Also-- I could be just stupid, but it seems to me that I have multiple IP addresses, that's the way my ISP does it. When I look at the hit logs for my website and the top five are all from ppp-string-of-numbers.cust.oldcity.dca.net, I'm betting they're all me, and not just five different really interested Philadelphians.

Exactly right, RL. One person can have multiple IP addresses, and several people can have the same IP address. I don't see the value of adding it to the post database.

Your connection type affects your IP address change frequency. You could pay extra to have a static one, but most likely it will be dynamic -- a new one every time you connect. For dialup users, this is obviously fairly frequently. For cable/DSL, it varies ... sometimes you get the same one back you had, if your off-time was short enough, and demand for new IPs was low in that interim.

The value adding it to the post database is to save time in looking up the IP address in the HTTP logs.

I guarantee you that if we ever had to deal with a determined troublemaker, having the IP address that did the posting would be required to take action.

If it happens, ita will just have to dig the address out of the logs, which she prefers, so I say that's fine.

I don't see any evidence of sock-puppetry in the Firefly thread, myself. But I am kind of hopeful certain posters decide we're too boring to deal with and go away...

I guarantee you that if we ever had to deal with a determined troublemaker, having the IP address that did the posting would be required to take action.

By blocking that IP address from posting? It's likely the IP address isn't static and/or we could end up banning someone else who happens to get assigned that same address, so what's the point?

You'd use the IP address to find out where the posts are coming from. Depending on where, an email to the ISP's abuse address might take care of it.

But without it, there's nothing you can do.

I'm with Jon. I'm against banning by IP because it's easy enough to a) circumvent b) throw out the baby with the bathwater.

edit: And I've way given up on complaining to ISPs, after reading about how little of abuse@ISP.net ever gets read.

The point about IP being (possibly) useful to prove that sockpuppetry is going on is still valid. But we seem to agree that was just paranoia now, so it's pretty much irrelevant.

Just for the record, I never suggested banning by IP address. I don't know where you got that from.