OT: An Existential Dilemma - Page 2

Zapmeister · #11 May 25th, 2004, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
You cannot be totally anonymous on the net.

Is that really true? Suppose, for example, I suspected that Norfleet had multiple logins in this forum, and asked you to investigate. You do a good job, and report that he's clean.

The problem is, I suspect you of being Norfleet, and there's no-one else I can turn to (except Zen, who is also Norfleet).

I don't believe there is any way you can prove to me that Gandalf/Norfleet/Zen/Annette/... and myself are not the only two people in the forum.

Huzurdaddi · #12 May 25th, 2004, 05:09 AM

Since the gig is up I might as well let you in on it Zapmeister.

You are Norfleet.

Gandalf Parker · #13 May 25th, 2004, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zapmeister:

quote:
Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
You cannot be totally anonymous on the net.

I don't believe there is any way you can prove to me that Gandalf/Norfleet/Zen/Annette/... and myself are not the only two people in the forum.

Really pushing on the existential thing huh?
Remember: on Internet never believe anyone who says they are XXXXXX
and never believe anyone who says they are not XXXXXX.
(replace xxxxx with your choice of old, young, male, female,
married, unmarried, law, hacker, mortal, god)

Actually it all boils down to "root" (windows people say "administrator"). Anyone with root access can do alot of tracing, and slamming. Its part of what keeps the internet alive and running. now if you think that maybe Norflet is the person who ACTUALLY put up this box so that he can play all the parts and talk to himself... OK this is getting nuts.

PvK · #14 May 25th, 2004, 05:16 AM

Well yes, it is easy to become anonymous to a user, harder to be anonymous to a forum admin, harder than that to be anonymous to an ISP, still harder to be anonymous to a major name service provider, and even harder to be anonymous to a government security task force. But only if any of them care.

Dialup customers to an ISP generally get a different IP address each time they connect.

Then there are anonymizer services - they know who you are, but whoever you connect to, doesn't. That'll work for everyone up to the ISP of the anonymizer service, and the best of those would take measures to prevent themselves from being (ab)used by authorities.

Etc.

On a forum though, as Gandalf mentioned, it's easier to tell via human communication skills, and by estimating the odds. Again, if you care.

So, yes we could all be Norfleet, but it would be a full-time job for us, and we'd have to be supergeniuses who nonetheless decide it is worth our time to deceive you in this way. Which we might, in our supergeniusness, have realized is actually true, since we get to goof off with Dominions so much. If we happen to be what you might call Cthuloid, it might even just be our hobby.

PvK

[ May 25, 2004, 04:18: Message edited by: PvK ]

Kel · #15 May 25th, 2004, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:

quote:
Originally posted by Zapmeister:

quote:
Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
You cannot be totally anonymous on the net.

I don't believe there is any way you can prove to me that Gandalf/Norfleet/Zen/Annette/... and myself are not the only two people in the forum.
Really pushing on the existential thing huh?

If he was really being existential he would have said that there is no way to prove that *he* isn't the only one here

- Kel

PvK · #16 May 25th, 2004, 05:23 AM

While it is true that we could all be Norfleet, it is perhaps more likely that you can win Dominions II against full Impossible AI's on the Aran map while forcing yourself to only fight using Gift of Reason-ed tainted Blood Slave units. It's possible. Just not very likely.

PvK

HotNifeThruButr · #17 May 25th, 2004, 06:09 AM

Well, everyone here might be Norfleet, but I'm really PvK

JK

quantum_mechani · #18 May 25th, 2004, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PvK:
While it is true that we could all be Norfleet, it is perhaps more likely that you can win Dominions II against full Impossible AI's on the Aran map while forcing yourself to only fight using Gift of Reason-ed tainted Blood Slave units.

PvK

Wait... you still need someone to cast GoR and blood hunt

.

Jack Simth · #19 May 25th, 2004, 06:47 AM

He said "...only fight using..." - he allows for using other things for other purposes, apparently.

quantum_mechani · #20 May 25th, 2004, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jack Simth:
He said "...only fight using..." - he allows for using other things for other purposes, apparently.

Well, I suppose 'fight' is a bit ambiguous, you might not be able to avoid having them in a battle at some point. And what about spells; is casting seeking arrow fighting?

[ May 25, 2004, 05:55: Message edited by: quantum_mechani ]