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Is there anyway to find out who people are on a forum legally? I have heard that some private investigators can find out who people are for a small price. I am on a few forums where there is one person who stirs up lots of trouble through his posts. The admins are essentially absentee managers and don't intervene unless someone is named by real life name or other stuff that may put them at legal risk. So, any solutions out there?

I would venture to guess the forum admin could access their ip address. Other than that, I've no clue. There are a lot of IT people on here so I would think they would know better than I/me.

Don't worry. I don;t think they'll be able to track you down.

There's a way to do anything. It's all zeroes and ones.

They all know who I am.

My name is Flint. Literally.

Remember when YOU were that guy?

Anyway. An admin can get an IP address, but without that there's really little hope of tracing anything down to anyone; even with that, you're limited to a few details.

Remember?

Even if you knew exactly who he was, there's practically nothing you could do with that information that isn't illegal. What are you gonna do, show up at his doorstep and threaten him? Sign him up for embarrassing magazine subscriptions?

Order some pizza for him...every night for a week. :)

Block his IP.

kick his pee pee

Nah. Get yourself any George Hayduke book and have some real fun!

Or...try to care a little less.

I think you meant "legally find out" because I thought there was a way to sign up for a forum through criminal means, the way you have it worded: "on a forum legally."

And anyway, as has been said, I wouldn't worry about it. We've put up with you this long without having Guido nail your knees to the floor, so I'm sure your other forum won't kill you either.

HAGGIS!

So who has Guido been nailing? He never returns my calls these days...

Thanks for everyone who responded a year late.

We were just having you checked out. Took a while for the agents to report back. Sorry about that.

utoh.

How'd I do?

this is my thread now

Hell, you'll have to wait another year to get that.

We've got the time if you've got the patience.

Blocking the IP is about it. Then if they're on a Proxy server you have to block all the IP's. Then you have the problem of them changing their IP address (most people don't know how to do that). Or they change internet providers or get a new PC.

Admin will have little icons next to each post a member makes. One of those icons identify the IP address. Also, that little section where that Drop Down menu is (Quick Links), if admin clicks on "Whose Online" it will not only show who's online but will show the IP address. Admin can also tell who has multiple IP's by doing a specific search on a name and vice versa. IP's are sometimes guesswork. You can have a sockpuppet ID and get away with it if you create accounts from different PC's in different locations. However, once you compromise one of those accounts with the "other" name - then you've been busted. Alternate accounts is, in my opinion, a waste of time. You're you no matter how many names you put on it. The personality doesn't change even though the name does.

We also have an IP specific death ray. ;)

:lol: Thanks again guys.

Zen, please let me know when my next year is up. :)

Uh, Bad news Merc - there is a grassroots campaign to make sure you don't see another year. Budget cuts and reduced spending and all that.

Despite the campaign I am willing to bet candy that old merc is as wiley as a crack addicted squirrel, your never going to catch'm.

Merc cannot be "wiley as a crack addicted squirrel", because they are too far gone to know what they are doing, and therefore will slip up eventually.

However I am willing to admit he may be nutty as a squirrel's arse :)