# email addys



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

If the person has connected their email with their name and allowed it to be listed in things like Facebook, gmail and yahoo directories, etc. there is no major issue. There are any number of services that will search out the information for you, for a small fee of course. You can find one at www.refdesk.com. If you type the persons name in Google you will be bombarded with offers from companies that promise to help find contact information including emails for them.

Tapping into someone else's private internet use without their knowledge or permission could get you in a lot of trouble. Unless you are an employer and an employee is using company internet and/or email. Most cases have sided with ownership of such records and even the contents of the mail as belonging to the employer. 

Not sure how it all works out with regard to parental rights. Those with kids will have a better idea I suspect. 

Be careful. Whatever spying you have in mind is probably not worth the consequences if you get caught. Best consult a licensed private investigator to explore your questions and options if this is something serious and not just something you are into for emotional reasons. 

And of course, if you suspect criminal activity, turn the matter over to the authorities ASAP. Local police or FBI will have task forces to deal with things.


----------



## boman47k (Aug 25, 2006)

Actually I would be the victim in this case. I have seen the adds that advertise finding email addys, didn't know if they were for real or how legal it would be. Seems like an invasion of privacy issue, if there is such a thing anymore.


----------



## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Much of what you do over the Internet can & is tracked
All depends upon what information & how it is gathered by the companies
Cookies track every site you are on & what you do - to an extent


----------



## boman47k (Aug 25, 2006)

I know about cookies. I guess finding someone's email addy is no different than finding their home address. Still seems odd. Finding a home address does not enable someone to legally go into the the home and snoop around. With an email addy they can find postings that you may or may not want to share with just anyone. 

Heheh, bottom line is always behave as if you are being watched, chances are you may be.

P.S. I would assume pm's might be a little different unless needed by law enforcement.


----------



## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

most of my addy's are un-findable as my real name is not attached to them in any way. The one attached to my ISP may be discoverable if somebody has access to my ISP servers.




> With an email addy they can find postings that you may or may not want to share with just anyone.



that's the point. The can find postings. Things the poster put on a public forum. They would not have access to secured servers without some illegal snooping.


----------



## boman47k (Aug 25, 2006)

If you have an alternate addy, can it be found through your rpimary addy? It just makes me uncomfortable to know this was done. I do nothing illegal or anything. It just feels strange. I'm sure this may be read also, Don't care at this point.

I have asked my provider about changing my primary email because my name is part of it. I was told they could not do that. Maybe they can't, but I can change providers if I need to.


----------



## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

> =boman47k;393689]If you have an alternate addy, can it be found through your rpimary addy? It just makes me uncomfortable to know this was done. I do nothing illegal or anything. It just feels strange. I'm sure this may be read also, Don't care at this point.


just figure anything you post on the internet can be seen by somebody else. If you are working in somebody's system, that is not being on the internet even though you are connected via the internet.

and about finding alternate addy;s: that all depends on if you somehow link them. just be aware that almost anything can be found out if the investigator has enough time and money and probable cause for a warrant.

now, if you get a virus, all bets are off. If it transfers info somewhere else, it could send enough info so that any addy could be discoverable and since they all came from the same source, a bit of research and they are linked.



> I have asked my provider about changing my primary email because my name is part of it. I was told they could not do that. Maybe they can't, but I can change providers if I need to.]


really.
I'm with you. Let them know you are willing to cancel your account if they do not allow the change and see if that stirs them. If not, tell them to cancel the account.

you can always sign back up and register with a new e-mail addy. If they argue it is same home address or whatever, put it in wifes name, dad's name, what ever. Then when you set up account, make new e-mail addy.


----------



## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

> now, if you get a virus, all bets are off. If it transfers info somewhere else, it could send enough info so that any addy could be discoverable and since they all came from the same source, a bit of research and they are linked.


A few years ago, my brother was getting messages from people on his contacts list asking why he sent them such oddball emails. He didn't know what they were talking about.

Then he found out that he had a virus that got into his email box and sent saved emails to all of those people.


----------



## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

gma2rjc said:


> A few years ago, my brother was getting messages from people on his contacts list asking why he sent them such oddball emails. He didn't know what they were talking about.
> 
> Then he found out that he had a virus that got into his email box and sent saved emails to all of those people.


I used to hear of a lot of those. Not as much anymore due to a couple of things: virus protection and beating on people to not open mail they do not know who it was from and especially do not open a package in that mail. Ignorant people are to blame for a good portion of their own woes. 

and there is nothing wrong with being ignorant, just fix it when you realize you are.


----------



## boman47k (Aug 25, 2006)

Years ago, a my daughters's friend's little bro hacked my aol account and put some ..stuff in my profile. I really don't know how long it had been there as I didn't check it everyday. I got better at that! LOL! I had to laugh it off. This was a young kid. 
About that time, he hacked a federal facility near here. I was told they mostly scared the hell out of him and spoke of a possible job in a few years. As far as I know nothing came of it.


----------



## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

I got this email from "UPS" yesterday.

It's from: Service Manager Carissa Ames 
Re: UPS Delivery Problem NR 92528.

_Dear customer! 

We failed to deliver the postal package which was sent on the 2nd of December in time because the addressee's address is erroneous.

Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our department.

United Parcel Service of America._

Here's the thing - I haven't sent a package through UPS in a couple years. If I had, I seriously doubt that it would take them 2 months to contact me about it. Plus, it doesn't seem like they would send me an email with an employee's name on it. 

DM said it's probably a virus and not to open it. I sent a copy of it to UPS, but they haven't contacted me about it. It seems like they'd want to know if there is a scam going on involving their company name.



> Heheh, bottom line is always behave as if you are being watched, chances are you may be.


That's probably the best advice. 

Did you know that when someone signs up for Facebook and agrees to their terms of use that they give FB the right to use any information and photographs they've posted there?


----------



## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

gma2rjc said:


> Did you know that when someone signs up for Facebook and agrees to their terms of use that they give FB the right to use any information and photographs they've posted there?


actually if you would check, you would find that many sites wink::wink have such a license agreement in their TOS.


----------



## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

> Years ago, a my daughters's friend's little bro hacked my aol account and put some ..stuff in my profile. I really don't know how long it had been there as I didn't check it everyday. I got better at that! LOL! I had to laugh it off. This was a young kid.
> About that time, he hacked a federal facility near here. I was told they mostly scared the hell out of him and spoke of a possible job in a few years. As far as I know nothing came of it.


Silly kids! You teach them the alphabet and how to type and the next thing you know they have their own file with the FBI. 

He's probably the only kid in his school who actually has the 'permanent record' teachers talk about.


----------



## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

> actually if you would check, you would find that many sites wink::wink have such a license agreement in their TOS.


I suppose there's a reason for it.

How old was the boy?


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

You know, for $5/month you can register, host and password protect your own domain. This will allow you to set up (and change at any time) your own private email accounts away from the AOL, google, yahoo, etc. madness. You will have bandwith for a website if you want one and there are even templates for creating such things. Many more bells and whistles too. At least policies for using the mailboxes are your own! One would think a hacker would not be spending much attention looking to get into individual domain email sections when attacking a biggy is much more glamorous and fun?

Obviously, you still need an internet connection from somebody. 

How much is AOL these days? I guess gmail is still free? Yahoo comes with a lot of hosting plans I guess? Do you trust the security of any of them? $5/month for your own hosted domain is one cup of fancy Starbuck's coffee! 

I actually did this because I needed a website anyhow but also because the idiot phone company kept renaming itself and eliminating the email addresses attached to the old name. On one occassion they simply dropped all the mailboxes when they made the switch.

Here is just one possibility for inexpensive web hosting. Their hatchling plan is $4.95/month. I happen to use Startlogic and have for years with no complaints. 

http://www.hostgator.com/shared.shtml


----------



## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

I don't use Facebook or any of the online sites like that
I have enough walls in my house that need attention :laughing:

Getting your own domain is a great idea...I have 3 domains
I bought one - 10 years it was I think about $50 to register the site
The other 2 I received from 1&1 when hosting my site

I can have up to 1200 e-mail address
I add & delete them as needed
I can create one just for signing up on a web-site for something
Then delete it when I no longer need it
Keeps the spam down
Plus the hosting company (1 & 1) also filters out spam


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Didn't know 1&1 was still around. They used to have a good rep and they were one of the first to bundle hosting with user interfaces that were helpful as I remember. My Startlogic account lets me nest as many domains, each with unlimited email accounts, as I want under the one hosting plan. I think I can only have one website though so am thinking of switching plans to one that will allow multiple websites for a few more bucks per month.

I have a couple of accounts for each domain that are primarily spam catchers and have the filters set highest for those. I sort of like to review spam in the others to make sure something I want does not get deleted automatically. 

Gave up on all the Facebook and other social type things. Facebook security is really poor and somehow the email I had attached to my account was found and I was buried in spam. Not worth it.


----------



## boman47k (Aug 25, 2006)

> How old was the boy?


Early teens.


----------



## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

sdsester said:


> Obviously, you still need an internet connection from somebody.
> ]


between you and Dave, you guys seem to understand this nebulous entity we call the internet. Maybe you can answer a question I have and have seen many others ask.

why cannot a person connect directly to the "internet" or maybe more correctly, how does one connect to the internet and how does your particular ISP do that and what do they do that a individual cannot, or maybe simply does not want, or should not do?

I would imagine that if you have a domain, you should be able to be your own ISP but I also imagine the hardware involved and maintenance of the hard and software is beyond the capabilities or desires of the average user.


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

nap said:


> between you and Dave, you guys seem to understand this nebulous entity we call the internet. Maybe you can answer a question I have and have seen many others ask.
> 
> why cannot a person connect directly to the "internet" or maybe more correctly, how does one connect to the internet and how does your particular ISP do that and what do they do that a individual cannot, or maybe simply does not want, or should not do?
> 
> I would imagine that if you have a domain, you should be able to be your own ISP but I also imagine the hardware involved and maintenance of the hard and software is beyond the capabilities or desires of the average user.


I don't really have a detailed answer to your question but I believe in the US it is the FCC that determines, through licenses, who gets to nibble directly at the internet as an ISP. I know they regulate the flow rate of things like upload speeds and so forth. They are the keepers of most all bandwith through wire or wireless with the possible exception of some military applications as I remember.


----------



## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Actually you can get direct Internet access
You can have a T-1 line (1m) installed
Or a fractional T-1, DSL or even bigger
This is what most business' do
The cost to a homeowner for a T-1is $199 a month, business was less (I think)

You are still "renting" a connection to the Internet
Basically this is what Comcast/Verizon etc do
They are selling you a connection, but a shared connection with your neighbors
They give volume pricing & unknown to most restrict your access/speed

In the "old" days there were many Techies who had T-1 lines run to their house & setup modem banks
They then sold access to the Internet, selling enough accounts meant you had free access yourself (T-1) & made some $$
But 1st you had to pay off the equipment


----------



## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

but what does the T1 (go with a T3, much much better, T1's ain't squat anymore) connect to. The last T1's I hooked up were through a phone company so again, no direct connection to anything other that phone company (and their servers etc)

I guess, maybe more correctly asked:

is there a server (or, actually I understand there is no "1") or group of servers that ultimately all internet traffic passes through. Are they all private servers and receive payment from smaller server owners to route their traffic to other small servers? 


for some reason, I have this horrible picture of there being 1 god server down in the depths of hell owned most likely by the government where they listen to everything that moves along the internet lines. 

I know everybody says it isn't so but my paranoia says it is.

Ya see, when you get images like this as an explanation:










there is something missing there in the cloud they label as "the internet"

I guess what I am looking for is;

If I could track on bit of data from my computer to any other computer in the world, is there some server that is a common point for all data or is is more like a ring of interconnected monster servers where my data would go to whichever on Comcast is ultimately connected to and and then, within this ring of monster servers, the address determines which monster server it needs to go to and then eventually through progressively smaller branches to the recieving user computer?

if so, is the link between the monster servers an actual physical link only between those monster servers or is all of our and their data free flowing on a common link?

and, what happens if those monster server operators decide to stop being monster server operators.

what happens if they all decide to stop being monster server operators? Does the internet stop?

You guys don't really have to answer this if you don't want. It is just beyond my grasp of reality with the limited knowledge I have of the system and really doesn't make any real difference. It's like when some customer asks me how something works based on electricity, the answer often times is "magic"


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

I am not always as careful as I could be but I never post a phone number that can be traced back to my residence online. It is worth $60/year to have a voicemail box off in some remote location for such things. I usually give a false birthday and resent being asked for it. Etc. Amazes me the amount of information people do share. 

I assume that the internet is exactly two or three times as safe, secure and untappable as my cell phone (or home phone for that matter)!:laughing:


----------



## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

The "cloud" is also called the backbone of the Internet
There are major connection points & lines across the country
When one of these big ones goes down traffic slows WAY down in the affected area

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_backbone

The origial backbone was created mainly by the military
There is (was ?) a new bigger backbone going in - unsure of status

Maps of lines:
http://navigators.com/isp.html

Buying a connection is buying a connection to the Internet
Your PC is now part of the Internet
How & by who it us connected depends upon who you buy from

Forget a T-3 line direct - you are talking about *thousands of dollars* a month
One site listed $6-14k as a range, all depends upon what you want, actual bandwidth used, gauranteed "up" time etc

Does the Gummint monitor what is on the Internet ?
I would not even risk $1 betting that they do not

My monthly web-site hosting is $4.95 (on their server)
I doubt I could run a server for $5 electric cost a month
Internet access as part of my 3 fer FIOS is $40 a month ?

So $45 a month with up to 5m VS a T-1 at 1m & $200 a month is a no-brainer
I tested & have almost 20mb/s download & 4.5mb/s upload speeds (Boston area)
To MD only 2.5mb/s upload, Wyoming 3.2mb/s upload; 16mb/s & 4.1 to CA


----------



## Wildie (Jul 23, 2008)

nap said:


> but what does the T1 (go with a T3, much much better, T1's ain't squat anymore) connect to. The last T1's I hooked up were through a phone company so again, no direct connection to anything other that phone company (and their servers etc)
> 
> I guess, maybe more correctly asked:
> 
> ...


 When you ask about the 'gumint' accessing your privacy it brings to mind an experience that I had!
I was sent to manufacturers training school to train on some digital telephone equipment. T carrier interfaced to this!
Two of my fellow trainee's were members of Canada's Royal Canadian Mounted Police force!
They were being trained explicitly to be able to understand and monitor telecommunications.

You can bet your rosy red a** that this is the norm, through out the industry!


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Scuba_Dave said:


> The origial backbone was created mainly by the military
> There is (was ?) a new bigger backbone going in - unsure of status


And academia, most likely the part of it doing research for the military. The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), in Champaign Urbana (HALs birthplace) is where the technology for any browser we still use was born---Mosaic was released instantly to the public domain with some researchers kicking and screaming they should have had royalties (many spun off and developed browsers based on the technology and became filthy rich anyhow). The argument is that it was developed with public funds so the public should own it. This is one of the trickiest intellectual property areas public institutions face by the way. Does the inventor of a new technology have any rights to it if employed in essence by the public? 

Anyhow, NCSA was rescued from near death a few years back when it got the major contracts to develop the new internet backbone(s). They will more than likely be for military/academic use to start. They are to be faster and have provisions for getting rid of all the stalled junk that gets left on the shoulders of the current superhighway. Of course I suspect NCSA is developing all sorts of peripheral things like new browsers too.


----------

