IP Addresses.....???

[forever_broken]

I just read on the RYL rules that all IP addresses are logged for safety?

But none of my family know I'm using RYL and they would probably not be happy at all about it. Will they find out by the IP thingy?

Also, does it mean that all the websites I visit/IM conversations I have, whether with members or non members will be logged by RYL?

I don't understand any of it, please help!:blink:

[klo_flo]

You're in warwickshire - that is very very close to me! =) WElcome to RYL ;)

The IP addresses are logged so that we can track people who are abusing the site or potentially creating lots of accounts and lying. *Most* members here are honest and if you are the IP address is so rarely used and it is shared with *no-one* else. Your family will not know about it - RYL is as confidential as you like =)

I'm sure your IP can be tracked wherever you go on the Internet - but I could be wrong.

Hopefully that helps put your mind at rest a little until someone who knows technical stuff comes along. You can always email the webmaster at harley@recoveryourlifecom.

Take care =)

Chloe x

[Puppet Strings]

Hey,

Firstly, yes, RYL does have access to your IP address for safety reasons.

However, only certain people hace access to IP addresses, as far as I believe. From what I know, these people are only Harley & the mods, and perhaps one or two other very specific people.

How are you scared of your parents finding out exactly? If they were to come on this site, they wouldn't be able to find you by your IP address, I don't think, if that's what you mean...

As for the convo thing, I think the answer's "No", but I don't quite understand you.

Hope that helps, and that I'm at least slightly correct in what I'm saying!
xx

[James]

You're correct - only senior staff members, Harley and myself have access to member's IP address information. This information is regarded as confidential and will always be treated as such.

There is very little chance of your family being able to 'prove' that you are using RYL based upon your IP address. This is because all domestic broadband accounts are assigned arbitrary IPs which are changed on a regular basis. Only businesses generally have 'static' IPs which don't change and these generally cost more to maintain. Law enforcement agencies (such as the Police) are the only organisations with the right to request an Internet Provider to turn over the information which can be used to trace an IP address to an individual. Without access to such information, such a link is not possible.

So, in short, our tracking of IP addresses does not effect your anonymity here on RYL at all :)

Please feel free to post back here if you have any further questions.

[~invisible~girl~]

Since James didn't say anything about the conversation/website logging thing... RYL doesn't keep track of anything you do on the Internet anywhere outside of RYL. And they wouldn't be able to even if they wanted to without having you download some software. There is spyware stuff out there that can record things like what websites you visit, or even what you type, but you'd have to download and install something, and if you have up-to-date antivirus software, it should warn you if anything like that does find its way onto your computer. So that level of watching isn't something you need to worry about on RYL, or anywhere else that's not a sketchy site that wants you do download things.

And like others have said - RYL logging your IP address doesn't tell your family anything, and it doesn't even tell RYL anything about who you 'really' are. Your IP address is just a number that's assigned to you by your ISP (internet service provider), and your ISP could look up your personal information from your IP address if they needed to, but they're not allowed to give out that information except to law enforcement agencies. So mainly all that logging IP addresses really does is give RYL a way that if something did come up that they had to involve any law enforcement agencies, that agency would be able to find someone who was posting illegal stuff (and that's not gonna be trivial things - it's generally only things like serious bomb threats or child porn that are worth the effort - they're not gonna hunt someone down for having a drink before they're old enough for whatever).

[forever_broken]

.....for helping me to understand how it all works :) I'm no good with anything technical so thanks for explaining it really clearly for me xx

[klo_flo]

Glad you're more at ease lovely =)

Chloe x