OT: An Existential Dilemma

[Zapmeister]

In a separate thread (Deception?) I posed the tongue-in-cheek idea that Norfleet and Cainehill are aliases owned by the same person. Then I went to lunch.

While I was out, it occurred to me that there's no way of knowing that identity fraud is not pandemic in any internet forum. For all I know, Norfleet and I are the only contributors here.

Is it possible to prove otherwise? In the movie "X-Men", when Wolverine was under suspicion (was he really Mystique?) Cyclops challenged him to prove his identity. Wolverine said simply "You're a dick" and that was good enough for Cyclops.

But really, that's not good enough even if you are a dick. The sad truth is that no poll result can be trusted, and we must take identity diversity on faith.

That said, even I have to admit that Stormbinder is probably not Norfleet. But less strident critics could be Norfleet, who realizes that I'd see through this immediately if there were no token anti-Norfleeters in the mix.

Finally, it has also occurred to me that the entire forum population could be a creation of the guy in office next door, with a compulsive desire to perplex me. I'd better go now, and beat him up.

[Maltrease]

You have undone my clever plot to deceive you.

Thanks a lot.

[Norfleet]

Actually, you're really a brain in a tank being raised as a delicacy for us, your alien overlords. We feed you these sensations because if you are not kept relatively engaged, you develop a bad taste. At the same time, if you are allowed to become too happy, you become fatty and unhealthful. Thus, a certain level of trial and misery is required in your experiences, so that you develop the proper flavor when we pluck you from the tank and cook you. That's what really happens when you die of old age. There's no such thing as old age, really.

[Maltrease]

I remember a Smurfs episode where they taught that lesson.

Only aired once... must have touched a nerve with someone up there.

[HotNifeThruButr]

I'd hate to spoil it for you, but most, if not all forums, have these Moderators that can check your I.P. address. If Norfleet has multiple names, then they'd come out as his IP (I've seen this before, really sad) and they'll give him a healthy dosage of

"You have been Banned from this forum"

[Maltrease]

But what if you drove to a different public library for each alias?

Or you had a dialup account, cable modem, and a web enabled cell phone?

It kinda like those skyline punch cards. After you buy 50 meals they give you a free T-shirt.

[Zapmeister]

Originally posted by HotNifeThruButr:
I'd hate to spoil it for you, but most, if not all forums, have these Moderators that can check your I.P. address.

IPs can be spoofed, can't they?
Also, who's to say that the moderator isn't Norfleet?

[Norfleet]

Okay, okay, you got me, I confess. I really am Maltrease also.

[Maltrease]

Hey... I was going to admit to being you.

Now what happens? Do we both not exist?


It's like when you eat Anti Pasta as your appetizer and then have Pasta for the main meal.

Later on you wonder why you are still hungry... when the answer is pretty obvious.

[Gandalf Parker]

IPs can be spoofed but only for a 1-way traffic thing which excludes most internet activitys including this one.

We have already had a case where one poll was pretty much ignored when the person with a particular viewpoint created over 30 logins in a day. The fact that they all came from the same IP group was a factor.

However multiple sites arent hard to get. I have a dozen different IPs I can come in from.

On the other hand few people can manage multiple personalities well. If they can then they have problems outside of this forum which need addressed.

This is an old and well-chewed subject in the alt.hacker newsgroup. You cannot be totally anonymous on the net. You can only make it harder to tell who you are. Its a factor of how much trouble you cause to make it worth tracking down the answer.

[ May 25, 2004, 03:52: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]