Author Topic: AIM and IP tracing (Read 966 times)

Mini D · « **Reply #15 on:** December 06, 2003, 12:07:21 PM »

Why bother? If he's a nuisance report him to AOL and let them handle it.

MiniD

Chairboy · « **Reply #16 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:02:03 PM »

Good idea, the security department at AOL is waiting with baited breath for you to report this guy. When I think of AOL customer service, I see a group of highly trained security professionals just straining at the leash, just waiting to get the 'GO' signal.

I imagine that if you send them an email reporting this guy, they'll spring into action immediately. I think they have a high tech control center that looks like the Pentagon in War Games, and then when your mail comes, the screens will immediately fill with traceroute information and WHOIS lookups. They'll probably cross reference his account info with local license databases and have a picture of the offender up on the big screen in seconds. "This, gentlemen," the AOL rep will start, "is the enemy. Citizen Wolfala has reported this scum for harrassment. Let's get him!" Local AOL offices will be called, and special AOL Blackhawks will lift off from the helipads on their roofs.

In minutes, AOL shock troopers will slide down zip lines hanging from helicopters and swing in through the guys window with guns drawn. They'll knock down doors to find him, then hold him at gunpoint. "Does the phrase 'TOS violation' mean anything to you, you bastard?" shouts the AOL customer service rep, then kicks him onto his stomach and covers him while another rep puts handcuffs on him. "It's scum like you that drive loyal AOL customers to Earthlink!" he'll spit, then gesture back towards the helicopter with his thumb. "Take him away, boys!"

.
.
.

or maybe not. Sometimes you can't just cry to mommy. AOL doesn't care about that guy, so use your smarts to actually get something done.

Mini D · « **Reply #17 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:04:09 PM »

Sure thing chairboy. And in everyone's rush to help someone that haven't seen, met, don't know discuss a "stalker".... you're more than happy to give him the tools to be a "stalker".

Save the records, report him to AOL.

MiniD

Chairboy · « **Reply #18 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:07:15 PM »

Whatcha talking about? Wolfala is here, that other guy isn't.

What other criteria for deciding who's in the right can you suggest?

SaburoS · « **Reply #19 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:10:19 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
Good idea, the security department at AOL is waiting with baited breath for you to report this guy. When I think of AOL customer service, I see a group of highly trained security professionals just straining at the leash, just waiting to get the 'GO' signal.

I imagine that if you send them an email reporting this guy, they'll spring into action immediately. I think they have a high tech control center that looks like the Pentagon in War Games, and then when your mail comes, the screens will immediately fill with traceroute information and WHOIS lookups. They'll probably cross reference his account info with local license databases and have a picture of the offender up on the big screen in seconds. "This, gentlemen," the AOL rep will start, "is the enemy. Citizen Wolfala has reported this scum for harrassment. Let's get him!" Local AOL offices will be called, and special AOL Blackhawks will lift off from the helipads on their roofs.

In minutes, AOL shock troopers will slide down zip lines hanging from helicopters and swing in through the guys window with guns drawn. They'll knock down doors to find him, then hold him at gunpoint. "Does the phrase 'TOS violation' mean anything to you, you bastard?" shouts the AOL customer service rep, then kicks him onto his stomach and covers him while another rep puts handcuffs on him. "It's scum like you that drive loyal AOL customers to Earthlink!" he'll spit, then gesture back towards the helicopter with his thumb. "Take him away, boys!"

ROFL!!! Oh man that was funny!!!

Mini D · « **Reply #20 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:14:05 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
Whatcha talking about? Wolfala is here, that other guy isn't.

What other criteria for deciding who's in the right can you suggest?

Not that involves hearing just one side of the story. Like I said, let AOL handle it. What you've quickly dismissed is the only real option other than blind ignorance.

MiniD

Chairboy · « **Reply #21 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:19:31 PM »

Jeepers, MiniD, I don't think I can yank yer chain any harder without leaving marks.

Your point is well taken, but I'm a big fan of personal responsibility. I'm not his parent, I'm a peer, and a peer asked for some help with something.

If you take your car to the mechanic to get it fixed and the mechanic said "Well, I can't help you unless I have some assurance you'll never speed or break a traffic law", would that be acceptable?

Finally, my skepticism about AOL support is based on having dealt with them before. I used AOL back when it was called 'Quantum', and I still have some family that use it so I get plenty of opportunities to deal with them. Not only that, but my company makes software that scans IM traffic and I've had to deal with their technical staff too. They're good meaning, but they truly don't have time to really invest in dealing with a complaint like this.

Mini D · « **Reply #22 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:21:22 PM »

Let me explain it in more simple terms...

What is obtaining the individual's ip adress going to get him? How is that going to solve the problem?

MiniD

Chairboy · « **Reply #23 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:23:33 PM »

Actually, you're technically not 'putting it in more simple terms', you're changing the nature of your objection.

Originally, you criticized me for giving assistance because I 'didn't know the other side of the story'. Now, you're essentially asking 'What's the profit of having his IP address?'

Those are two very different tactics, you insult us both when you say 'Let me explain it in more simple terms... '.

Mini D · « **Reply #24 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:28:36 PM »

Not really choirboy... and don't avoid the question.

What can he do with the IP adress? Answer that please.

Maybe then you'll start to see what the problem with the "how can I get someone's IP adress... they're harrassing me" logic is. You're just enabling someone to harrass someone that may or may not be harrassing them.

AOL can get the IP adress and deal with it. It is in their best interest and they have before. I do believe you are the one not fully comprehending the importance of internet security and safety in the eyes of AOL.

MiniD

Chairboy · « **Reply #25 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:33:57 PM »

It's not my responsibility to police the internet. With the steps I gave him, he can get the IP address, figure out the ISP that the person uses, and send a complaint directly to his ISP. He can do this in addition to complaining to AOL as far as I care, the important thing here is that he no longer has a single point of failure. If all he did was complain to AOL, then a single support rep can chuck it out, but if he also emails the ISP directly, then he's doubled his chances that something will happen.

You still didn't address my point about how saying something completely different somehow equals 'putting them more simply', so if I didn't answer your question in my previous post, I'm hardly the only person guilty of that. I answered you here, so I look forward to seeing whether you're up to answering me.

Mini D · « **Reply #26 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:36:54 PM »

Righto choirboy. You gave him the ability to do what he could have done anyway.... and what else?

It's not your responsibility to do anything. And you didn't just give him the ability to do any one thing listed.

Think a bit. Or continue not to. Just don't attatch nobility to it. You did not come to anyone's rescue here. You actually may have done more harm than good.

MiniD

Mini D · « **Reply #27 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:39:21 PM »

BTW... notice I suggested going to AOL about it... you started ridiculing me. I didn't come in preachy... you did.

MiniD

Chairboy · « **Reply #28 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:49:02 PM »

Quote

Mini D writes
And you didn't just give him the ability to do any one thing listed.

Quote

yet Chairboy earlier wrote
You have a website that you can access the logs for? Just put up a small page with an interesting name like 'yourmother.htm' and send the URL to him with a comment that will make him check it out (for example, 'While you've been harassing me, I found a picture of you mother: http://website.com/yourmother.htm')

Send the link to him, then check the logs next day. It'll have their IP address. Then just do a 'tracert 155.155.155.155' (put in the IP address you collected) to find out which ISP he's with.

Bzzzt, wrong answer. Please try again, Mini D. I did give him steps to do what I just said. Reporting him to AOL is fine, but there are layers of response. When the soviets put missiles in cuba, we objected to the UN, but that wasn't the end of it. We also increased our military readiness. Why? Just in case. If you go through life expecting the authorities to take care of everything, you may reach a point where you are disapointed.

If I was worried about people breaking into my house, I could put the police on speed dial. But if I considered that an acceptable replacement for locking my doors and being vigilant, then I'm a fool.

Mini D · « **Reply #29 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:54:19 PM »

I'm sorry, if reporting him to AOL is fine, then why the rest? This isn't the cuban missile crisis choirboy... you're not saving lives.

Like I said... stop attatching some sense of nobility here. You didn't help. You simply gave someone the tools to make a bad situation worse without even attempting to make it better.

Don't know how much clearer I can say it choirboy. You're not thinking about the consequences, only the desire to save lives and look good doing it.

MiniD