Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Permit me to ask you, then: if you do not accept logging of an IP address as prima facie evidence of illegal activities, what evidence would you accept?
|
When you go do some on-line banking does your bank rely on your IP address? Or do they use complicated, elaborate technical means like digital signatures, grid cards, hardware dongles that generate one-time unbreakable heavily encrypted hashes that prove that is is indeed you that makes that $9 payment for an e-book?
If IP address is such a perfect proof of who you are why are there so many internet related frauds, scams, stolen (and abused) credit card numbers?
As a network specialist I tell you, the IP address proves ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. You can use it as a starting point for further investigation, but not as an iron-clad proof!
Disconnecting somebody is too serious thing to base on such flimsy "evidence".
A log file from a computer can only be considered as a proof only when you adhere to a very rigorous procedures, and very special technical means to make sure that the evidence was not tampered with. Implementing even simple time stamp that is 100% reliable across all ISPs and "evidence" collecting "autorities" is complicated and expensive. Very expensive. And I doubt that MAFIAA will invest that kind of money when they have been collecting "evidence" with complete disregard to such things for courts.
I can produce hundreds of log files with YOUR IP address using plain text editor, I can produce very interesting screen shots showing YOUR IP address using a most primitive bitmap editor. And the best thing is, even if they catch me cheating, they can not do anything to me, because this is no court.