[sldev] Lookup Tables and Texture Bugs

[Rob Flickenger]

On Jan 25, 2007, at 6:52 AM, Argent Stonecutter wrote:

> The problem isn't IP addresses, it's using IP addresses to cross- 
> reference information on accounts. The IP address is shared between  
> all accounts belonging to the same person, so if you know the IP  
> address of a large number of accounts you can identify which  
> accounts are alts.

It seems to me that this is the heart of the debate: revealing IP  
address information threatens the perceived anonymity of alts.

IP address anonymity is a very difficult problem that has yet to be  
solved on the Internet at large, except by extraordinary means (Tor,  
Freenet, anonymous proxies, etc...)  And even these aren't perfect.

If SL ever expects to transition from a service to a platform, it  
will have to confront this problem sooner or later, because it  
doesn't just affect dynamic textures.  Any peer-to-peer service that  
is likely to be implemented in the open source client (VoIP, file  
sharing, direct chat, and eventually users hosting their own sims)  
will have precisely these same issues.

Personally, I think it's the user's responsibility to protect their  
own communications (assuming it's important to them) and I have no  
sympathy for people who "need" to hide behind alts yet don't  
understand the technical issues.  Update the ToS to mention that your  
IP is revealed in certain circumstances, let's implement these  
features, and move on.

If you really need to protect that alt, use a proxy.

--Rob