New user wondering who can see what info about you

Hi,

I read through the Privacy Policy and something that happened to me wasn't addressed.

I would like to know if Sim owners, land owners, shop owners, etc. have different levels of access to your information.

Specifically, I would also like to know who/if anyone other than Linden Labs can see your IP address.

I was doing something called SIM camping while shopping with a friend and we were both ejected because, as I understood it, we were camping under the same IP address.

Could someone tell me who sees your IP address?

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This was all I could find in the Privacy Policy, it did not mention IP address:

Information Displayed to Other Users
Information about your account is displayed to other users in your Second Life profile, and this same information may be available through automated script calls and application program interfaces. This information includes your account name, account type, the date your account was established, whether or not you are currently online, user rating information, group and partner information, and whether or not you have established a payment account or transaction history with Linden Lab. However, we will not display your actual name, address, or credit card or bank account numbers, except with your express permission or as otherwise permitted by this privacy policy and our terms of service.

IP addresses are not private. Every website you visit is provided with your IP address, so it's not something to be concerned about. It has to be like that so that the content is delivered to the right place - the IP address.

Music streams come from outside SL, and anyone who operates the stream has access to the IP addresses of those who are receiving it so that the stream can be sent to the right place.

Web content can be displayed on a prim in SL and the content provider is provided with the IP address of whoever receives it. I don't know if it's SL that receives the content before passing it on to the user's viewer, or if the content is delivered straight to the user's viewer though.

The main thing is that there is nothing secret about IP addresses, so there is nothing to be concerned about. Sim owners, land owners, shop owners, etc. don't have any additional access to any information about users.

Region / Estate owners do not get any more info than anyone else gets - as far as LL is concerned, region/estate owners are just 'residents' like everyone else.

However, any land owner can get (or surmise) your IP address through some land tools -- media stream being the most likely. If they have a stream set up, and you have set up your SL browser to receive the stream, then by necessity your computer must connect to their stream in order to access the media. They could see the IP address connect around the time you arrive on their parcel, and make an educated guess that the IP on their stream matches you on their land.

There's nothing automatically bad about someone else knowing your IP address - it's a necessity of the internet that any web site you visit has to have your IP address in order to send the web page to you to view. The only SL-related peculiarity is that almost everything we do in SL is through the LL servers, so there is no user-to-user contact, and your IP address is normally only known to the LL servers. Media streams being the main exception, where your computer has to connect to a non-LL server in order to receive the media.

If you're really worried about keeping your IP address hidden, go into preferences and disable streaming media.

-Atashi

http://my-i-p.com/

This site has a google map of your location.

This will show how close your ip address is to your actual physical address, my guess is not very close.

My work ip address is static and shows my physical address about 100 miles away. Probably a central office of the ISP

Mine is close. Real close.

*Goes to make sure her shotgun is clean.

/me sneaks in to raid Brenda's fridge

Yeah if you are truely worried about someone finding out where you are in RL, just kinda behave on SL and it is probably best not to have a female avatar.

Would you believe that some guys actually think the person behind the perfect shaped, scantily-clad avatar is identical to the avatar? So make sure and develop an ugly one.

For some reason, a lot of men think every woman on the web is someone they might have a change with. They so much as see the word "woman" on a site, even a lame one like msn, and think some angel from heaven is awaiting to fulfill their dirtiest fantasies...
Such men's best bet would be to look for a "masseuse" on their local craigslist.

ON the other hand, I don't think there is much chance of people showing up to one's house RL cause what would they say? "Hey I am Lameatar Siecle off SL, I was just wondering if you would be up for a rendez-vous?
Ain't no body gonna show up at your home.

Don't be surprised. While just knowing your general area, someone can use a little social engineering and pretty much do just that. It isn't hard. They may not come to your door, but they may see you in the coffee shop, or the supermarket, follow you to work , etc. It can definitely happen.

Fridge is pretty much empty. Have to go shopping today. You can have the leftover Chinese. Just don't take my last beer. There are a few Bud Lights in there left over from summer. You can have those.

It rarely happens though. BTW nice outfit you were wearing at the supermarket the other day.

mine's in my state, but not even close to my county (or city, obviously). i use comcast cable, so the lines must have to go through some hub or something.

Thanks. I was worried it made my ass look too big, but then you showed up and I was no longer the biggest ass in the store.

*It happens more frequently than a lot of people may think. But not as often as some make it out to be. Once is too much , if it happens to you.*

*Loads her shotgun.

Mine is within a 5 mile radius.

Everyone here is so helpful! Thanks for all the responses.

Phil & Atashi, ty for the lessons on IP address. I was pretty fuzzy about it but understand more now.

Eyerocker, I got a good feeling seeing that the IP address is fairly far away. It's good to know what other people see if they look at my IP.

Brenda, you're hilarious and I hope I get to meet you one day when I don't look like a freak anymore.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien1 Thorne
It rarely happens though.* BTW nice outfit you were wearing at the supermarket the other day.

Thanks. I was worried it made my ass look too big, but then you showed up and I was no longer the biggest ass in the store.

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AAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA! Damien got owned!

Thanks again everyone!

How many places in a 5 mile radius will have panties waving from a flagpole? Not many I guess. You had better buy an extra box shells Brenda.

My first thought was "OH so Brenda's avatar is a BBW also." until I realised... RL

Brenda is just so non-worried about it hahahah.

Now if the person goes on to ask you why you were buying 2 gallons of skim milk instead of the 2% low fat which was on sale ...
Oh wait, nevermind, ummm, I am going to go hide now...

I don't care if anybody follows me in RL as long as i do not notice it.


If i do, well the person might come back home with a few broken ribs and maybe an open wound or two...

i haz leftover-leftover chinese food in my fridge now....

they can follow me in the store and they can follow me to work and all the way home..they can even follow me into the house..it saves on dog food..

*ceka walks to her room as the faint sounds of a man screaming*
What the hell is that thing!! i never seen !!!! omg call it offff!!!! call it.........................................................



*Ceka peeks out her door* Good boy Jed you such a good baaaabeeeee