Posting IP addresses

The Naked Whiz · August 2010

I was curious why you don't post the poster's IP address in each post (I used the word post 3 times, LOL!). I suppose it would just create more food for argument and debates over this and that. But I wonder if some anon posters would hesitate if their posting information were visible to all? I think the BBQ Forum does this, fwiw.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · August 2010

they added it about a year ago, and within about 2 hours it was taken down. word around the campfire is that someone complained about their "info" being made public

[Deleted User] · August 2010

And something that Tweev took great delight in when he first joined the forum, then was banned, then posted anonymously from behind a proxy as a guest, using various variants of the "Tweeve" moniker.

He has, in the past, hidden behind a proxy that, in effect, masked his location (both geographically and on the network) by generating fake IP's as the source of his posts.

He had assured this admin, at one time, that he would refrain from doing so. But he was not consistent about this and later did post anonymously with bogus ip's.

He has now assured me today, again, that he would not mask his IP address. I will take him, again, at his word, but I will be watching to see that he keeps his word.

This assurance should also hold for any "anonymous" posts he may, for some reason, have to make (although now that we have allowed him again to be a registered user, there should be no need for him to post anonymously).

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · August 2010

you guys don't seem to be on the same page...

WMK saying in one thread that he would allow tweev to post, and you implying that he's getting around the IP block by going thru proxies (as though he's still not welcome, despite WMKs olive branch)

i don't care one way or the other, i just personally wish this place was a little more consistent.

i found it incredibly bizarre that long hi-jacked threads involving cursing and threats of physical violence are allowed to remain for hours or even a day at a time, but then some troll implies he got a sub-retail deal on an egg at a going-out-of-biz dealer sale, and that thread is pulled almost immediately.

priorities seem kerflooey.
word on the street is that BGE pays a little of the expenses, but not all; moderates some of the threads, but not all; that there's banning, and then there's no banning... schizophrenia is the order of the day

i know the users here don't own the place, and BGE enjoys walking the narrow line of "do they or don't they own the place", but i would think it would be in BGE's interest to make sure the forum provides a decent experience for (especially new) users who come here.

i don't think i'd be way off base in suggesting that the forum (and the word-of-mouth campaign its active members provide) sells as many or more eggs than their other avenues of advertising, for a lot less money.

if BGE isn't fully funding this place, and supporting its proper technical development, it really OUGHT to be.

it may have been started as a labor of love by the millers, but i really hope the family isn't still responsible for the vast majority of supporting it, policing it, developing it, etc.

if so, then i don't know how you could put up with the abuse from disgruntled members, trolls, etc.

I wouldn't do it for free, or anything that came close to free. it's an asset to BGE, and ought to be given full support.

how i got here, i dunno. blame it on coffee (or lack thereof). but i guess my point is you guys should have help. i won't define 'help', but i bet you could. i often forget (and i bet a lot of folks do) that this is not your day job.

[Deleted User] · August 2010

Sorry, I don't see any inconsistancy. Please, quit reading something into it that I didn't say. I didn't imply anything. I stated, simply, that tweev has, and as far as I know still does, hide himself behind a proxy server, which generates bogus source IP addresses. This, to me, implies that he feels some need to cloak himself.

And yes, he was previously banned from the forum. He DID assure me in the past that he would refrain from using the proxy server while accessing the forum.

It's been a while since I've had time to check in (I cleaned up some recipes last night), but yes, I understand that he has been, more or less, behaving himself lately.

I can't think of any gesture of goodwill more than us allowing him to log-in again as a registered user.

I currently don't function as a "moderator" who whould make decisions on what gets pulled and what doesen't. If you see a thread that seems inappropriate, please post a message to foruum feedback and the powers that be will make the call and deal with it.

I agree wholeheartedly that we'd like more support. I have and still do "donate" considerable time and effort to help WMK with the forum.

We do both have full-time gigs.

I for one APPRECIATE the support of members. An at-a-boy from time to time is a very big motivator, at least for me.

WMK and I will make more improvments, we know the forum is not yet where we'd like it to be. If you think back to the old forum format, I think you'd all agree we've made some progress. If not, then I'm wasting my time.

I personally think that the forum is a major plus for marketing, and driving subsequent sales. Of course that is really more you guys and your sage advice as opposed to WMK and myself.

We have gotten the blessing of the mothership for adding both a "tip jar" and branded merchandise (T-shirts, coffee, mugs, etc) to the site. We would, in effect, be licensed to use the BGE logo and slogan. There are some, so I've heard, that are using the logo on t-shirts, for profit, without permission of corporate. As I understand, they were given permission to do ONE shirt and took that to mean they could do all they want.

I think I've got some killer ideas for some very, very cool shirts. It would all be very hip and forum-centric. That is all I'll say for now.

And... THANKS st!ke for all the valued contributions YOU make to the forum. It is YOU GUYS that "make it go", not me.

Regards

Chubby · August 2010

LMAO!!!!

I think you protest too much!!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Not being one to beat (unnecessarily) around the bush...I'll just say I have seen you do and say things, (with my own eyes & ears) to the contrary!!

You my young man are a liar. I say it not to accuse or defame..,but simply as a matter of fact! Let the chips fall where they may.

Regardless of my opinion, (which is admittedly only that)..."your word",(as you put it) is of dubious value here, and that is a situation entirely of your own making.

One only you can change...I might add.

Evans

Chubby · August 2010

No need to be sorry...it is, as I said...just my opinion.

Your calling me a "Troll"..(and without any merit accussing me of doing so anonomously) at least shows that while you're "a little lite on intellect"...you do provide "entertainment value"!

On a final note...

if you haven't noticed...I don't feel the need to say things I'm not willing to stand behind!

In that way...I am consistant.

Evans

[Deleted User] · August 2010

Tweev,

Sorry, I've been busy this AM and was unable to check mail... trying to make a living at the moment to keep our family afloat.

I'm not trying to ruffle anyones feathers, and things may have changed since I've been away for a bit, but when you use to post, there were a VERY wide variety of IP addresses. I used ip2location.com to resolve them and they would move from saudi arabia, to boston, to california, etc., all within a few hours or even a few minutes.

If that's changed, I'm glad to hear it.

WPB

[Deleted User] · August 2010

Ok... here is my two cents... and this is off the top of my head.

Instead of displaying someones IP address (which I agree, has the possibility of being used for nefarious purposes) I would consider resolving the ip to city and state. and have that displayed in the post header. I'd maybe add an option to turn it off on a user by user basis. This at least would expose someone posting from behind a proxy server that is setting a bogus source address.

And since it would be selectable on an account-by-account basis, I could, if necessary, display the actual IP address of troublemakers. I'd also display the IP address of guest posters.

Feedback on this spur-of-the-moment idea would be appreciated.

[Deleted User] · August 2010

"IP cross reference" sounds similar to what I descibed in my prior post. I'm sure ip2location.com uses something like this. I'm looking to se if ip2location.com has some kind of API/Service to allow this to be done programtically.

Any enlightenment you guys want to give me on "IP cross reference" would be appreciated.

In regards to editing my previous post... I'll mull it over.

[Deleted User] · August 2010

Yes, I like the idea of cross-referenceing the ip on an anon post to see if it is really a forum user. Much worth considering. I have actually done this on several occasions to find out that an anonymous abusive post was actually a forum member trying to mask his identity.

"There is nothing in the forum guidelines or rules that say that you NEED to maintain the anonymity
of anon posters. More importantly, I don't see anything ethically wrong with it."

I agree completely, an anon post should display the ip (and geo location). If the "cross-reference" comes up with a "hit" that it is really a forum member, I would not be opposed to indicating that as well... in public for all users to see.

"You just jumping into a thread and saying. \"Cut it out , one more and you're looking at a 7 day
profile ban\" would solve A LOT of the freaky anon poster problems. Also, I suspect that you would
only need to do it a few times and people would get the hint."

I also agree with this.

I will also be updating the forum rules to clearly state that posting from behind a proxy or using other techniques or mechanisms to mask your IP address will be a violation of the rules.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · August 2010

FWIW, i'm not reading anything into anything. Just telling you what i (as a user) see.

I see some posts with literally hundreds of responses in them, made by seemigly as many anonymous posters, that hang around for quite a while. Lately there have been pretty inflammatory threads, actual (if pathetic) threats of violence, profanity, etc. These seem to be no issue whatsoever to the moderators or BGE, and they are allowed to remain, casting a stink over the forum, especially to the newbie coming here for the first time looking how to set up for a cook, for example.

They sit there for hours on the forum, this despite the (maybe mythical?) moderators who supposedly exist ate BGE corporate who have the ability to delete a thread.

That seems to imply that it's open season on foolishness. In fact, your post (which was deleted quickly) asking "Why so many anonymous posts?" was a reaction to this recently developed sport of posting anonymously. I'm surprised that you seemed surprised, because it has gone on all winter.

And the disparity is only heightened when we have three threads in two days which are pretty innocuous and which are taken down within minutes of their being posted (the "cheap bge" post, yours asking about anonymous posts, and the troll that had questions for tweev).

The other inconsistency (to me) seemed to be one moderator (you) giving grief to tweev about his IP addresses, weeks after his being told by WMK he was free to rejoin us. Which is it? is he persona non-grata? or 'in'? No diff to me, just a symptom of one thing being said, and different thing being implied.

The interesting thing about his "behaving nicely", and thereby working his way back into your good graces, is that he did while in outright defiance of your ban.

Essentially, "if we are unable to ban you, then you are welcome to stay". two points to tweev.

Sure, that's a dig. I couldn't help it.

It just seems as if the reason you may have decided to ban him in the first place was forgotten. Lost in Utah did far less,, so I am assuming his IP will soon be unblocked? poor LIU didn't know how to thwart the ban, otherwise maybe he too would now be playing nice.

do not take this as a plea to ban him. not what i said.

i am just clarifying what i thought i was interpreting (maybe incorrectly) as inconsistency.

by the way, i wasn't being trolled, today. I don't know what he is referring to.

Posting IP addresses

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