# Masking IP adresses forbidden? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masking-ip-adresses-forbidden/112626 **Category:** The BBQ Pit **Created:** [June 6, 2002, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masking-ip-adresses-forbidden/112626 "2002-06-06T06:41:59Z") **Posts on this page:** 3 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur) #### Post date: [June 6, 2002, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masking-ip-adresses-forbidden/112626/1 "2002-06-06T06:41:59Z")
[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=118915) has been closed by the moderator. The guy asked how he could mask his IP adress. I don’t understand why. I understand that using an anonymizer isn’t allowed on this board, but it’s not illegal, AFAIK. And I assume that someone could have perfectly legitimate reasons to want to mask his IP. Don’t know which, but I would bet there are some. And anyway, even if he doesn’t have any particulary good reason, I assume he’s free to do so if he wants to… So, why was this factual question considered as unappropriate exactly? Why has the thread been closed? ---
### Author: ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire) #### Post date: [June 6, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masking-ip-adresses-forbidden/112626/2 "2002-06-06T08:00:42Z")
The question is certainly factual, but seeing as the answers might encourage people to spoof IP’s on _our_ board (think previously banned posters returning as a new user with a spoofed IP), we have no desire to leave such questions out in the open. Sure, there are other ways to get to this information. We just want to make sure the Straight Dope isn’t one of them - even though there may be valid reasons for spoofing an IP elsewhere. ---
### Author: ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur) #### Post date: [June 6, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masking-ip-adresses-forbidden/112626/3 "2002-06-06T16:15:12Z")
Thanks for your answer…