Wants to Make Anonymous Internet Posting Illegal

Wow conspiracy theories are abundant around here. Fact of the matter is there are many ways to be untraceable on the internet if one so chose. I can do just about anything with a computer, and if this type of law were to ever be enacted (which I doubt) it would do little but add service fee's to everybody's internet connections in the guise of protecting people. This all stems from that teenager that killed herself over an adult neighbor's myspace page that pretended to be a teenage boy. Would it have happened if the parents had monitored her online activity? Maybe, but also maybe not. Should a national law be enacted because one kid committed suicide over a blog on the internet? Feh, it will never happen.

Now you can argue that all online activity can be traced and yes that's true to an extent, but what if I hack your WEP key on your wireless router and post online using your hardware? Can they track me...uh no, but you may have some 'splaining to do (as Ricky Ricardo would say) when the cops show up at your door. There are brute force attacks, and a myriad of other ways to gain unauthorized access to a great many systems most of which can be done without being tracked back to the actual user (the systems that were used yes, but not the user). Hacking aside the easiest way to gain access to a system was good old social engineering ala Kevin Mitknick.

In the end you can believe what you wish but this law would do absolutely nothing but add another layer of taxation and red tape for the average end user. Meanwhile people like me would go on doing whatever we wished on the net with impunity.

-Reby

 

If I want to create some online nickname and used that instead of my real name and NOT have to disclose my address, then that IS my right.

 

But, all in all, it is not a right......................

 

It depends on how much money they wish to spend tracking you down. With the right equipment and a very large sum of money you can not hide on the internet. Everything on the internet is tracked and kept.

For 99.999999% of the people this law is unenforceable. But just the like all the people the download music, if your number comes up, you are going to pay the price.

Mark

 

I'm going to have to disagree once again. I'd rather not have anybody know where I live except for the mods and admins. And if I want to make up some silly nickname for the board in question, I can do that. Why SHOULD somebody know my real name or where I live at?

 

It really does not matter how much money they spend if every route is a dead end (that is to say a dead end that does not identify me, then they have jack and squat). Are you aware how many open AP's are about that have no security what so ever? No hack required, just drive up and connect via wireless. Heck even cell phones can have internet connections now days, what's to stop somebody like me from cloning your cell phone and using it to connect to the net? They can figure out what cell towers I used when I connected but they cant really identify me unless I do something stupid. I can keep cloning cell numbers and connecting to the internet using those random accounts as I please. Sure it would take some equipment to do but most of it is on ebay right now, so don't think that it cant be done because it can.

As far as everything on the net being tracked and kept. Yeah once again to an extent the first part is true, but records are not kept as long as you think. Do you have any idea of the data usage logs created on ISP servers? Even with a parser to scan and create reports for the ISP there are thousands upon thousands of daily logs covering TB of data. I know you think the government can do anything 'if they throw enough money at it', but the White House IT staff cant even find their own records of emails received, what makes you think they can find me if they cant find their own emails? Also, if the government is that good then where is Osama Bin Laden? No offense meant but see what I mean?

I'm not some fancy hacker, if anything I'd probably be labeled a geek or a script kiddy, so don't get the wrong impression. I don't pretend to know it all because that's far from the truth, I simply know I can learn just about anything I put my mind to.

Cheers,

-Reby

 

Although the the Guberment, the ISP, and, the forum administrators may have "a need to know" concerning my true identity and location, the general public should not be given easy access to that information.

In other words, if I do something illegal that pizzes you off, the illegality will make me easy to find by the proper authorities. However, if I just pizz you off, legally (no laws broken), then I should remain anonymous, and the offended party should have no access to recourse beyond flaming me in the public forum.

I want to be able to rub anyone until they are raw without fearing they will show up on my doorstep, or, call me on the phone. Anything less and the public discourse in internet message forums will diminish quickly.

 

Sounds like some spammers are backing up some politician. I don't even think this bill will even have a chance to take off.

I agree with a previous poster, it's absolutely unenforceable. There are many ways around it.

 

It won't be long and Homeland Security will be invoked here. The party that is calling for this law in KY might be a surprise to all.