How anonymous is the internet?
11 December 2004, 07:45 PM
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How anonymous is the internet?
Something I was reading on another bbs got me thinking about this:
There seems to be a general idea belief that when you post on a bbs, you are fairly anonymous. Ok, some people on some bbs meet up and get to know each other, but say you just join and post a message - what's the chance of it ever being discovered who the real life person was? Say someone admitted to cheating on their wife, or to driving off after an accident, or to tax evasion, or something like that? Would anyone ever bother to look into it to see if they could track down the real person via ISP records or whatever? Is it really any different to overhearing a conversation in a pub?
There seems to be a general idea belief that when you post on a bbs, you are fairly anonymous. Ok, some people on some bbs meet up and get to know each other, but say you just join and post a message - what's the chance of it ever being discovered who the real life person was? Say someone admitted to cheating on their wife, or to driving off after an accident, or to tax evasion, or something like that? Would anyone ever bother to look into it to see if they could track down the real person via ISP records or whatever? Is it really any different to overhearing a conversation in a pub?
11 December 2004, 07:47 PM
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a google search 2 mins ago
ScoobyNet - How much grief do you have to take of your MRS?
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not very anonymous...
Mart
ScoobyNet - How much grief do you have to take of your MRS?
... 16 March 2004, 18:46 ProperCharlie. Scooby Regular Join Date: Jan 1970. : London.
Posts: 2,877. #5, none. you gotta establish the ground rules at the beginning. ...
bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=311011 - 96k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
ScoobyNet - Bugs / Feature Requests
... SN LFS server. Jye. 10 May 2004 09:04 by ProperCharlie Go to last post. 5, 68. ...
ProperCharlie. 06 May 2004 21:48 by ProperCharlie Go to last post. 10, 160. ...
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[ More results from bbs.scoobynet.co.uk ]
not very anonymous...
Mart
11 December 2004, 07:48 PM
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Hello
The internet is not anonymous AT ALL. If you do not protect yourself, the BBS will register your IP which will immediately show your ISP. If you have broadband then the ISP will know who you are straight away otherwise a few more seconds will see who that IP was registered to at that time. If you are using an internet cafe it's better of course.
As to whether anyone would bother, it depends. If you are admitting murder or something the police would take an interest in probably. Otherwise, I wouldn't of thought so.
Steve.
The internet is not anonymous AT ALL. If you do not protect yourself, the BBS will register your IP which will immediately show your ISP. If you have broadband then the ISP will know who you are straight away otherwise a few more seconds will see who that IP was registered to at that time. If you are using an internet cafe it's better of course.
As to whether anyone would bother, it depends. If you are admitting murder or something the police would take an interest in probably. Otherwise, I wouldn't of thought so.
Steve.
11 December 2004, 07:51 PM
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So basically it depends on how much someone wants to find out? Presumably an ISP would only release details if there was a sufficiently good reason for doing so, like a serious crime or something?
Mart - anything that I've admitted to on here, my wife knows about already.
Mart - anything that I've admitted to on here, my wife knows about already.
11 December 2004, 07:52 PM
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Originally Posted by ProperCharlie
So basically it depends on how much someone wants to find out? Presumably an ISP would only release details if there was a sufficiently good reason for doing so, like a serious crime or something?
Mart - anything that I've admitted to on here, my wife knows about already.
Mart - anything that I've admitted to on here, my wife knows about already.
lol
mart
11 December 2004, 07:53 PM
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Hello
Yes, but there is a lot you can find out from someone's IP address without resorting to the ISP.
The more interesting question is what have you been up to?! (or going to be up to ...)
Steve.
Yes, but there is a lot you can find out from someone's IP address without resorting to the ISP.
The more interesting question is what have you been up to?! (or going to be up to ...)
Steve.
11 December 2004, 07:57 PM
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Originally Posted by boxst
The more interesting question is what have you been up to?! (or going to be up to ...)
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11 December 2004, 08:49 PM
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For the average user, the Internet is not anonymous at all. It's amazing what you can find out in a very short space of time. However, if you know what you're doing, it is incredibly difficult to be traced if you don't want to be found.
Thankfully, things like this keep me in a job
Chris (IT Security Consultant)
Thankfully, things like this keep me in a job
Chris (IT Security Consultant)
Last edited by Chris L; 11 December 2004 at 09:12 PM.
11 December 2004, 09:11 PM
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LOL, I have been on other forums in the past for the first time and found people talking about me!! But then I have no problem in people knowing 'Saxo Boy' and whilst in the main 'Kenny' is little different only me true friends know him
11 December 2004, 09:23 PM
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If you have the right kit you can follow anyone around. In my last company, one of my clients complained that one of the contractors didn't seem to do much work. We asked her to provide the mac addy of the machine he was using. We managed to trace all his website useage, and found all his usernames for bulletin boards. We sent him to another (work)site but watched all the boards for his username. 10 days later he was on the dole. he only managed not to post or view for 7 minutes during 10 days 
(I thought I was bad
)
(I thought I was bad
)
What is that in relation to?
12 December 2004, 08:10 AM
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i had the managing director of the company which owns the car wash franchise reading my words on here
when my username is stickymicky
so i would say anything is possible lol
when my username is stickymicky
so i would say anything is possible lol
12 December 2004, 11:17 AM
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Worth remembering that the "secret" police are entitled now to monitor all internet communications so they will know who you are for a start. All part of the intrusions into our lives that this government seeks in any manner they can.
See you in the Tower!
Les
See you in the Tower!
Les
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