Tag Archives: abuse

help traceroute

2

It is very satisfying when I don’t just help someone I give them tools to then help themselves. Had a ticket today that concerned photos of young children. The complainant pointed out the blog was a WordPress blog and could we take it down. It was obvious from their language that they knew little of how to find information. If the blog had been on wordpress.com it would have gone immediately, it was breaking the law. But it wasn’t and I could have simply said “Not ours, can’t help”. But this is kids, it’s stolen images and it is illegal so a simple brush-off wouldn’t do. And it also wouldn’t help the people complaining.
What they needed to know was who owned the domain.

Point out http://dnsstuff.com then use the tools there to find what they need. So whois the domain, whois the nameservers, traceroute the nameserver domain, get the upstream provider, ping them, check it’s all good info and send it on so they have every piece I can get hold of. Nothing complex, nothing difficult. If I could have dug around to find an AUP I would have but I’m sure Liquidweb don’t allow child porn seeing as they are US based. But the point is that they now have the site to go to and how to extract the information they need. Sometimes it may be more complex but they still have more – bit like the teach to fish thing.
It’s a pity that that type of information extraction is not more easily available for people so they can go straight to source. Not because they bother the wrong person first but so it is quicker for them and hopefully resolved faster. I’ll watch the blog url, see how fast it disappears. If it hasn’t by Monday I’ll complain.
Any other tips?

Standing to attention

2

I’ve been insulted many many times both in the jobs I have done and in the wonderful world of the internet. Once you’ve played your part in a usenet flame thread all seems relatively calm. And it was until today.

A blog was very legitimately shut. I did it and I’d do it again. Reasons why don’t matter but there was no doubt here. This happened a month ago at least and today I get a random email. It is by an insanely long way the single most vicious thing I have ever been sent. And I do mean ever. One line is fairly impressive:

“I hope there’s a hell, and I hope you fucking rot in it, Mark. I hope this more than …a million gold-plated blowjobs”

I am sort of impressed that I can summon such emotion in someone. Being an atheist the thought of ‘hell’ means absolutely zilch. But it’s the gold-plated blowjobs that have me thinking. Does he mean that they will be excellent blowjobs? Or is it that he wants some gold-toothed US rap star to head south on him? Because otherwise he means gold-plating it? Weird turn-ons some people have. He must have poured a years worth of bile and venom into that text he sent and yet he picked on that peculiar phrase. Inner feelings will out..
A million. That’s impressive too. Live to 70 and that’s just over 25000 days. So you’d need 40 a day? Two problems there: 1. Not even the horniest teenager at the peak of his sexual drive could hit 40 shots a day. No way at all. 2. Jaw ache.

So this guy wants more shiny sex that he can handle. What was that guy in Austin Powers? Goldmember?

I think this is the first time I’ve quoted part of an email here and it’ll probably be the last. It takes a lot these days to get to me but this one did. I had to read it several times to dissect it until it read as the ranting of a deranged individual. Depersonalised it. I hope I don’t get another though. One last thing: David? Have a nice day!