Is there any way for DU to determine multiple names from the same IP address of members?

[go west young man]

Just curious, as it seems there are threads where people are constantly working together to distract intelligent debate. If the IT crew at DU could put a stop to individuals posting under multiple names, by determining which accounts are coming from the same IP address, it would go a long way to bringing civility and intelligent debate back to DU.

[sharp_stick]

1. I think they can and do

but you may want to post this in Ask The Administrators to find out for sure.

[Coyotl]

21. You can do it yourself if you want to.

I've done it on DU before, tracking the computer IPs of every person in the world who reads my posts.

I've also done it on George W. Bush's Facebook page. I scored George's personal computer's IP, then sent it to the appropriate attorneys.

[Logical]

24. How can you tell if it is hosted on a server you don't control? Maybe...

Message me?

[Coyotl]

32. You need to have access to a website's log file.

I have my own domain. Then, you post an image file--needs only be one white pixel, and the file is requested by the reader's server. You then read in the log file who requested that image.

[Logical]

34. OK, that makes sense. Thanks! n-t

[Nye Bevan]

2. "Returning disruptors" are banned very frequently. And IBTL (nt)

[onehandle]

3. Yes. It's built into the software.

However, there are ways to shield or change your IP.

We have a plurality of trolls that have implemented that method.

Many of them enter DU from this room: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172

[rl6214]

6. Bullshit

[billh58]

9. +100

That's what makes them so easy to spot...

[coldmountain]

27. +1

[Ohio Joe]

4. I'm certain...

That vaguely accusing other DU'ers of being socks will go a long way towards bringing back that civility and intelligent debate

[bobGandolf]

5. Just remember...

There are some, like my wife and I, who use the same pc for DU.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

7. What if more than one Duer is using an IP address?

Your basic router, pretty much standard today, has 8 connections. So 000.000.0.1 through 000.000.0.8 are all valid for the overall IP of "000.000.0".0.

What if I live with three other DUers, and we all have accounts using the same IP?

[wandy]

8. No, the IP address you would come into DU would be that assigned to the router by you're ISP........

This is the address you would present on the web.
The household ports on the router are their own network and do not reach the net.
Otherwise the whole world would look something like 192.168.0.nnn

For those whith greater knowledge, please correct me if I am wrong less I misguide again.

[DanTex]

14. You are correct.

[Roland99]

15. I believe that was the point the PP was trying to make.

[Recursion]

25. That single public-facing IP can include an entire college campus, for instance

Or an entire workplace, or any people on the same VPN.

It's a useful tool, but it's not everything.

[msanthrope]

36. Or Chicago Public Libraries...thus, "library girl." nt

[Recursion]

37. Shhhh!!!!

Don't say that name too loudly...

[msanthrope]

38. And for sure...don't say it 13 times in the dark in front of a mirror. nt

[gopiscrap]

41. Welcome to DU

[Scuba]

44. Welcome to DU. Great screen name, even if many of our younger members don't get it.

[Avalux]

10. Yes DU is able to identify sockpuppet accounts.

Might not be quick, but can be done. When identified, they're suspended as well.

[oldhippie]

11. But you have cases where a wife, ...

... Son, and sometimes a granddaughter all have their own logins and use the same home network and hence the same IP addy.

[bobGandolf]

12. Just said the same thing,

but nobody seemed to notice, except maybe you.

Not all families have enough money for every member has their own pc.

[seveneyes]

26. It's your home router that gets the public IP address, not each computer in the house

All computers in someones house going through the same home router will have the same public visible IP address.

[bobGandolf]

47. Duh, thanks for correction n/t

[jsr]

13. Or people using public libraries

[uppityperson]

28. hah

[sufrommich]

16. What is the point of an OP like this,other that to stir shit?

You're accusing people of being trolls and "working together" to do what? Disagree with you on the internets? I'd call shit stirring like this OP with lame ,vague accusations much more trollish.

[The Straight Story]

17. You're working with 'them' aren't you

[sufrommich]

18. Damn, you got me!

[go west young man]

20. Not every question is "shit stirring".

Although there are many here who think it is. It's a normal question as are many other's on DU that are always accused of "shit stirring". I've been here for a long time and I've seen the site change. There are definitely people here now who work heavily to detract from good debate. I'm not one of them. I am a poster who prefers linked, backed up information and not over reactionary emotional name calling. Sadly DU has become just another emotional yelling and snipping forum. I personally would like to see the people who constantly call others names and disrupt conversations leave the site so we can get back to what made the site great. Real liberals put this site on the map and made it great and after the 2008 election it became much more centrist and a lot of people who seem to be mostly emotional, aggressive, and loud came onto the site. Now it's just not as good in my eyes.

[sufrommich]

22. You're using the passive aggressive "I'm just asking

a question" to accuse DUers of being trolls. Your options are to not get distracted by posts you don't like or report those you think are trolls to the admins,something that is very easy to do here. Instead you post a very vague OP opining that those you disagree with are trolls,you're shit stirring,plain and simple.

[go west young man]

23. It's a legitimate question.

You on the other hand are just whining.

[Skittles]

29. self del

not worth it

[Niceguy1]

30. it might catch the lazy ones

Since changing you ip add is easy.

[Posteritatis]

31. It's utterly trivial for most forum administrators, and often addressed automatically. (nt)

[WinkyDink]

33. I thought that such tracking by Site Admins was against Internet protocols.

[Coyotl]

35. Web servers produce log files that admins can store.

The output of an error log looks like this:

Sun Sep 01 17:40:33 2013 error client 66.249.73.122 File does not exist: /data/16/1/13/162/1339814/user/..../htdocs/net/get

This kind of info allows admins to detect problems, such as who is trying to hack you and who is running a DOS attack, etc. It also is how site stats are produced.

[WinkyDink]

46. I hope it's used just to catch the bad guys!

[L0oniX]

39. Two spouses ...one modem ...one ip number ...one's a repuke ...the other is a Dem.

What do you do? Of course anyone with hosting and a few domains can have hundreds of email domain names. Proxy connections are still available too.

[arely staircase]

42. don't know

but there are many conceivable legit reasons for more than one member to have the same IP address. but I get what you are saying.

and this will probably get locked as meta.

[adavid]

43. Here is an example of what happens...........

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/14/israel-pay-students-propaganda_n_3755782.html

[dionysus]

48. what about spouses or roomates using different accounts on the same computer?