[Rules Update] On the use of Proxies

It’s been brought to our attention that some users are accessing the forums through proxy services (basically, using fake IP addresses to mask their identity). Naturally, hiding your IP makes it really easy for people to evade their bans and other infractions.

As such, the rules have been updated to close this loophole. Since this is a new rule, anyone that has been using a fake IP up to this point should start posting under their real IP from now on (you won’t get punished for breaking the rule before it *was* a rule).

The formal rule is as follows:

6.  Do not use a fake or proxy IP address. Your IP address must be genuine. Otherwise it's too easy to evade bans with new accounts. If you persist in using a fake/proxy or otherwise falsified IP address - we'll have to assume the worst (that you're King Sombra trying to sneak in) and treat it as ban-evasion.

I'm not sure exactly what a proxy is, so how do I avoid using one?

Basically it boils down to "Use your own IP Address, and don't use any sort of program or site that would hide it."

To use a proxy or false IP you really have to go looking for them.

So that DOES work. I was wondering if random or fake IPs would get around bans and stuff.

It would. Exactly why we felt the need to add a new rule regarding them. Now if you're found using a false IP Address or a Proxy it's against the rules and we'll treat it as such.

Ok then, but now, just because I'm curious and am gonna be that guy, what exactly would you do to someone using a fake IP? If you IP ban them, then they come back with another fake one, ban-evade, and then you just keep rebanning them? Or is there some crazy hyperban that goes beyond that?

Also, how do you know if someone is using a fake IP in the first place?

We'd end up doing the same sort of thing we've been doing with the spambots on the forum if someone is repeatedly ban-evading. Hopefully, eventually they'll learn that we're being careful and we know.

As for how we know I'm unsure if we should share. For right now let's just say we have our ways.