InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "SOLVENT GREEN IS PEOPLE"

Lizi (tentarafoo) wrote in rp_tutorials,
@ 2012-09-03 01:58:00

Hey everyone.

I was just curious if, aside from FOAF/mbox checks, anyone had any tried and true methods for determining if two different accounts are made by the same person.

My game has been spammed by people like this multiple times over the past year and I'd really like to put an end to it, so any tips would be great.

(Post a new comment)

tessisamess
2012-09-03 10:49 am UTC (link)

I remember a post on an LJ comm ages ago that taught you how to determine if two journals had the same email address attached to them by viewing he source code of their page and finding a matching number that is the same for each email used to register but, for the life of me, I can't remember what you're supposed to CTRL+F, so I can't test it to see if it works on IJ too.

If this jogs anyone's memory, and they know what I'm talking about, that would probably be the best (if not totally foolproof if there are sock emails involved) method to use, and finding a link to the post I saw so it can be tested on IJ would be awesome.

I'll keep googling it though, ~lastofleaves. ♥

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	cheapfiction 2012-09-03 02:50 pm UTC (link)
	is FOAF different than mbox? if so, i know how to avoid people successfully mboxing your account... (Reply to this) (Parent)

passion
2012-09-03 04:11 pm UTC (link)

that's the mbox code! if you go to the user info page, view source, and CTRL-F the term 'mbox', you'll find a code, which can be compared to the code in the source of another user info page. however, there are ways to get past this - using different emails for each account (as an mbox is assigned to an email address), or altering your email address slightly for each account.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-03 04:26 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, exactly. They've taken to creating different email addresses for their aliases and it's making it hard to tell if we're just being paranoid, or if it's actually this person, you know? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

passion
2012-09-03 04:34 pm UTC (link)

i know what you mean! at the end of the day, though, you have to go with your gut. if you have samples of their writing you can make comparisons; you can also step up the requirements of your application in certain ways - needing certain methods of contact or requiring very extensive examples, just as a contingency method, and it might make it easier to suss them out or, best case scenario, drive them off as they don't want to fabricate so much for the sake of squirming their way into your game.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tentarafoo
2012-09-03 04:39 pm UTC (link)

Over the past few days, we've extended the application/added a whole manner of new things to it to hopefully do just that, and also added a notice to the rules that if we see enough of the signs that someone in-game is this person, we reserve the right to remove them.

It's the best we can do for now, I suppose.

Thank you, though. I think just hearing our "go with your gut" method doesn't make us completely horrid people helps a lot.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	passion 2012-09-03 04:40 pm UTC (link)
	man, i'm so sorry that this is happening to you. some people just don't know when to freakin quit. best of luck, and i really hope you can get this person out once and for all! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-03 04:42 pm UTC (link)
	They honestly don't. The fact that they like the game so much would probably be flattering if it wasn't so infuriating. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	passion 2012-09-03 04:49 pm UTC (link)
	can i ask why they were removed or not allowed into the game in the first place? this is actually reminding me of someone from a game i was in ages ago. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tentarafoo
2012-09-03 04:59 pm UTC (link)

Because back when the game started, around September-October of last year, they joined with a pair of characters and then created about six aliases and joined with two characters each. And they spammed the holds page with at least thirty holds. All under different aliases. And they spent most of the time that they were in game on hiatus. We did FOAF/mbox checks and there was a total of four different FOAF/mboxes for all of these characters and holds. :\

And after we booted them, they vanished for a couple of months and then joined with two aliases, two characters each. We didn't think to check FOAF/mboxes until after we'd accepted, but it turned out it was them. They didn't make activity (and went on another of their ridiculously long hiatuses), so we swept them.

Last month, they came back. We were actually planning on letting them stay, so long as they didn't create so many characters, you know? But one of their old aliases contacted us and asked us if "they" (meaning that particular alias) could come back with their characters and that threw the red flag up for us. We didn't remove them, but after the conversation with their alias, explaining why we couldn't let them come back, they left with the characters they were currently in-game with.

And no more than a day later, they'd applied with the character they're currently in-game with, and have already begun their holds page spamming.

I hope that made sense. It's hard to explain because it's hard to keep straight in my head sometimes. XD

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	passion 2012-09-03 05:07 pm UTC (link)
	well, shit. that is straight-up crazy. :\| (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-03 05:11 pm UTC (link)
	Yeeeah. I knew it was but I totally didn't realize how bad it sounded until typing it all out right there. XD (Reply to this) (Parent)

	tessisamess 2012-09-03 05:57 pm UTC (link)
	Buh? Why would someone even... God, that would be a headache and a half to deal with. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-03 06:02 pm UTC (link)
	It definitely is, lol. We've heard from a few sources that we aren't the only game they've done it to, either. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tessisamess 2012-09-03 06:13 pm UTC (link)
	Augh, Jesus. I do not envy you. But, tbh, if I were in your game and you, as mods, had explained the situation to your players, and later had to start putting your foot down to try and put a stop to the problem, I wouldn't think it was horrible at all. Because it sounds like a pretty big, time-consuming problem, imo. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tentarafoo
2012-09-03 06:20 pm UTC (link)

It's nice to hear someone other than one of us say that, thank you.

That's what we're hoping for anyway. We're going to deal with the situation when my co-mod gets home from work tonight. Perhaps ask some of our players for ideas to help with the screening process, too. We're considering going invite only, too, but we really don't like that idea either because we've gotten all of our really awesome people via random apps, too, you know?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tessisamess
2012-09-03 06:27 pm UTC (link)

Oh definitely. There are pros and cons to invite-only, just like with anything, but if you don't like the idea of doing it then you probably shouldn't do it until you're down to your very last resort. I know you can't install scripts on IJ, but here's a suggestion that just sprung to mind (lolsprung): Host your application offsite and set it up to log IP addresses.

I know it sounds like a pain, but it would most likely eliminate your issue. If that sounds like something you wanna do, I can help you set it and the scripts up, and style it to match your game pro bono since it's such a bullshit situation. :3

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tentarafoo
2012-09-03 06:39 pm UTC (link)

We do have IP logging on in the mod journal, but we're pretty sure that this person uses an IP scrambler or something, because they have various IP addresses that they've used.

It might not solve the problem completely, but at the very least it would show them that we mean business and aren't taking their crap anymore. If you're willing to help us out, that would be fantastic. What info do you need? I can PM or email it to you.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tessisamess
2012-09-03 06:45 pm UTC (link)

Wow, that is some dedication to fuckery. Good lawd. Well, my email's tessisamess at the mail of hot, and my AIM is tessisabiiitch, if you wanna talk options.

Also, though, I would suggest bringing up this possible application change to your players, letting them know why you want to do it, and telling them that you're sorry it's come down to this, and you understand it's a hassle and all that good modly shit. Just, you know, so they know they're being taken into account during the problem-solving process.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-03 06:48 pm UTC (link)
	The mail of hot. XDD Good idea, yes. I was probably a little too gung-ho to get an option out there. XD Sorry. We're going to deal with booting them and everything tonight, and after that, once we get a consensus from our players, I'll toss you an email and we can talk it out, how's that sound? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tessisamess 2012-09-03 06:51 pm UTC (link)
	Sure! I'll go ahead and get a head start and gather the scripts and shit you'll need, just in case. (Besides, if it works well for you I can always give it out for any game to use, if that's something mods would want lol.) But yeah, no, I get it. I'd wanna get this shit taken care of ASAfuckingP, too. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-03 06:55 pm UTC (link)
	You rock. Thank you so much for even suggesting this. Do you need the game name so you can look around for specific scripts or anything? Sorry, I'm kinda derp when it comes to HTML things. XD (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tessisamess 2012-09-03 06:58 pm UTC (link)
	Lol! Just link me to the comm and the application so I can see what all you ask for. I'll probably be adding, like, an IP logger, all of your app requirements to the form, and possibly a captcha, if you want it. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-03 07:00 pm UTC (link)
	The mod journal is immunemod, the app is here and I'll get back to you about the catchpa after I talk to everyone else. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-04 05:53 pm UTC (link)
	So, the general consensus from our players is that we're going to work together to look for warning signs and field applications together too. But we really do appreciate the offer. And if the problem continues, I may end up asking you about it again sometime in the future. Thanks so much for all the suggestions. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tessisamess 2012-09-04 06:01 pm UTC (link)
	I'm glad you figured out a resolution with your players, and I really hope it works out! I'll totally still be here and willing to help, though, if it comes to it later on. ♥ (Reply to this) (Parent)

tentarafoo
2012-09-03 04:24 pm UTC (link)

That's actually one of the things I've done. But this particular person either got wise in general or looked back through the community at the post where we informed our other players of what they were doing and figured out how we found out. So now, they're using different emails for each of their aliases.

As of right now, all my co-mod and I have to go on are common mannerisms we've picked up on and character archetypes that they always seem to apply with, but that's difficult, and probably not enough basis to remove them without a ton of backlash. You know?

Thank you for your help. I'm seriously at my wits end here.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tessisamess 2012-09-03 04:31 pm UTC (link)
	Sorry I couldn't be of more help. :( I hope the issue gets resolved! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-03 04:33 pm UTC (link)
	It's okay. Thank you for trying, at least. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	sic_vita_est 2012-09-07 03:09 am UTC (link)
	What if they have the same IP and you enable IP logging and get them to comment on like a mandatory activity check/HMD/meme/whatever post? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	tentarafoo 2012-09-07 05:06 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, we tried that, too. We have IP logging in the mod journal, but they either have a scrambler or can travel from one place to another ridiculously fast, lol. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sic_vita_est
2012-09-08 02:13 am UTC (link)

Oh wow. Different emails I guess I can understand but using an IP scrambler just seems really over the top for just an RP >_>

Apart from just noticing things in the writing style, there's other things like AIM. Do they sign on/off at the same time. Try to talk to both at the same time and see if you get simultaneous or consecutive responses. Also I was recently in an RP that occasionally had Teamspeak Weekends, which is like Skype. You can't be two people on Skype unless they happen to own a Darth Vader voice scrambler.

(Reply to this) (Parent)