Anonimity and the Internet

[ikabodsbadgirl]

I want to write an ebook. I think it can help kids and their parents. But there will be deeply personal stories in it, so I'd like to write it under a pseudonym. I would also register the website with the thing godaddy offers, where you are not able to be found in the "whois".

Do you think those two things will keep people (I'm really only worried about my family) from finding out it's me? There's going to be a paper trail straight to me, because the money will come to me through paypal, and through ebook providers I sell through. I just don't know how enthusiastic someone would have to be to figure out it was me.

What do you guys think?

[pyratas]

I have used a pseudonym as my name on the internet for years, for similar reasons.

I play in touring bands, and one of the first things that happens when crossing borders (especially Yanks playing in Britain) is that they google your name. (No good without work permits if they find you associated with a touring band...)

I went as far as this -- On my band's last record my name was "Doc Pyrata."
Now, everyone (friends and fans) calls me "Doc" instead of my real first name. It WORKED on a level beyond just the internet.

It's worked well, my real name isn't indexed until page 3 of google for interviews I did in a band from many years ago.

Also, if your have a myspace (or similar) page, take down any real info.

Your best bet is to google your name every few months and see stuff disappear as you work on your new internet name.

I mask my porn sites "whois" info for a price. I know Hammer and others frown upon this practice for porn (legal and other reasons), but if you're just writing an E-Book, then.....YES you can hide your domain name identity for a bit less than $10 bucks a year through most hosts, including Godaddy.


I'm really curious about this book though!

[pyratas]

This is off-topic to your post.

But since you asked about being anonymous on the internet, I thought I'd copy and paste a blog I wrote a couple weeks ago from my Myspace blog section.
-----------------------------------------

Why would you want to mask your IP address and be anonymous on the internet?

Of course it's for the same reason you don't give out your address to strangers --but even more importantly if you're surfing warez sites, hacker sites, anarcho-political sites, etc.


Maybe the company you work for blocks your favorite sites like Myspace through their firewall and you want to check it at work!


You can mask your IP Address (that gives away your ISP's info including location) by using a free Plugin for your FireFox browser.

(You ARE using Firefox, right?)

Open Mozilla Firefox

Then, go to "tools"--> Add-Ons-->"Get extensions"


On the next page in the search box type "proxy"

One of the first extensions to appear is call 'PhProxy -InBasic'

Install it-- it will force your browser to close and re-open, but won't lose your open tabs and pages.



Now, to surf anonymously there's a couple things.....

1: You have to right click on the link you want to open and hit "Open page (or tab) with PhProxy"

The page will load a little slower than usual, and you will get a banner ad at the top, but you are now "invisible" to the world. (Note the PH before the www in your URL box? You're now proxied)


(anytime you are on a site without the top banner and options, you are NOT anonymous, so it keeps it easy for you to know your status)

2: The proxy only lasts for the pages of the current site you are on. So if there's an outbound link (outside of the current website your surfing) you have to open the next outbound link (via right-click) again to remain anonymous.



Lastly, the program by default saves your cookies for that session only -- This is one kick-ass free plugin, I gotta tell ya!

For you geeks out there:


My IP (real) is 69.***.98.141 (sorry have to be safe, but shows Bay Area location)
My proxy is 59.139.29.99 (which tells people I live in Australia)

You can change and choose a different proxy/location under "options" in the add-ons section. They list about a dozen different proxy servers you can change on the fly.


To test this and make sure it works do this:

After you install the plugin, got to this site (normal click):

http://whatsmyip.org/

Take note of your REAL IP address.
Then, come back to this page (the one you're reading right now..).

Now RIGHT-CLICK on the same above link and hit "Open with PhProxy"
Take note of that proxy address (different, right?)

Copy and paste the new address at:

www.whois.com and see where the world now thinks you live.

Surf Safe, Surf Anonymously!

--Doc

[ikabodsbadgirl]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

[sunfunbill]

Interesting plug in pyratas. I wonder how many people have used that to click on their own google adsense ads to make more money. Don't they track your ip address to prevent you from clicking your own ads?

Maybe I'll do a test sometime with a bogus account.

[balls_deep]

Originally posted by sunfunbill
Maybe I'll do a test sometime with a bogus account.

prepare to be banned

[sunfunbill]

Don't worry Balls, I was just kidding. However I have stopped by my local library and clicked on my ads. Just to make sure they worked, of course!

[balls_deep]

Originally posted by sunfunbill
I have stopped by my local library and clicked on my ads.

They still have libraries?

[pyratas]

They still have libraries?

Yes Balls,

That's where homeless folks go to take a bird-bath in the public toilets.

[kiara]

I don't think there is anything wrong with using whois privacy especially for a site like that. Only other option I can think of that will hide your name is to use an LLC and get a postal box in the name of your corportation , LLC etc for your business mail. That way if you use that as your whois info it really doesn't come back to your name and home addy

[pyratas]

Welcome to Cozy kiara!

[razor]

Useful info Pyratas How robust is that FF plugin? I heard somewhere that using proxies to surf is not a 100% private?

[Cozy Monica]

I'm a fan of the private domain name registration and feel it's worth every penny. The last thing I want is any person I meet to be able to google my name and find out things I'd rather they didn't know until I knew them better.

Something people don't realize is that anything you write on the internet is there FOREVER. Just because you delete a post or a website or something you put up on someone else's page doesn't mean it's gone.

Just like I often do, most people back up their websites, so there are always copies of old information just waiting to be uploaded to the internet again. You never know how long people will keep backups or what they will choose to do with them in the future.

As well, there are several sites out there that make it their job to archive the internet.... like the old Way Back Machine. Then there is Google, they cache things for quite a long time.

I think if you write the e-book under a fake name, register your domain name privately, and change the names of the people in the personal stories you write in the book, nobody will ever realize it's you.

You have to remember, nobody is going to read your website and think "OH MI GOD, I'm going to start tracking down this author, they sound familiar!" and put too much effort into it.

Now if someone was out to kill you, well perhaps they might try.... but even they would have trouble. I think the only way you could be traced is the paper trail of money through paypal, and they sure aren't going to surrender any of your records without a police warrant or something of the likes.

[pyratas]

Nice one Monica...

I forgot to add to the fact that your site can be indexed almost indefinately (as Monica pointed out....but you can keep in check with your robots.txt file for waybackmachine).

Check this out--The history of Craigslist.org:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/craigslist.com

I have *NO IDEA* how the technology works, but check your own page.


Do this:


Go to www.betterwhois.com

Type in domain.

Hit "I'm researching this site" when the link/options show up.

Enjoy seeing your site (mostly intact) through the years.

It's FUCKING CREEPY!

However, you can stop this archive with the "Robots.txt" file.

[ikabodsbadgirl]

Thank you for the good replies. I feel ok moving ahead with this idea.

Anyone want to edit an ebook? (Bwa-ha-ha)

[ikabodsbadgirl]

Pyratas-
I looked at one of my sites. Holy crap! I'm glad I went with buying one from pornsite pros. I had no idea what I was doing. But I sure liked neon colors on black!

[pyratas]

Isn't pornsitepros Hammer?

Nice one if so.

[Cozy Monica]

http://web.archive.org/web/200208062...n-reviews.html

HAWHAWHAW, oh I almost have tears. And to think that was my second re-design.

[ikabodsbadgirl]

pyratas-
Pornsite pros is Hammer. Hammer is pornsite pros. I remember his critique of my first attempt, complete with too big "thumbnails" and all that neon green on black. "Your execution needs a little work,"he said.

Always gentle with the noobs, that one.

[pyratas]

HAWHAWHAW, oh I almost have tears. And to think that was my second re-design.

I lucked out to find Cozy and learn the rules without having to experiment.......

(Edited about 5 times, but was much more interesting and personal to all before i deleted it...........)


Moderators, why can't we delete our own posts?

Cheers.

Jamie