I see your point Gozar, but can I ask a question? How do you intend ZE to be staffed? With employed moderators? If so, then that would bring up an issue. Those moderators aren't guaranteed to be of the quality of the mods we have today. I mean, can you imagine the forums without sloth as head moderator? Also, the employed moderators would have to be paid. Where's that money coming from? I'm not sure how much of a profit ZE is making, considering server costs, advertising, upkeep, R&D, all of that. All off of rubies.

That's why Zorg appoints moderators from the player base. To save a buck, make sure they're responsible (I.E. worthy), and that they know how the game goes on and what the playerbase is like. Also, please forgive my misunderstanding of IP.

Just bumping this to the Admins for their feed-back. We need this sorted asap.

Here are a few sites that should be read by ZE admins, if you do not understand perhaps you should hire a lawyer.
The first site pertains to ZE due to the transfer of funds through interstate and foreign commerce.
The other two sites are sites with information as to the international laws regarding internet privacy and ip addresses.
Enjoy.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron ... rivacy_Act

http://privacylaw.proskauer.com/2010/09 ... p-address/

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/2 ... -personal/

I read the above and still find it hard to point to which IP are they talking about?

for farther reading i just found this to make a clear point on the difference between the IP addresses.

What is an IP address?

This link will show you how they can be used to pin point your locations.

Internet Protocol Address

The above will let you know how they are different.


The way i see it if the servers above are publicly showing and collecting your info the same info ZE chat is collecting i do not find it violating any privacy agreement their. Cause if they had there will be internet police be after them right now.

Anyway I still want a clarification on the allegations raised against a moderator of finding info about another player and doing misconduct. So some response on that point please..

ip addresses come in 2 versions IPV4 and IPV6, and also 2 states static and dynamic.
IPV4 is a set of binary numbers that distinguishes your machine from others on a network.
Your isp assigns these numbers based on location.
Due to the popularity of the inet IPV6 was created becuse isps were running out of addresses.
IPV4 is an 8 bit binary and IPV6 is a 16 bit binary.
Either number can be routed back to the location of the machine.
A dynamic ip address change usually when you reset your modem and a static ip never changes and usually are assigned to websites.
But if you do not reset your modem your address will not change.

Ip addresses have been misused since the invention of the internet, back in the aol days it was very easy to take someones ip address and ping their computers even remotely connect to their systems and steal files or download virus's or keyloggers with out the host ever knowing.

I imagine it would be a bit simpler to do now, and I do not understand why it is made available to anyone.

You bring up a valid point here Gozar, however you seem to have neglected one use of mods being able to see IP addresses. I myself have used this tool in the past to catch people who are in violation of the imping rule. Until player names are actually bound to the corresponding ZE account or something similar is implemented, imping will always be possible.

I will not mention the actual name of the game, but I am in a guild on another game, and we have our own chat, complete with the ability to make temporary and permanent rooms. There, you use a separate account, and admins can set certain accounts to have Operator(Mod) power. This would already eliminate 1.imping 2. power abusing temporary mods and temporary mods altogether and 3.the need for mod password and chat command. It runs on the same type of code as the game, and I don't think it would cost anything extra to use this type of chat. It is X7, and quite customizable. I am not 100% certain, but I believe admins can set who can see IP addresses, and bans on this chat type can be set for any number of hours or even forever, and they lock out the account which means no ban dodging to get back in.

Gozar wrote:I believe that players IP address are seen by Moderators both in game and chat.

Dunno if this was cleared up in a response or not, but in-game mods are just normal players; we can't see IPs there.

i personally trust every current member of the ZE chat and forum moderators...being a chat mod myself i have used IP address checks to catch a few imp'ers myself...

pupairo12 wrote:I see your point Gozar, but can I ask a question? How do you intend ZE to be staffed? With employed moderators? If so, then that would bring up an issue. Those moderators aren't guaranteed to be of the quality of the mods we have today. I mean, can you imagine the forums without sloth as head moderator? Also, the employed moderators would have to be paid. Where's that money coming from? I'm not sure how much of a profit ZE is making, considering server costs, advertising, upkeep, R&D, all of that. All off of rubies.

.

Maybe you didnt read the topic correctly or maybe it wasnt clear enough.

What Gozar is suggesting is correct, Moderators should not have access to the I.P address's especially in the Chat Rooms. He is not saying not to have moderators as this is an important function to operate the game (even if i think some are too young) but what he is saying is that they can moderate and report and its then for Zorg Admin to check ip address's etc, that doesnt mean a Moderator cant issue warnings and operate all there current functions.

It is infact against the Data Protection Act to release details of other players without permission. So there should be a tick box when you sign up to say that we allow 3rd party's to have access to I.P address's and if we refuse then its simple, only Zorg can access them.

Its not even about whether players who have been moderators have looked at I.Ps its just a simple fact they shouldnt be able to in the first place without permission from players and i believe this should be corrected.

[quote="Walshy
It is infact against the Data Protection Act to release details of other players without permission. So there should be a tick box when you sign up to say that we allow 3rd party's to have access to I.P address's and if we refuse then its simple.[/quote]


http://www.zorgempire.net/tos.php

zorgs full terms of service read em if you like fish