll find something similar to connect by proxy. All you do is paste your chosen number in that box and select that proxy. If it works the first time it won't crash. But those lists are updated daily. You would need a new proxy the next day.
Also I am not talking about these lists you subscribe to. I am talking about finding the free list ans just picking a number off of it. The subscription services may be different.
The other question is more philosophical, whether to post full IP's or not. I think that if people make threats their IP should be noted by someone in control of this site and that it should be reported. The problem, although it is a felony in some places to make threats via electronic means (phone, internet,etc) I looked this up when death threats were made at another site. I could only find one case where a person had been prosecuted and he had threatened hundreds of people because of their race, so there were more issues involved.
I believe that if you went to the police and reported that you were threatened at a website they would tell you to stop visiting that site and eliminate all contact with the person that threatened you. There is harassment which is another thing and for which I'm sure you could make a civil claim, but really how much is it going to cost to sue someone across the country or in another country, and what damaged could you ever hope to collect?
I am against the posting of the IP's not because I think it would make it harder for trolls, but because it is a half-measure that doesn't seem to serve much purpose. I agree with you that posting the complete IP makes more sense than posting a partial, but then what if one of these people uses your IP as a clue to where you live? One person here has repeatedly threatened me, members of my family, and even threatened more than once "I will boil your dog". Because I have told the type of work I do, it wouldn't be that hard to find me if the person knew what town I lived in. He has harrassed other posters attempting to get them to tell him my address. It isn't that I think he would really carry out a threat but we have seen other people's names, addresses, descriptions of the buildings they work in, and more, all posted here. I don't want to be harrassed at work and I don't want someone to figure out where I live so that I would have to have that small chance that they might actually show up. I believe that people that post with an aol address would still have there IP hidden anyway.
I know it may have been worse before. I used to see pictures posted here and that was abused and taken away. I think it is probably just too much work to patrol the site to the degree that it would take to eliminate all of the inappropriate posts, so I understand why posting IP's was tried. I don't think it has worked though. Some of the worst incidents I ever saw here or anywhere else happened with IP's visible.
So my choices would be in order
1 post no IP's, it doesn't work
2 post full IP's, don't let people hide, block aol
3 continue as we're going and hope for the best
