Block IP

[losttoy]

Title
Block IP

Short, concise description of the idea
A simple way to block spam or internet attackers who use the Anonymous feature, without having to block all Anonymous posting.

Full description of the ideaInstead of having a user block all Anonymous posts or having the user delete each spam or trolling post, create an option to block the

Comments

[girlfight]

too easy to circumvent, essentially making it useless.

[losttoy]

I would not say useless ... sure people could get around it, but it would add an additional level of protection and most people will not hassle to get a new IP every time they want to post.

[azurelunatic]

If implemented, the blocked IP address list should have the ban date on it, and possibly even a link to the entry that the comment was deleted from, if applicable.

It would be also very useful if, when an IP address is blocked for anonymous commenters, any logged-in comments originating from that IP are flagged somehow (and the usernames listed in the banned IP list next to the IP). This obviously won't distinguish between moments when a so-called friend is being a dickwad anonymously but nice as pie when logged in and situations where an anonymous dickwad happens to have used the same IP as a friend (friend-of-a-friend being a dickwad on friend's computer is one scenario that springs readily to mind) ... but it would be a useful thing to know.

Say something like this:

Unblock?IPBlock DateBlocked FromUsers commenting with this IP since blocked
[ ]127.0.0.12001 May 02 11:21:05http://azurelunatic.livejournal.com/5848457.htmlNone
[ ]192.168.0.22001 May 03 15:30:59... )

[neitherday]

Obviously, for privacy purposes it should only list users whose IPs you'd already have access to (from IP address logged posts you made).

Searching through posts to find comments made with the IP address seems like it might be resource intensive. Perhaps it would be better to simply add "BLOCKED IP" after the IP address wherever the IP address would normally be displayed.

[azurelunatic]

*nod* I'd think that in order to block by IP, you'd have to have IP address logging on.

I wouldn't have it searching actively in past comments - I'd have it running all new comments made past the IP address block list -- perhaps in the same or similar part of the comment creation process where it checks for ban status from the journal? -- and then if the IP is banned for anonymous users, it appends the username creating the comment to the list. And possibly generates an event that one can subscribe to.

But putting "blocked IP" after the IP address is something like where I was going with the "flag comments" idea.

One could probably make a client-side script to note IP addresses of deleted anonymous comments and flag logged-in IPs based on that, though it would not be half so useful as an LJ-side tool.

[azurelunatic]

And possibly the number of times the logged-in commenter has commented from that IP. You can't tell for sure, but the coincidence factor looks mighty dodgy when a logged-in user has been coming from an IP known to be abusive in AC mode 99 out of 100 times they've commented to you.

[evilaphrodesia]

I want this too.
I am sick of having a stalker make up fake LJs and trying different ways to stalk me. She's not smart enough to know what an IP address is and if I could block it I could remove the problem.

And yeah, my journal is friends only.

[azurelunatic]

If she's making new journals to evade a ban, that's not only stupid, but so stupid that the Abuse Prevention Team might be interested in it.

[evilaphrodesia]

I never thought of that... thanks for bringing it to my attention.

She seems to have backed off for now, but this girl will try again when she thinks I'm least expecting it.

Some people, I swear.

[losttoy]

I shutter at the thought of making my journal friends only. The thing that makes livejournal different from all the other blog places is the sense of community. I have made some many new friends on livejournal. Some of them from community groups. Some of them from searching interests. Some of them are friends of friends. For whatever reason I end up at a person's journal, I am disappointed when I find it completely friends only. I cannot take that leap of faith just on a profile alone, how do I know if I want to read their journal if I cannot read their entries first? If you are going to close your journal so nobody can read it, why are you on livejournal? Sending e-mails to your best friends or just write in a paper diary or in a word file. These are blogs for people to read. This is your chance to say what you want to the world. It is such a shame to lose your voice to the world because one or two jerks.

[scapegoat]

Great idea!

[losttoy]

Yes, it is a good idea. Yes, it was ages ago. No, it probably will not be implemented. I had to block anonymous posting myself. It sucks. It would not take much work on the LJ staff and would give control to the user. Blocking all anonymous comments is like getting an elephant gun to kill a fly. Oh well.

[beccala]

I would love to have this .... though .... this seems to be an antiquated thought ....

I hate that I had to make my journal private when I know the IP that the person I don't want reading it is coming from. *mehs*

And for me, its not about them posting spam .... as they have a registered account .... its that I don't want them around, reading, period.

[azurelunatic]

What you want is one of the very few things that will never happen. There is a FAQ about why it will never happen: http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=121