I have been told by a guy that there are huds to prove people have alts

[Myfanwy Acer]

I have been told by a nuisance guy that there is a HUD to check if people have alts.is this true,please.
So many people here like to upset others instead of getting on with their own SL.
Thankyou

[Rolig Loon]

46 minutes ago, BrookeRanger said:

I have seen griefing reports closing multiple accounts of the same individual within a few hours, because he is on the FBI list. So, they are around...

Linden Lab can do that easily.  After all, they know who every account belongs to.  It's a simple matter for them to suspend or ban all of your accounts at once if they choose to.

[Madelaine McMasters]

Hi Myfanwy,

There was once a system called RedZone that did a crappy job of outing alts via IP address (a method fraught with error). RedZone was (to the extent possible) eradicated from SL. That said, it'll never be possible to stop people from claiming they've outed alts, and there are ways to detect them that don't require a HUD.

For example, if you ever see someone enter a sim with the introduction "Hi, Kids!!!", you're probably witnessing one of...

me!

;-).

ETA: Although, as Abigail and Lindal have noted, it is a violation of the SL Terms of Service to make public the identity of a residents alts, it is not against the TOS to believe you know of alts (via whatever mechanisms one has available, such as hosting a music stream) and do any number of other things, short of publicizing your belief. Unfortunately it's just not possible to prevent people from being asshats here.

Nevertheless, I think whoever's told you of this HUD is blowing smoke, and the degree to which he's a nuisance is partly, if not largely, up to you.

Mute/block is a pretty powerful tool, and it actually exists!

[Abigail Longmeadow]

It is possible to a limited extent, but such tools are not accurate or reliable. The use of such tools to disclose Alts violates the Terms of Service we all agreed to as users of Second Life. See the Community Standards, which are incorporated into the TOS by a reference link:

https://secondlife.com/corporate/cs.php

 

[Lindal Kidd]

Your friend's information is wrong, there are no HUDs that will prove people have alts.  However, there is a grain of truth at the bottom of this claim.  At one time, there were some devices that could record a person's IP address.  These take advantage of the way the internet handles streaming audio and media -- the provider of a stream can determine your IP address.  Then the device would compare the IP address of two avatars.  If they matched, the device would flag them as alts.

The problem with this is that it's not a reliable method.  Two people might have the same IP address because their service provider assigned it to one person on one day, and to the other person on a different day.  Or they might be two different people using computers hooked up to the same IP address because they were on the same network.  Conversely, a clever person might use various techniques to use many different IP addresses, and therefore the "alt detection" device would never see his accounts using the same IP address.

Because of this, these types of devices caused a whole lot of argument and Drama. Arguments like this one...

"You're Jim's alt!  My HUD says so." 

"Huh?  I don't even know any Jim!" 

"Liar!" 

"Doofus!"

In addition, Linden Lab decided that revealing someone's IP address was a case of revealing Real Life information and therefore against the Terms of Service.  All such "alt detectors" were banned from SL, and if you know someone has one you can Abuse Report them. 

A fine point to remember:  It is NOT against the TOS to simply know someone's IP address.  It cannot be, or nobody could be a DJ or provide a music stream to anyone else in SL.  But is IS against TOS to share that information with anyone else without the person's knowledge and consent.

One last comment...there's really no need to have alt detection devices to prove people have alts.  Anyone over a month old probably DOES have one or more alts.  Alts are extremely useful for any number of good reasons.  It's only when they are used to deceive or trick people that alts are a Bad Thing.

[Syo Emerald]

There is no technical way to prove someone is someones alt or that one person even has alts and/or uses them. If you meet a random person on the virtual streets of SL, there is no way to tell if this person has an alt or not (or if he/she is an alt). There is also no secure way to guess if there is the same person behind two different avatars.

Of course, there are ways to see the IP adress of someone (which is not forbidden, every DJ probably sees the IPs of the people connecting to his/her stream), but many people have changing IP adresses and some households have multiple persons who are in Second Life (couples for example who play together).

And even without the IP, many people can take a guess by doing some social engeniering. But thats all far from being 100% sure. And usually, those who insist on wanting to know who has which alt are incredible insecure and haunted by irrational fears...or just damn desperate to stir up some drama.

[Okami Aquila]

On 2/9/2015 at 9:58 PM, Lindal Kidd said:

Your friend's information is wrong, there are no HUDs that will prove people have alts.  However, there is a grain of truth at the bottom of this claim.  At one time, there were some devices that could record a person's IP address.  These take advantage of the way the internet handles streaming audio and media -- the provider of a stream can determine your IP address.  Then the device would compare the IP address of two avatars.  If they matched, the device would flag them as alts.

The problem with this is that it's not a reliable method.  Two people might have the same IP address because their service provider assigned it to one person on one day, and to the other person on a different day.  Or they might be two different people using computers hooked up to the same IP address because they were on the same network.  Conversely, a clever person might use various techniques to use many different IP addresses, and therefore the "alt detection" device would never see his accounts using the same IP address.

Because of this, these types of devices caused a whole lot of argument and Drama. Arguments like this one...

"You're Jim's alt!  My HUD says so." 

"Huh?  I don't even know any Jim!" 

"Liar!" 

"Doofus!"

In addition, Linden Lab decided that revealing someone's IP address was a case of revealing Real Life information and therefore against the Terms of Service.  All such "alt detectors" were banned from SL, and if you know someone has one you can Abuse Report them. 

A fine point to remember:  It is NOT against the TOS to simply know someone's IP address.  It cannot be, or nobody could be a DJ or provide a music stream to anyone else in SL.  But is IS against TOS to share that information with anyone else without the person's knowledge and consent.

One last comment...there's really no need to have alt detection devices to prove people have alts.  Anyone over a month old probably DOES have one or more alts.  Alts are extremely useful for any number of good reasons.  It's only when they are used to deceive or trick people that alts are a Bad Thing.

Yup, they don't take into account that you might be on the same internet network and as far as I know the voodoo system works like this?

[Alwin Alcott]

5 hours ago, Okami Aquila said:

On 2/10/2015 at 3:58 AM, Lindal Kidd said:

[Lindal Kidd]

8 hours ago, Okami Aquila said:

Yup, they don't take into account that you might be on the same internet network and as far as I know the voodoo system works like this?

The Voodoo tracker HUD is not a device for detecting alts or tracking avatars.  What it tracks down is sploders.  It's a way to (sort of) game the system to farm sploders for $L.  It's available as a freebie on the Marketplace, so don't y'all go paying for a knockoff copy.

(Unless perhaps you were thinking of some other "voodoo system"?)

[Madelaine McMasters]

46 minutes ago, BrookeRanger said:

There IS software to link accounts based on personal information and determine possible alters in Second Life and other social platforms, but available to law enforcement and ethical hackers. Some programs are available to anyone willing to pay the license. If paying $2000 dollars is worth to you, check out Paterva's "Maltego".

In my personal experience, the griefers are alts of the same fruit cake. If vampires can (and do) have hundreds of alters to move up in hierarchy, you know there is no limit to how many alts a main account can have. Then something like Radegast allows them to pop at the same time, anywhere.

There are no huds that powerful, available in the marketplace, because of security issues. But everyday law enforcement personnel signs on to report and catch pedophiles and other scum. I have seen griefing reports closing multiple accounts of the same individual within a few hours, because he is on the FBI list. So, they are around...

I think you misunderstand what Maltego does...

Maltego can be used to determine the relationships between the following entities:

People.
Names.
Email addresses.
Aliases.
Groups of people (social networks).
Companies.
Organizations.
Web sites.
Internet infrastructure such as:
Domains.
DNS names.
Netblocks.
IP addresses.
Affiliations.
Documents and files.

Connections between these pieces of information are found using open source intelligence (OSINT) techniques by querying sources such as DNS records, whois records, search engines, social networks, various online APIs and extracting meta data. 

I've highlighted in red those sources that Maltego uses. Notice that SL's internal databases are NOT in that list. While actual law enforcement personnel, with the appropriate warrant, likely can access LL's collective information store, that would happen with LL's cooperation, using their internal tools. Maltego would be of NO use in ferreting out SL alt accounts.

[Alwin Alcott]

1 hour ago, BrookeRanger said:

There IS software to link accounts based on personal information and determine possible alters in Second Life and other social platforms, but available to law enforcement and ethical hackers. Some programs are available to anyone willing to pay the license. If paying $2000 dollars is worth to you, check out Paterva's "Maltego".

In my personal experience, the griefers are alts of the same fruit cake. If vampires can (and do) have hundreds of alters to move up in hierarchy, you know there is no limit to how many alts a main account can have. Then something like Radegast allows them to pop at the same time, anywhere.

There are no huds that powerful, available in the marketplace, because of security issues. But everyday law enforcement personnel signs on to report and catch pedophiles and other scum. I have seen griefing reports closing multiple accounts of the same individual within a few hours, because he is on the FBI list. So, they are around...

think you had a bit to much to drink and eat these days .. go sleep a while, you'r typing a phantasy story.

[Lindal Kidd]

Sure, Brooke...but that isn't the question.  The question is, (rephrased by me), "Can someone in SL buy a HUD or other device that will detect alts?"  Unless you really stretch the definition of it, the answer is "No.  There is no (reasonably priced) device that will reliably detect SL alts."

[Alwin Alcott]

9 hours ago, BrookeRanger said:

Disrespectful post yours is.
 

[BrookeRanger]

There IS software to link accounts based on personal information and determine possible alters in Second Life and other social platforms, but available to law enforcement and ethical hackers. Some programs are available to anyone willing to pay the license. If paying $2000 dollars is worth to you, check out Paterva's "Maltego".

In my personal experience, the griefers are alts of the same fruit cake. If vampires can (and do) have hundreds of alters to move up in hierarchy, you know there is no limit to how many alts a main account can have. Then something like Radegast allows them to pop at the same time, anywhere.

There are no huds that powerful, available in the marketplace, because of security issues. But everyday law enforcement personnel signs on to report and catch pedophiles and other scum. I have seen griefing reports closing multiple accounts of the same individual within a few hours, because he is on the FBI list. So, they are around...

[BrookeRanger]

4 hours ago, Madelaine McMasters said:

I think you misunderstand what Maltego does...

Maltego can be used to determine the relationships between the following entities:

People.
Names.
Email addresses.
Aliases.
Groups of people (social networks).
Companies.
Organizations.
Web sites.
Internet infrastructure such as:
Domains.
DNS names.
Netblocks.
IP addresses.
Affiliations.
Documents and files.

Connections between these pieces of information are found using open source intelligence (OSINT) techniques by querying sources such as DNS records, whois records, search engines, social networks, various online APIs and extracting meta data. 

I've highlighted in red those sources that Maltego uses. Notice that SL's internal databases are NOT in that list. While actual law enforcement personnel, with the appropriate warrant, likely can access LL's collective information store, that would happen with LL's cooperation, using their internal tools. Maltego would be of NO use in ferreting out SL alt accounts.

Look, just trust me. It IS done. The software used is just not out in the MP or available to the average Joe. That is all I say. Be well and have a nice holiday!
 

[BrookeRanger]

4 hours ago, Alwin Alcott said:

think you had a bit to much to drink and eat these days .. go sleep a while, you'r typing a phantasy story.

And I think you dwell in your illiteracy. Disrespectful post yours is.
Sorry that you just found out that there ARE ways to confirm alt accounts and Internet presence, and there IS software that does just that. But mainly available to law enforcement and certified ethical hackers, for which there is a certification. But again, you just found out