If your IP number has been banned

[postcards]

Please ignore my two previous slightly too panicky emails.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward

My sister was banned once...

By a moose?

[villa]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward

My sister was banned once...

One time at banned camp...

[TruCelt]

Well, that was interesting. I spent about 30 minutes reviewing my behavior to see what I'd done wrong, then another 30 going over all the folks I would have told off if I'd known it was coming. ;-)

[kopek]

Originally Posted by TruCelt

Well, that was interesting. I spent about 30 minutes reviewing my behavior to see what I'd done wrong, then another 30 going over all the folks I would have told off if I'd known it was coming. ;-)

You know, I was basically doing about the same thing.

I tried to get to the boards, got the banned message, and did the webmaster@ mail thingy. Few hours later everything is as it should be. My thanks to whoever fixed it.

[Dolores Reborn]

Testing.

[Mr. Excellent]

Originally Posted by Biffy the Elephant Shrew

By a moose?

For 20 minutes in the 1960s, yes. Never since, though.

[Omg a Black Conservative]

Same thing here. I was IP banned this morning but just recently got unbanned after sending in an email. I wonder what happened...

[Das Glasperlenspiel]

Originally Posted by Omg a Black Conservative

Same thing here. I was IP banned this morning but just recently got unbanned after sending in an email. I wonder what happened...

Same here. I was going crazy trying to figure out what I had said or who I had insulted!

[Shodan]

It would have worked, too - if it weren't for you meddling kids!

Regards,
Shodan

SPOILER:

Actually, thanks to the mods/admins/PTB for the quick resolution. Much appreciated.

[poker in the rear]

Test

[kunilou]

Amazing Grace, how sweet the Board to save a wretch like me.

Was banned but now I'm free!

Let this day go down in SDMB history -- the Day of the Great Banning!

[Archergal]

Jeezopete, at least I wasn't the only one! Scared the crap out of me honestly, because I really am (mostly) A Nice Person on the boards here. At least I try to be.

I couldn't see the boards at all, but it looks like I'm unstuck now. Thanks!

ETA: Must have been a drive by attack by Trogdor the Banninator or something.

[CCYMan]

I was banned once, just once. In 1960. For 20 minutes.

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by CCYMan

I was banned once, just once. In 1960. For 20 minutes.

I remember that. We had accidentally blocked the Mariana Trench.

[The Hamster King]

I'm pretty sure this morning's banning was very widespread. When I finally got back on the boards it looked like no one had posted anything for over an hour.

[brainstall]

Big sigh of relief... I had no idea what I had done or why from one moment to the next I was suddenly banned.

[shantih]

Holy crap I was banned!!!!

All right, so was EVERYBODY ELSE, but jeez that was a bad moment! It couldn't have been anything other than a horrible, horrible mistake -- I'm harmless! And cute as a button!

*deep, cleansing breaths*

[Colophon]

Actually, at first I was slightly freaking out that the Powers That Be at work had twigged and banned access from their end...

[Moonlitherial]

Thank god it wasn't just me Not only my home IP but my work IP and through my cell. I was getting a complex.

[Moe]

Originally Posted by postcards

Please ignore my two previous slightly too panicky emails.

Ditto.

And yeah, it is a strange feeling to see that screen. Even though I knew I'd done nothing wrong you just can't help but go over in your mind what could've possibly been in that last post that might have offended.

[Ogre]

My first thought was that my login had been hacked and someone was spamming the boards with my account.

[D_Odds]

Originally Posted by Ogre

My first thought was that my login had been hacked and someone was spamming the boards with my account.

Likewise. I sent the webmaster and TubaDiva a polite message alerting them. If a hacked account was the answer, I'm sure we could have handled it in a non-confrontational way. But TD responded that it was a site problem and I let TPTB handle it. No panic, no drama, no fear.

[Sigmagirl]

I was banned and signed out immediately lest it be a foreshadowing of a call from the HR department.

Whew.

[jabiru]

Originally Posted by Moonlitherial

Thank god it wasn't just me Not only my home IP but my work IP and through my cell. I was getting a complex.

When I couldn't access the board from my iPhone was when I twigged it was more than just a banning of me. My phone would have a different IP, right?

[Shodan]

Am I correct in my understanding?

• If I am Banned for being a jerk, I am able to read the boards but not post. Do I need to be logged out from the Banned screen name to read?

• If I am Banned, do I get a message saying I have been banned when I access the boards?

• If my IP address is banned, because I am a spammer or Marley23 is drunk again, I cannot even read the boards. Correct?

Here's hoping I never find out for real.

Regards,
Shodan

[twickster]

Originally Posted by Moe

Ditto.

And yeah, it is a strange feeling to see that screen. Even though I knew I'd done nothing wrong you just can't help but go over in your mind what could've possibly been in that last post that might have offended.

x10 if you're a mod.

[Quasimodem]

As I wrote TubaDiva this morning, there sure are a lot of us with guilty consciences!

Q

[jabiru]

Originally Posted by Quasimodem

As I wrote TubaDiva this morning, there sure are a lot of us with guilty consciences!

Q

No, my first thought was, "oh crap, my son has found The Dope and has been posting like a jerk and gotten us banned". Sorry, son.

[Marley23]

Originally Posted by Shodan

If I am Banned, do I get a message saying I have been banned when I access the boards?[/list]

Either when you access the board or when you try to do something you are not allowed to do, like posting. But you would be able to read the boards.

If my IP address is banned, because I am a spammer or Marley23 is drunk again, I cannot even read the boards. Correct?

Correct. And I appreciate your presumption that I sometimes moderate while sober.

EDIT: For some reason, this thread makes me want to shout "I am not an IP number! I am a free man!"

[Rhythmdvl]

Originally Posted by Marley23

EDIT: For some reason, this thread makes me want to shout "I am not an IP number! I am a free man!"

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!

[Shodan]

Originally Posted by Marley23

Either when you access the board or when you try to do something you are not allowed to do, like posting. But you would be able to read the boards.


Correct. And I appreciate your presumption that I sometimes moderate while sober.

Thanks for your response. And FTR, have you considered that the problem might be moderating when you are not drunk? JAQ.

EDIT: For some reason, this thread makes me want to shout "I am not an IP number! I am a free man!"

Oh jeez, don't start that Kaitlyn/Number Six stuff again.

Regards,
Shodan

[Chickenwrangler]

The last post seems to have been some time ago so I hope someone is still here!

Several times over the last few months while trying to log in I get the message "Sorry the administrator has banned your IP Address"

The only way I seem to be able to clear this message and log in is by a reboot of my modem but as you might appreciate this is not always convenient.

Is there something that can be done at your end (or my end) so I don't get this error message in the future.

Thank you.

[Absolute]

I am just posting to say that the use of the term "IP number" instead of "IP address" in the title of this thread has been causing me to grit my teeth every time I've seen it for the past year and a half.

[TruCelt]

Originally Posted by Absolute

I am just posting to say that the use of the term "IP number" instead of "IP address" in the title of this thread has been causing me to grit my teeth every time I've seen it for the past year and a half.

While I agree that most people with this problem will be looking at their "dotted quad" or IP address when they post; I don't think it's such a reach to think that the moderator in charge of this particular problem might be someone deeply geek enough to think in long form "numbers" rather than in addresses.

[Zebra]

Am I banned?

guess not. I was getting a "you're not allowed to do this" when I was trying to post. Lasted about 20 minutes.

[Peter Morris]

Were you replying to a spammer, troll or sock puppet? If you try to post to a vanished or locked thread you get a message like that.

[taskmgr.exe]

109.123.99.104

This IP is banned. It belongs to HMA VPN service. I can't read forums when I use this IP because this IP is restricted. Would you please remove it?

[taskmgr.exe]

Originally Posted by taskmgr.exe

109.123.99.104

This IP is banned. It belongs to HMA VPN service. I can't read forums when I use this IP because this IP is restricted. Would you please remove it?

Nobody cares.

[Rhythmdvl]

Originally Posted by taskmgr.exe

Nobody cares.

Does anybody really know what time it is?

[Marley23]

I'll look into it, but we've been spammed by a bunch of people using similar IP addresses. That's why it's banned.

[Shodan]

Originally Posted by Marley23

I'll look into it...

We're doomed.

Regards,
Shodan

[samclem]

Originally Posted by taskmgr.exe

109.123.99.104

This IP is banned. It belongs to HMA VPN service. I can't read forums when I use this IP because this IP is restricted. Would you please remove it?

We've actually considered not allowing any proxy IPs or anonymous IPs in an effort to fight spam and trolls.

So far, we don't usually do this routinely. So far.

Try using one of your proxies we haven't banned.

[MoneyGuy]

I've never been banned anywhere and have a question I've always wondered about. When you're banned and try to log in, what do you see? Is it a simple message that says you're banned or do it provide more info such as the reason and length of he ban. No, I don't want to find it first hand, so I'm asking.

[Marley23]

IP bans are different from those kinds of bans. If your IP address is banned you get a message that says the administrator has banned your IP address. If your account is banned, you get a message saying that. It may or may not include a reason for the ban (or suspension if it's a temporary ban).

[taskmgr.exe]

Originally Posted by samclem

We've actually considered not allowing any proxy IPs or anonymous IPs in an effort to fight spam and trolls.

So far, we don't usually do this routinely. So far.

Try using one of your proxies we haven't banned.

That's so unreasonable. Why am I not allowed to view Straight Dope Message Boards while using my VPN?

Also,

91.214,46.197
91.214.45.177

are banned. Please lift them. I am sure there are pretty much VPN IPs banned.

[Marley23]

Originally Posted by taskmgr.exe

Why am I not allowed to view Straight Dope Message Boards while using my VPN?

Because people using IPs similar to yours kept spamming us. We are looking for a way to accommodate you and I realize this may be an inconvenience, but it seems to me you're not having that much difficulty accessing the board.

[Marley23]

You should be able to access the board now through your 91.214.46.197 and 91.214.45.177 IP addresses, taskmgr.exe. I would prefer to leave the other IP addresses banned because before the ban we were getting a significant amount of spam from there. Does that solve your problem?

[BigT]

The thing is, if a troll wants to use a proxy, there are constant numbers of new ones being created all the time, many that hide the fact that they are a proxy. It seems similar to outlawing guns to make sure criminals don't have them.

[taskmgr.exe]

Originally Posted by BigT

The thing is, if a troll wants to use a proxy, there are constant numbers of new ones being created all the time, many that hide the fact that they are a proxy. It seems similar to outlawing guns to make sure criminals don't have them.

OK. Please listen. I am not trying to teach you what to do as being so rude. Please don't misunderstand me. I am just expressing my humble opinion, since I have some little experiences on how to deal with trolls and spammers.

There is something called dynamic IP. A troll just can reset his modem to get a new IP. That means he can always create a new account, no matter how much IPs you ban. Therefore I don't see any reason to ban any IP, including VPN IPs. If someone is troll, just ban his account. The more you ban IPs, the more you prevent innocent people from viewing this forum. Because someone else can get the trolls' IP through dynamic IP thing. Or, if you ban VPN's IP addresses, you will unwillingly punish other people, just because they use VPN.

For me, the best method to combat trolls and spammers is to have as many moderators as you can have. They don't have to be "mods". They can be just trustworthy users who have the allowance in the forum script to nonpermanently suspend the accounts of spammers or new troll-like users. Suspension can be permanent in case the mods and admins agree. In the long run, you will win against the trolls since suspending an account is way faster than creating the new one.