Friday, May 25, 2007

Nasty people leaving nasty messages

For people who understand about these things, I would like you to know that the following IP address has left 16 entries on the blog, most of which I have published but some I have not, like one left today which was particularly unpleasant. It is obviously someone who is quite well read as there are historical and political references amongst the bile.

pj31230s.jmu.ac.uk (150.204.65.108)

They use google to find the site and the search words "louise baldock blog"

Does anyone have a clue about this?

To the uninitiated it would appear that the writer has an email account at John Moore's University. It would be easy to think that was Councillor Frank Doran who I understand works at a University in Liverpool, but I would not want to libel him without having my facts straight. Indeed it might be a coincidence and he might not work in that university, so I dont want to point the finger at him until I am more confident.

Does anyone know how to read IP addresses?

I am getting fed up with fending off the deeply unpleasant comments, they are out of all proportion to the entries they relate to.

Should I get in touch with JMU and ask them to look into this?

Thanks for your help with this.

Late edit: Big apologies to Frank, I understand you dont work there, I am glad it is not you, I am very happy to clear that up.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

The IP address doesn't necessarily suggest they have a JMU email, what's more likely is that they're using a computer on the JMU server (although there's a possibility they could be just using a JMU proxy to trick you).

There's several buildings with computers on that network in the City but the most heavily used are the two JMU Libraries in the City Centre, Aldham and Avril Robarts. Aldham's at the Mount Pleasant Campus and Avril's on Tithebarn Street (near the Lambanana).

Anonymous said...

Oh and also-
As far as I know, all computers on the JMU network require a JMU username and password.

I'm no expert, but I'd imagine that if you were to show these offensive messages to JMU and give them the dates and times they were posted along with all of the IP addresses used, they might be able to find out who was logged on to which computer at that particular time.

There are strict rules at JMU applying to staff and students about use of the internet, and the sending of offensive messages via the JMU network is very much against the regulations.

Hope that helps.

Anonymous said...

I do have some contacts in the university and I willnip into my nearest phone box and don my mask of justice, my cloak of truth and my shorts of stealth to find out who has been leaving these messages.

Unity said...

Loiuse:

Yes, the IP address is John Moore's University, although it doesn't relate to an email server, so there's no way of knowing whether your troll is a student or staff member form the IP address alone.

I would suggest that you e-mail the university's IT department (try their website for a contact e-mail) and forward the offending messages.

You should also include the times of posting and the URL(s) of the page(s) on which the comments were posted. Given this info, the university's technical staff should be able to trace the exact PC used from their own log and identify the user whose account was logged on to it at the time.

Anonymous said...

I think frank might work at the real university, well he did when he was the Mayor

Anonymous said...

Hmmmmm I know no one that can. What I can say is that I think if it's getting to you, stop winding other people up.

You're an intelligent person and your heart is in the right place, but sometimes you go too far with your comments also.

I know it's your blog, I don't believe in censorship. However you come across just as spitful and nasty as the others... so like it or lump it I guess.

Anonymous said...

It could easily be a student using the library resources but I do know Cllr Doran works at Liverpool Uni not JMU.

Louise Baldock said...

Spiteful and nasty? Well I cannot claim to be all sweetness and light, that is for sure. But surely LibDems do not expect me to give them an easy ride after what they have personally done to me (and some of my colleagues).

For every action there is an equal reaction, this is my reaction. I choose to expose your short comings and your duplicity and your underhand tactics. What pisses me off the most is that you portray yourselves as the "nice" party while all the time you stab people in the back.

People you dont even know, for the main part.

But if you think we are going to take it lying down, if you think we will be bullied and intimidated and made to shut up and go away, you are very sadly mistaken.

The people of this city deserve better, and we intend to make sure that today's Labour Party will deliver it for them.

Anonymous said...

Woah Woah!!! I didn't send the damn messages I was just pointing out fact....
Play nice children, you're both fighting for the GOOD of the city after all...

Anonymous said...

It looked like a perfectly reasonable respones from Louise to me. It would be nice to be able to 'play nice' but that requires both sides to co-operate!

Anonymous said...

j.f.cannon@livjm.ac.uk This guy is the Uni Admin for that domain. Send him the details in the form of a formal complaint. If that doesn't work remove the f. and the iv as they may have changed names in the last few years. Otherwise try abuse@ljm.ac.uk as most servers have this as their abuse email address.

Last resort try the press office! They will ensure you get to the right person quickly.

Chris Paul said...

Lots of good advise there Louise. Follow it through all the way. Get the person disciplined or sacked or all over the Echo/Post if the material is bad enough. If connected to an official Lib Dem candidate, councillor or organiser, or even a volunteer this will be great ammo city wide for the next campaign and you can clear the streets of the yellow vermin for 2008.

If you are not having to stop very many posts then there might be some merit in taking off the moderation - though it is a bit of a risk.

Next time, if there is a next time - seek the advice off blog and catch them at it. They will be keeping their head down now.

You should be able to bar IPs that are regularly misused as well. But hanging them out to dry by their file transfer protocols from the nearest lamp post seems the way to go.

Chris Paul said...

ps - perhaps take this post and the comments down while this is sorted out???

Chris P

Anonymous said...

Louise - I am sure the technology is available to track this. I would suggest you get in touch with ICT @ the uni AND the press office.

Paula Keaveney said...

Louise,
My advice would be to ignore it.

I have had several really nasty ones posted (or attempted to be posted) on mine.

I have a very good idea who they are from, and who those individuals work for, and I also know they were done with the sole purpose of upsetting or unsettling me - not to add to any debate.

The thing to do is just to delete - not to waste time on any chasing around.

The small minded people that put the really nasty stuff on mine have clearly tired of their actions.

Louise Baldock said...

I realise that nobody is likely to read this, but just for completeness, it is now 7th January 2013, nearly six years later and a former LibDem councillor has tipped me off, providing documentary proof, that the person who was leaving the messages was Paul Twigger. The sad thing is that I didn't even know him at the time, we had never been in the same room even - other than the AGM presumably. I think he may have just been elected when I wrote this post but we wouldn't have been in a select committee together for instance. So he didn't know me from Eve. What a shame, it has made me quite sad really.