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I need some advice [message #197048]

Wed, 19 April 2006 20:49

Crimson
Messages: 7429
Registered: February 2003
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Karma: 0

General (5 Stars)
ADMINISTRATOR

OK, so here's the story. I warn you, it's long:

So, this guy was caught several times UDP flooding my server and a few others. Ostensibly, he did so in order to get players on his server... you get dropped from a server, there's a chance you'll go look for another "more stable" server to play on. And of course the attacks were also a good retaliation for having more successful servers than he does.

So, after sufficient evidence (including packet logs and screen shots of servers he rented running a udp flooding application, as well as people he had confessed to coming forward), we consulted with Olaf about whether these infractions warranted an XWIS ban. (Seeing as how he was doing this to get traffic, he should not be rewarded with getting to KEEP any traffic he did get.)

So, Olaf agreed and a ban was placed on this server. To further hinder his server, we banned it from RenGuard (which makes sense since he was attacking the server that is frequently used by BHS to test and develop projects).

Immediately, the attacker himself (who we shall call "A") came to me and said he was quitting the community and leaving it in the hands of someone else (who we shall refer to as "B"). Over the next few days, "A" posted on Strike Team forums and sent private messages to Olaf and DonCarlo trying to get unbanned, calling his ban a personal attack from me. Of course, I value my position with Strike Team very highly and I wouldn't risk it on a personal matter, so Strike Team backed me up and I continue to be able to enforce this ban without risking my status there.

So, several hours after the initial ban, a server with the same name (description), host name, and settings appears on XWIS on a brand new IP. Of course, this community under "new owners" trying to bring the server back online is BLATANT ban evasion, and I placed a new ban on that IP as well. I purposely didn't ban the following 4 IPs which I was sure they were allocated, just to see if they'd be stupid enough to try to use a different IP again.

Over the next few days, we heard a lot from "A" (he even posted here ADMITTING to his illegal actions and begging for forgiveness) and heard rarely from "B". "A" insisted that he had nothing to do with this "new community" that supposedly spawned from the ashes of the community that was run by "A".

However, when a new individual who we shall call "C" showed up having admin access, IRCOp, etc, on the new community's site and servers, alarm bells went off. The player in the Renegade community who used the nickname "C" was a well-known cheater a while back and in fact had several n00bstories written about him, including a story from "A" himself. Upon further investigation, "B" and new co-admin "D" insisted to me that "C" and "A" were not the same person, even though it sure looked like they WERE the same person to everyone else.

So, somewhere in this time, the new server reappears on XWIS on an IP one number greater than the one I previously banned. The name is vague and different but the host name is the same. Of course, a second attempt at ban evasion signals me to put the ban back on that IP and the next 3 to (hopefully) cover the range of IPs they can use.

"B" and "D" come to me and ask what they can do to be allowed on XWIS, as they've spent all this money, etc. I tell them that everyone knows "C" is really "A" and they need to cut off ties with him. I specifically instructed them NOT to allow anyone else to have admin-level access to their forums and servers unless they definitely know them. At this point, they are acting like innocent victims of "A" duplicity and seem cooperative. Of course, you all know how soft-hearted I am, so I believed them and gave them another chance. They responded by posting logs of them firing "C", and "C" admits that he's really "A".

A few days pass, and another new name appears on the Admin list of their forums (I think they don't realize that ANY member can see this list) -- we will call this person "E". I ask "B" and "D" who this person "E" is and they give me the SAME STORY that they used to explain the existence of "C", back before they theoretically didn't know that "C" was actually "A". I told them to get rid of him, which they did (at least, they removed his access as an admin).

Of course, I am not convinced. Lots of evidence remains that "A" is still the main man and lead of this entire thing. Even worse, they are lying to everyone who visits their "server hosting company" by saying THEY have a 30,000 square foot data center, and that they "have been in business for over 10 years and have the experience and the know how to back it up." Even a complete idiot who emails their "sales department" can realize that they are actually just a reseller and don't have their own facility or any of the other facilities they claim as their own in "Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco". ANYONE who actually has the stupidity to send these fools their money deserves to lose it.

So, to summarize, they have evaded their ban twice, and have lied to me several times. What should I do in this situation?

My choices:
1) Let them continue on. He did say he was sorry for UDP flooding after all.
2) Re-ban them and all their servers from XWIS for life.

I'm the bawss.