After much stress, and lack of help from the AOL Internet Service Providers;
Mayhem Mud has had to newlock all players wishing to create
on Mayhem.

With the static host names given to members to connect
to the internet, all one has to do is disconnect, and reconnect to avoid a ban.

I really wish there could be another way, but there is not.

AOL should not allow thier members to threaten to bring down
a server, hack a server, or other illegal activitys when reported.

AOL is a common carrier and thus has no real responsibility to patrol the behavior of their members anymore than the phone company has a responsibility to patrol its users for making hacking threats via its services. Sucky for those of us who run MUDs, but that's just the way it is.

If someone is breaking the law in any serious way, law enforcement is who you need to contact.

--matt

Yes, the AOL IP does change, but the hostname does not. We currently resolve both IP and hostname, so if an AOLer causes trouble, we just ban their hostname.

No, they both change.

Perhaps you might be refering to DSL, perhaps Cable from AOL, which that point in case, the main IP could stay the same, rarely changing due to always being online.

However; The Host Name, always changes from connect to
connect, due to AOL Internet Services using a proxy to sort
their members (As many backtraces have shown).

As per connection, they change.

Not that I've seen. Every AOL hostname we've seen on a player doesn't change. This is an example: **A40F6F.ipt.aol.com

The player would sign on one day with that host, then throughout the week would sign on over and over with the same host.

Institute player accounts with password confirmation sent via email. Limit AOL players to non-free emails (an educational one from a college or university is even better). When you get a problem with an AOL player, ban them. Any new accounts will require a new non-free email. At some point, it becomes costly for them to create new emails that they're paying for just to play a MUD when there are so many others out there they could go to and abuse.

Take care,

Jason

If you manage to make a list of all free emails out there I applaud you. (Going to be a long long list). Now even if you somehow do manage. Getting a non-free email for free isn't that much of a pain for most people. I just don't see this keeping the real trouble makers out.

It's not an all or nothing proposition. The idea is to reduce the # of troublemakers to as few as possible, and everything that makes it more difficult for them to cause trouble without also causing trouble for legitimate players is worth considering. Just because you can't get all of them doesn't mean there's no point in getting some.
--matt

In this case you might be putting off some potential players too. Might end up forcing someone to set up an email account just to try your game. The troublemaker would naturally be more inclined to spend more effort trying to get back into the game than a new player would to just try it.

However it's better than banning all the players from a place I guess...