Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Ping: Brian Cryer (some extra history)

8 views
Skip to first unread message

~BD~

unread,
Sep 7, 2009, 4:03:54 PM9/7/09
to
"~BD~" wrote:

> > BoaterDave wrote:
>> > > (This is a resurrection of a past query - to which no satisfactory
>> > > reply was received)
> >
>> > > Can you help me to better understand Header information? When I
>> > > first came 'here' I had no knowledge of message 'Properties' at
>> > > all. I'm still a little 'in the dark'. I've tended, like I'm
>> > > confident most visitors do, to accept the 'Nick' of someone posting
>> > > to represent who they really are - *especially* if a well know
>> > > 'helper' is involved.
> >
> >
>> > > I've also learned that an IP address is attributable to each and
>> > > every computer so I'm a little confused when I compare the header
>> > > information I show below. The poster seems to have two different IP
>> > > addresses 71.173.71.14 and also 24.115.13.114. Perhaps there is a
>> > > very simple reason for this.
> >
> >
>> > > I had hoped that someone would comment so that I might better
>> > > understand. Maybe simply say that one item was posted from home and
>> > > the other from a different computer at work.
> >
> >
>> > > However as 'PA Bear' has now blatantly lied about my history (I've
>> > > never been banned by any ISP) I now wonder if there is ...
> >
> >
>> > > a) someone masquerading as Robear Dyer or
>> > > b) something of the dark about him.
> >
> >
>> > > Comments welcomed (especially any from Peter Foldes - he *knows* it
>> > > can be done!)
> >
> >
>> > > Dave
> >
> >
> >
> > <snipped>
> >
> >
> > Response by Shenan Stanley
> >
> > First - headers and how to read them:
> > http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+read+email+headers
> >
> >
> > Such as the first link:
> > http://www.emailaddressmanager.com/tips/header.html
> > Or second link:
> > http://www.virtualchase.com/researchskills/quality_emailheader.html
> > Or fourth link:
> > http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=29436
> >
> >
> > Second, anyone can post from multiple IP addresses. Don't overthink.
> > If
> > someone was to use a laptop - they could post from possibly dozens (or
> > more)
> > different IP addresses throughout a normal day just by act of
travelling
> > and
> > using free internet access. If someone was a computer technician and
> > did
> > not work from a single location - again - very plausible they would
post
> > from various IPs. Even if they worked from a single location - it is
> > possible they could post from multiple IP addresses in a single day
> > (perhaps
> > they have two or more different ISPs, perhaps they just released their
> > internet assigned IP and grabbed a new one or used a different
computer
> > and
> > they get multiple IPs from my ISP, etc.) Are there more complicated
> > ways to
> > do it? Sure. Many times people travel and still post from the same IP
> > because they remote into a central machine and do their work over a
more
> > secure connection that way - leaving all their data and such in the
> > secured/locked down physical location.
> >
> >
> > Third - you should know that anyone can be anyone, anywhere. It's just
> > easier to be anyone here than it is face-to-face. It takes little
> > effort,
> > really. Someone changes their reply-to and posting name - they are
now
> > seen
> > as someone else at a casual glance. If the header exists and is
> > accurate
> > (and actually goes back as far as the original poster - it may not
> > depending
> > on the news server they used, etc) - then that is one way of
determining
> > more accurately that a person is the same person they have always been;
> > however - as stated before - getting another IP address (even on the
> > same
> > machine) is a fairly easy process these days - so that is no guarantee
> > either.
> >
> >
> > Most of this you already know in a manner of speaking - because we all
> > know
> > you have several accounts you post from (you have said this yourself -
> > or
> > *have you*? Could we ever be sure?) - even in these newsgroups. I
have
> > seen you change names. No matter what, ~BD~ and BoaterDave are not
the
> > same
> > name - even if they are meant to be and are the same person behind the
> > curtain.
> >
> >
> > After all - I see three names for you here:
> > http://forums.techarena.in/security-home-users/1053152.htm
> > (BoaterDave, ~BD~ and imbeady2)
> > More complete and readily visibly:
> >
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.security.homeusers/br...
> >
> >
> > In that example alone - out of your (assumption on my part - although
> > you
> > state it is you in there somewhere with all the names) 20+r so
responses
> > in
> > that conversation, I count at least seven different 'google groups
> > profiles'
> > or addresses that would lead to separate profile links:
> >
> >
> > One of the more active profiles (~BD~):
> >
http://groups.google.com/groups/profile?enc_user=P1RbSBkAAACeRwrN9o3y...
> >
> >
> > Not quite as active - but still active profile (BoaterDave)
> >
http://groups.google.com/groups/profile?enc_user=LEyReRgAAAB4ZB5JZSpj...
> >
> >
> > And the "imbeady2" 'nick' shows a different address each time - likely
> > because of how it was synchronized with the main post from a web forum.
> >
> >
> > If you were to check out the headers on just your own messages - the
> > "NNTP-Posting-Host:" changes several times. It's all dependent on how
> > you
> > post, from where, etc.
> >
> >
> > Hope that helps explain a little better what is going on.
> >
> >
> > - Headers can give you more details about the path a message took and
> > more.
> > - Headers can give you very little actual information about the person
> > sending the message *if* that person is capable (of some computer savvy
> > and/or just moving from place to place.)
> > - Therefore "nicks" (short for nickname) mean very little in an open
> > anonymous forum. Anyone can be anybody at surface level. If someone
> > chooses to take on the nick of someone who also uses multiple
> > computers/IPS
> > (moves around a lot) - it can be even more difficult to tell (although
> > if
> > one minute a post is leading back to Texas and the next - China...
> > Well -
> > no - it could still be just savvy - because a simple explanation could
> > be a
> > friend/business partner/business in one or the other and remote
> > desktop.)
> >
> >
> > --
> > Shenan Stanley
> > MS-MVP
> > --
> > How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
> >
> >
> > Reference:-
> >
> >
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.security/browse_thread/thread/ffbb6754a5f49af4/830a821f9803f673?hl=en&q=Peter+Foldes&lnk=nl&
> >
> >
> >

It seems as if I failed to thank you for your very helpful post, Shenan.

The information was very helpful. I duly apologise for not saying so before!

I trust life is treating you kindly! :)

--
Dave (in Devon)

David Brooks

unread,
Aug 3, 2021, 7:52:33 AM8/3/21
to
I was always 'wondering' - even way back then!!

=
0 new messages