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Other than guessing from language, can anyone tell who the anonymous posters are?

Is there a record saved of IP addresses? Just curious.

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Since writing this post Anonymous may have helped people, but has not within the last four (4) days.
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curious, saved, record, posters, addresses
Replies (36)
Dr. ralph club zps9ornptsl
DocteurRalph
last online: 04/07, 17:14
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(43 seconds after post)
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I think the mods can. They used to be able to at least.

Fb img 1600821388622
Nevermind
last online: 02/20, 6:06
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(2 minutes after post)
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The picture you use when you post anonymous is the same

Original Poster
Anonymous
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(4 minutes after post)
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Nevermind wrote:
The picture you use when you post anonymous is the same

I noticed. I think there must be a record. That's good - if someone posts that they are in danger, the mods or admins can send help from IP data as long as they aren't using VPN. Right?

Original Poster
Anonymous
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(6 minutes after post)
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I wonder how long the same picture sticks. If I post from another device will it be the same or different?

Dr. ralph club zps9ornptsl
DocteurRalph
last online: 04/07, 17:14
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(8 minutes after post)
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Right. I think if you use a different device it is different. My kids used to come here and they had no trouble telling us apart.

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Nevermind
last online: 02/20, 6:06
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(13 minutes after post)
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No. It's the same no matter what device

Dr. ralph club zps9ornptsl
DocteurRalph
last online: 04/07, 17:14
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(14 minutes after post)
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I bet if you logged in with a different e-mail it would be different.

Roccoflip
Rockster160
last online: <time class="timeago" datetime="1714402607" title="Apr 29, 2024 14:56">Apr 29, 2024 14:56</time>
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(16 minutes after post)
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Hi. Mod here. ๐Ÿ˜„

Yes, mods are able to see who the poster is- both the โ€œtrueโ€ account, as well as IP address. However, itโ€™s still anonymous. A mod has to open a page to reveal the true user.
Once your account is created, a special identifying string is stored which is used to generate the same icon each time, so as long as youโ€™re logged in to the same account, youโ€™ll have the same icon regardless of device.
Multiple accounts from your same IP may look the same, but may change, depending on certain circumstances.

Additionally, every post/reply stores the IP used- this is mostly to determine if an account has been hacked.

Still doin stuff for starbyface
CarolineFCY
last online: 07/21, 22:01
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(19 minutes after post)
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Haha, this whole thread reminds me of -- and explains completely -- an embarrassing post I made 9-10 years ago trying to do some self-promotion for a Sims story. Mods definitely saw right through me.

Electric
BA1
last online: 01/25, 20:20
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The grand moment for every user comes when they blow their cover.
It could be a heated moment or a moment of panic and you forget to check the box...or the technology fails to register your 'touch,' - that momentary stunning look as you see your comment processing away -
(!wait!) you tell yourself , (!I can edit it and re-send, there is no one looking!) ....of course there is.
....of course there is.....

Hiippie chick beautiful
~CaraMia~
last online: 08/07, 13:40
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No. No avvy. ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Hiippie chick beautiful
~CaraMia~
last online: 08/07, 13:40
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(1 hour after post)
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It's not even pretty! ๐Ÿ™

ok
edited and resent.

Electric
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last online: 01/25, 20:20
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(1 hour after post)
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I think your avatar is pretty. I like the colors!๐Ÿ˜ƒ

Anonymous
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(1 hour after post)
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What does mine look like?

Hiippie chick beautiful
~CaraMia~
last online: 08/07, 13:40
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(1 hour after post)
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NIce...like a green saw blade... ๐Ÿ˜Š

Electric
BA1
last online: 01/25, 20:20
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Holy smoke! I'm keeping my hands to myself!

Hiippie chick beautiful
~CaraMia~
last online: 08/07, 13:40
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(1 hour after post)
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๐Ÿ˜„

Anonymous
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(2 hours after post)
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I donโ€™t like it. :(

Anonymous
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(9 hours after post)
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Well heck I'm going to have to post anon and see what mine looks like now. I wonder how long that "anon" avatar will stick with me? That's the rub, even though you go anonymous it keeps using the same anonymous avatar so you're still kind of not anonymous...

Anonymous
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(9 hours after post)
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Hey I got a saw blade too.. lol

Original Poster
Anonymous
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(9 hours after post)
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It would be better if the images reset periodically. @Rockster160 is that possible?

Maybe once per week or so? So they stay long enough to reply to a topic, but not so long that an anonymous poster becomes known by their image. Most people who aren't up to mischief don't keep a whole lot of email addresses.

Original Poster
Anonymous
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(9 hours after post)
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Having them all the same would be another approach to preserve anonymity, but it would get confusing if there are multiple anonymous posters.

Anonymous
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(9 hours after post)
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I think my anonymous images used to be different from time to time on help. Green and purple once, but not always... Hm, I'm curious

Anonymous
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(9 hours after post)
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i'm a God

Anonymous
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(11 hours after post)
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I haven't checked what mine is yet.
---EDIT---
I like it

Original Poster
Anonymous
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(11 hours after post)
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Ok, now I'm on a different device. Same image?

Edit: Yep.

Roccoflip
Rockster160
last online: <time class="timeago" datetime="1714402607" title="Apr 29, 2024 14:56">Apr 29, 2024 14:56</time>
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(11 hours after post)
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Anonymous wrote:
It would be better if the images reset periodically. @Rockster160 is that possible?

Maybe once per week or so? So they stay long enough to reply to a topic, but not so long that an anonymous poster becomes known by their image. Most people who aren't up to mischief don't keep a whole lot of email addresses.

Definitely possible.
The original Help actually had a โ€œdefaultโ€ one that it fell back to. It was a purple one. A bunch of people thought it was just a troll though, until they suddenly had that purple one as well. ๐Ÿ˜…

I did notice the the original ones changed occasionally, but I donโ€™t think it was on a regular basis.

Another option is having them set per-post. So your icon would always be the same on this post, but on another post theyโ€™d be different.
A couple of issues with that:

1) You CANโ€™T tell itโ€™s the same poster- meaning itโ€™s harder to connect their stories. If you helped them on one post, you may want to extend your help to another. But thatโ€™s impossible if it changes all the time.
2) Some people get attached to their icons and like them. Then itโ€™s sad when they change. ๐Ÿ™

Maybe we should do a vote from the people. ๐Ÿ˜„

Original Poster
Anonymous
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(11 hours after post)
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I like the vote idea.

I also like the idea of changing them per post. If people are attached to them, they can sign up and use them on their account. I don't know that connecting stories is what people want when they post anonymously, though it certainly would help respondents to not waste their time on trolls or other people who won't listen to good advice and just keep asking the same questions again and again.

Happy earth
smiley
last online: 11/26, 18:47
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(11 hours after post)
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Hey, I like the vote idea too! ๐Ÿ˜

Roccoflip
Rockster160
last online: <time class="timeago" datetime="1714402607" title="Apr 29, 2024 14:56">Apr 29, 2024 14:56</time>
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(15 hours after post)
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The poll is up! Cast your vote here. ๐Ÿ˜„

https://help-qa.com/posts/515-help-qa-feature-p...

Anonymous
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(1 day after post)
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You people are crazy... what in tarnation are we even voting about? To see if we want the anon avatar to always be the same? Change every post? Change every comment? All of them be the same?

Now the moment of truth to see if I'm still a saw blade too...

Dr. ralph club zps9ornptsl
DocteurRalph
last online: 04/07, 17:14
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(1 day after post)
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Yep, same as the other day.

Original Poster
Anonymous
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(1 day after post)
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Change per discussion, so we know when we are talking with the OP, but we don't always know what else they have asked anonymously.

Anonymous
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(1 day after post)
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dif device... still a God

Anonymous
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(2 days after post)
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I'm on a different computer now... hmm

Dr. ralph club zps9ornptsl
DocteurRalph
last online: 04/07, 17:14
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(2 days after post)
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Same

A
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