Should Y/A just ban people (that violate) by tracking their IP addresses?

Question

Here's a question for you all... instead of just blocking an account and giving out violation notices, should Yahoo just track down the IP and ban them?

Look, it would work but wouldn't it go overboard like this reporting business? I mean, who honestly has never gotten a violation notice e-mail because someone didn't like your answer/question. I'd say the majority of users have. So that would mean what, that more than 50% of the people on here would be permenantly blocked.

So what do you think? Do you think that the banning of IPs would be abused and make this site worse or better it? Any thoughts?

Answer 1

No. I think the possibility for abuse and privacy invasion far outweighs any possible benefit it may have.



I report spammers all the time and they usually give up after the first run. As for banning people for having a world outlook that's offensive to you, people should just grow thicker skins.

Answer 2

IP Blocking might sound like a good idea, but it prevents any other users from the same address, using the same connection, to access the site. For example, if one person is abusing the system (from a house where five others have reputable accounts and use the same internet connection), then blocking the IP address for that one person will affect the access of the others, too. If a person was logging on from a library or internet cafe, then blocking the IP address that registers with that particular account, could also block access for anybody else using that same public computer. I've read where the Yahoo team members are developing other ways of working with this problem.

Answer 3

I think thats going overboard, not to mention that there are almost always multiple users within a household bearing the same IP hence it wouldnt be fair to other users in the household that use Yahoo Answers.

Answer 4

ITS TOO BAD I HAVE A DYNAMIC IP ADDRESS, everytime i log on its a differnt ip address " cable " the best they can do is ban or delete your account



added: turn your modem off over night and turn it back on most of the time your assigned to a different ip address OR you could install tor

Answer 5

Yahoo does indeed track and turn in people...to their governments, mind you...based on IP address. Not in the US, YET, but in other countries, yes...read the news people.

Answer 6

A good idea, but savvy users would simply use a proxy server to mask their actual IP addresses.

Answer 7

Whose to say that they don't already do that. Everytime you visit a site your IP address is automatically logged- i'm sure they have it sorted

Answer 8

It infuriates me that people report because they don't like the question/answer, NOT because it violates any terms of use. I call them Report Monkeys. They have nothing better to do, and they refuse to think for themselves anyway.

Answer 9

No, the Think Police should go on vacation forever.

Answer 10

No

it would be so boring around here lol

Answer 11

no

my favorites would be banned forever.