Name Usage....

[KILROY]

I'd like to see the Anni server run a client check on players names. Something in the options menu as a selection that will allow you to see the past names players have used, stored on the server. Even to this day, I still see people coming into any server that uses another name. It would be nice to see all past names one uses. Some LT servers have started to use this for many reasons and so far it has been working well with weeding out past cheaters, team killers, or anyone trying to spoil the fun of others.

Fish came on tonight in the Anni server using another one of his infamous names, but when he started ranting like he usually does, and was out of line about his rant, I voted to mute him. It didn't pass, but he dropped and shortly after came back using another name that coincided with his rant, so you knew it was him again. Then dropped again and later came back using another name which again represented his rant, so you knew it was him again.

Keeping track of one's past names will help admin's also. How you ask? Crow was in tonight playing and there was a person on as "a". Crow didn't know who this person was, nor I. It turns out it was one of the servers admins named assasin, who I see on more than anyone, but we didn't know this till he relayed it. The name checker could have validated this easily with no questions asked.

[perrinoia]

There is already one in place, which only admins can see, but it doesn't track dynamic IP addresses, and Fish has exceeded the character limit for the alias list multiple times over.

The system I'm scripting solves both problems, by storing the aliases in arrays rather than a single string, and by saving the arrays to files associated with the exact IP and partial match.

By doing this, I'm able to provide such options as not only viewing the entire list of aliases used by a selected client, as well as selecting an alias and viewing it's stats.

This also provides the ability to view profiles of offline players.

But most importantly, you'll be able to perform certain admin actions on these files... For instance, you could revoke voting privileges for "><>PoisonousFish!" Or "IP:192.168.0.2:*" or "IP:192.168.*".

However, this won't help if he can change the first two octets of his IP, which he can.

Also, the likelihood of me ever finishing this script is not looking good, considering how many years I've been procrastinating on it, and how infrequent I play tribes, these days.

[KILROY]

Sounds interesting, but I like the ideal of the name issue to be open to the public. That way everyone knows, not just the admins. Some servers have started making this open so all players can see past names and it has improved with the server's voting on players when an admin is not present.

[perrinoia]

Yes... While my system would censor the IP addresses to non-admins, the aliases would be visible to all.

[KILROY]

Nice, like the idea!

[perrinoia]

Is there anyway to get around the whole dynamic IP shenanigans, that you know of?

[Azul]

Fish and Morogoth etc. have been targeting assassin and I lately, so we both have been using other names in order to just play the game. Fish is autistic enough that a simple name change confuses him, poor soul. Speaking of which its getting creepy the stuff he says to our female players

[KILROY]

Is there anyway to get around the whole dynamic IP shenanigans, that you know of?

I don't know of any, I don't work the Data portion of the circuits, but let me ask my brother-in-law, he supervises the Data group, maybe he might know of something.

[perrinoia]

Fish and Morogoth etc. have been targeting assassin and I lately, so we both have been using other names in order to just play the game. Fish is autistic enough that a simple name change confuses him, poor soul. Speaking of which its getting creepy the stuff he says to our female players

We still have female players?

Someone get me my fedora and phase disrupter!

[KILROY]

Well...he relayed if you are trying to find out someone's IP by yourself, you won't be able to if they understand how to change IP addresses, unless you had the equipment that some providers use to host, which can track down a person. The only other option is someone hosting a main server that can have the ability with the right programming to track down a person, but only if that person is going through that server.

So, Crow would have to have the gamming server hosted from himself in order to find out Fish's real IP.

He did mention there are some tracer programs out that might be able to find out, but he's never used them to verify if they work properly.

Now, he did relay to keep track of all the IP's one uses and see if there is a pattern in them. If there is, you can find out who the provider is by the range of IP's the person is using, contact that provider and relay the violations that this person(s) are doing. They can monitor this and depending on the age of the person(s) doing the violation can end it and possibly prosecute them depending on the violation. If a minor, they can still see doing time depending on the violation, but they can also be black listed to never have services provided to them again. The black list will be by there Social Security Number and Name.