First week as part of the staff

Hi! It’s my first blog post, and I think I’ll start off with some irc fun.

I was on Rizon last night. I forget what I was looking for, but I did an @find trigger for a file. About 3 seconds later, I get pinged/time/version checked/fingered by someone. I check to see if he’s an op and he’s just a normal user. So I query him and this convo sparked from it. Warning: This is a long blog post and log.
Edit: Xavier learnt a new trick and made a nifty little button appear. ^_^

Session Start: Mon May 18 04:29:12 2009
Session Ident: SomePerson
[04:29] <Arveene> Ehhh?
[04:41] <SomePerson> meh?
[04:41] <Arveene> You pinged me and a bunch of other stuff earlier. >.>
[04:42] <SomePerson> ah sorry just lookin at random shit. My apologies 😀
[04:42] <Arveene> No prob, was just wondering.
[04:42] <SomePerson> trying to understand what whois shows..
–
[04:42] SomePerson is [email protected] * me
[04:42] SomePerson on #NEWS
[04:42] SomePerson using *.rizon.net Where are you?
[04:42] SomePerson End of /WHOIS list.
–
[04:42] Arveene is [email protected] * Arveene
[04:42] Arveene on #chaos #eclipse +#qqkthx #CHIHIRO +#LolisAndStuff #NEWS
[04:42] Arveene using edited
[04:42] Arveene has identified for this nick
[04:42] Arveene is using modes lolmorestuffeditedout
[04:42] Arveene is actually ~Arveene@loleditedoutIP
[04:42] Arveene has been idle 27secs, signed on Sat May 16 20:41:21
[04:42] Arveene End of /WHOIS list.
–
[04:42] <SomePerson> been researching some stuff. and it all boils down to what info you can get outa whois/finger/time/etc.. i think
[04:44] <SomePerson> if you don’t mind may i run another whois?
[04:44] <Arveene> Don’t care =p
[04:44] <SomePerson> if you could also, do a whois on me and show me the results as you see them?
[04:46] <SomePerson> if you could also, do a whois on me and show me the results as you see them?
[04:46] <Arveene> Ohhhhh
[04:46] <Arveene> sure
–
[04:46] SomePerson is [email protected] * me
[04:46] SomePerson on #NEWS
[04:46] SomePerson using *.rizon.net Where are you?
[04:46] SomePerson End of /WHOIS list.
–
[04:46] <Arveene> SomePerson is [email protected] again * me
[04:46] <Arveene> SomePerson on #NEWS
[04:46] <Arveene> SomePerson using *.rizon.net Where are you?
[04:46] <Arveene> SomePerson End of /WHOIS list.
[04:46] <SomePerson> ah thankyou 😀
[04:46] <Arveene> Doesn’t really show too much, especially if you run with a vhost.
[04:46] <Arveene> What’s it show for me anyways?
[04:47] <SomePerson> veene is [email protected] * Arveene
[04:47] <SomePerson> Arveene on #chaos +#qqkthx #CHIHIRO +#LolisAndStuff #NEWS
[04:47] <SomePerson> Arveene using *.rizon.net Where are you?
[04:47] <SomePerson> Arveene has identified for this nick
[04:47] <SomePerson> arveene End of /WHOIS list.
[04:47] <SomePerson> –
[04:47] <Arveene> Thanks, I’ve wondered what it actually shows.
[04:47] <SomePerson> so,
[04:47] <SomePerson> are you familiar with elaborating on this kinda info?
[04:48] <SomePerson> i’m sorry, are my questions bothering you?
[04:48] <Arveene> No, they aren’t.
[04:49] <SomePerson> are you familiar with elaborating on this kinda info?
[04:49] <Arveene> I’m fairly familar, what do you want to know?
[04:49] <SomePerson> ah sorry
[04:49] <Arveene> I’m multi-tasking so it might take some time to reply, that’s all.
[04:50] <SomePerson> well i was reading some old texts on the subject, and basically the key would be to get an ip address or at least discover more about the specific person..

Comment: Mmmm hmmm.. sure.. reading.

[04:50] <Arveene> It’s a bit harder to do now-a-days on iRC.
[04:51] <SomePerson> lemme try something…
[04:51] <Arveene> A lot more people use vhosts, and I believe /mode <username> +x is automatically enabled.
[04:52] <SomePerson> yeah vhosts it was in the document. unfortunatly im a bit unfamiliar can you fill me in?
[04:52] <Arveene> vhost is a vanity / virtual host
[04:52] <Arveene> if your nick is registers with the nick serv, you can request a vhost
[04:53] <Arveene> So for example when someone does a whois on you
[04:53] <SomePerson> so basically masks your host?
[04:53] <Arveene> it’ll show  Arveene is [email protected] * Arveene
[04:53] <Arveene> instead of  SomePerson is [email protected] * me
[04:53] <Arveene> yup
[04:53] <SomePerson> right
[04:55] <Arveene> The 2nd line of a whois just shows that channels someone is in, the 3rd line will show the server they’re connected to, the last line will show if they’re using a registered nick
[04:55] <SomePerson> i try to do some elaboration on my host displayed gives me this error
[04:55] <SomePerson> windows Socket Error:
[04:55] <SomePerson> the function ‘WSAAsyncGetHostByName’ returned error 11004 (Valid name, no data record of requested type)
[04:56] <Arveene> Because your hostname is still somewhat masked by default when you connect I think
[04:56] <SomePerson> hmm
[04:57] <Arveene> I’d be willing to guess that if you typed “/mode SomePerson -x” and I did a /whois on you it’d be different.
[04:57] <Arveene> Rizon-9831ED53.again edited out – nomrally instead of Rizon-9831ED53, you’d still something like xx-xxx-xx-xxx
[04:57] <SomePerson> there must be a way past that, otherwise there would not be any sense in the continuation of irc warefare
[04:57] <Arveene> which would be an ip address
[04:58] <SomePerson> yeah,, if i whois myself it displays an ipaddress
[04:58] <SomePerson> yeah,, if i whois myself it displays an ipaddress
[04:58] <SomePerson> even if i don’t -x
[04:58] <SomePerson> which i wouldn’t do 😀
[04:58] <Arveene> Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to do that either. =p

Comment: Obvious baiting to try to get someone to do an example of it imo. I’d be willing to bet that if I didn’t know about -x, he’d would tell me about it and ask if I could do it so he can see the difference.

[04:59] <SomePerson> im just trying to understand how these supposed “irc warefareers” attain the ip that allows them to gather info and dos .. etc
[04:59] <SomePerson> not that i want to o.o
[04:59] <SomePerson> it is the concept i am intrigued with

Comment: Right…

[04:59] <Arveene> It depends on how old that document is..
[05:00] <SomePerson> yeah . prolly pretty early.. but irregardless i know these things still happen
[05:00] <Arveene> It was very commonplace awhile back, I think that was before most networks implentmented vhosts and +x
[05:00] <SomePerson> ya
[05:00] <SomePerson> so, how is it one goes about requesting a vhost
[05:00] <Arveene> I remember stuff like that happening back in the days of competitive counter-strike. Someone from the other team during a match would go into an iRC channel
[05:00] <Arveene> get IPs
[05:00] <Arveene> and start DoSing people
[05:01] <SomePerson> they would compete and be in cs at the same time?
[05:01] <SomePerson> lol
[05:01] <Arveene> That was a long time ago though. I know stuff like that can still happen, but I don’t think it’s nearly as commonplace.
[05:02] <SomePerson> yeah, i have really techy friends from a few other ircs ,, but even they refuse to talk openly about such things, but they do not deny the possibilitys which leads me to believe in their potential to still be implemented
[05:03] <SomePerson> by the way, would you like the document i have? it is a html page,(offline)

Comment: Sure, I’m going to open an xdcc connection with someone I don’t know who seems to be trying to get my IP. I’ll get right on that.

[05:04] <Arveene> Nah, like I said I know a decent amount already. Thanks though.
[05:04] <SomePerson> not a problem 😀
[05:05] <SomePerson> so where does your background knowledge come from? a techy in their 30s or something?
[05:05] <SomePerson> 😀
[05:06] <Arveene> Not in my 30s yet, but I’m planning on going into networking.
[05:07] <SomePerson> yeah? im in college for comp sci currently
[05:07] <Arveene> Yup yup, in college myself too. I’ve been interested in technology in general since I was little.
[05:08] <SomePerson> yeah, my mom let me loose on a win 95 and refused to help.. got tired of bug splat pretty quick and started playing in the win32 folder
[05:11] <Arveene> Fun fun, oldest thing I can remember is Windows 3.1 days.
[05:11] <SomePerson> yeah, i don’t date back that far.

Comment: Is this some attempt to build a common background connection with me for further down the line?

[05:11] <SomePerson> well i have a question for you. that cool?
[05:12] <Arveene> Sure?
[05:12] <SomePerson> so, something ive always wondered, i remember back in the day on horrible ole yahoo chat , people would claim to be tough and if you rebutled they would dissconnect you. which is assume was a dos attack,, how where they getting ips through yahoo chat?
[05:12] <Arveene> Dunno, I never really used Y! chat.
[05:12] <SomePerson> yeah it failed
[05:12] <SomePerson> buncha bastards and pedos
[05:13] <Arveene> rofl
[05:13] <SomePerson> everyone screaming i have  a huge dick your all fags and girls lets cyber…

Comment: Again – Is this some attempt to build a common background connection with me for further down the line?

[05:15] <Arveene> Like I said, I never used it, but that sounds like most online chat programs.
[05:15] <SomePerson> haha yeah
[05:16] <SomePerson> well hey, its been great talking to you. by the way if your looking for a community with a bit more tech, try irc.mintirc.net #hak5
[05:16] <Arveene> You too, later.
[05:16] <SomePerson> plenty of people. couple hundred. usually 20 active constantly
[05:16] <Arveene> I’ll keep that in mind, got some other stuff I’m working on right now though.

Comment: Oh sure, let me connect to this irc server that may, or may not hide my IP from a whois. You could even be an network op on there.  To be honest, I did look up what I could on this hak5 thing, and It might be an honest / innocent invite, but I like to play things safe.

[05:17] <SomePerson> oh yeah?
[05:18] <Arveene> Yup, just projects for school and such.
[05:19] <SomePerson> really? school is already out here, still in highschool?
[05:20] <Arveene> Naw, college. School is technically out, but I managed to get a 2 day extension on this project from the prof.
[05:20] <SomePerson> nice nice. well hey, keep in touch?
[05:20] <Arveene> Will do, you on here often?
[05:21] <SomePerson> nah, came here just to piddle
[05:21] <SomePerson> skype?

Comment: I’m fairly certain skype does some sort of direct connection thing when you’re talking with each other. (It’s been awhile since I’ve used it)

[05:21] <Arveene> Don’t use that either. I mainly use iRC. =x\

Comment: This is actually true.

[05:21] <SomePerson> ya, hmmm
[05:23] <SomePerson> so i guess you d ofrequent here often?
[05:23] <Arveene> Yup, I do.
[05:23] <SomePerson> cool, ill just write your name down on here or something and check in every so often
[05:29] <SomePerson> by the way, quickest way to grab the ip is to get the person to either download/send you a file, go to a website that will log the ip, etc. 😀
[05:29] <Arveene> Yup, I know =)
Session Close: Mon May 18 06:05:50 2009

Comment: Is this admitting defeat?

That was it. Am I just being too paranoid? Has anyone else had experiences like this? I remember as I was talking about over here in DaIRC someone mentioned blacklisting, but I preferred to just make him give up. Blacklisting / ignoring would just incite someone more if they were trying to get my IP.

Now that we have the irc stuff out of the way, I suppose I could talk about my experiences during my first week as a staff member. I am still in awe of the sheer amount of work that is put into this site. Before, I had a huge amount of respect for the rest of the staff for running the site so well. Now that I know some of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes, I’m even more amazed. There’s a lot of work, and I find myself saying that I’ll just do one more thing before I go to sleep quite often. Two hours later.. I’m still awake. To everyone who sent a congrats or asked what it’s like, there’s a lot to learn. But it’s fun being able to do something more for BxT, and the rest of the staff are just awesome.

Sorry for the mostly boring blog post, I’m sure in weeks to come I’ll have plenty more to talk about!

~Arveene~