NationStates Jolt Archive

I was both shocked and amused when I received this telegram several hours ago from the United Nations Intelligence Committee which went like this:


This nation has been determined to be in breach of UN rules, which allow each player to have just one nation in the UN at any given time. This is an official warning, to allow you to rectify the situation. If you do not comply, the UN will be forced to take action against you.


I knew what this telegram was talking about, however, because the other nation in question is Pepperminty, which happens to belong to a good friend of mine. She received a telegram from another nation which stated that her nation's log-in time and my nation's log-in time appeared to coincide, and that we both happened to be UN members. The telegram went on to state that she (or rather, we) was being suspected of one-player-multiple-nations. The problem was that this was not the case at all - it just so happened that my friend and I happened to enjoy discuss Nationstates together - and we compete all the time with our rankings - and when we both go online, we WILL log into our nations to check up on how they are doing - perhaps that is why our log-in times appear to coincide.

I hope the UN corrects the problem instead because we are both enjoying our time at Nationstates and do not hope to be deterred by such problems. If there are any suspicions, the staff is free to check the IPs - and also the telegram history of both nations.

we compete all the time with our rankings - and when we both go online, we WILL log into our nations to check up on how they are doing - perhaps that is why our log-in times appear to coincide.This would be your mistake. Don't do it.

This would be your mistake. Don't do it.

I don't see why this is a mistake. We are only friends who enjoy the same game. We aren't trying to toy with the game dynamics or anything.

I don't see why this is a mistake. We are only friends who enjoy the same game. We aren't trying to toy with the game dynamics or anything.
The moderators can't interview you and your friend to check that you're telling the truth. It's easier this way.

I am the moderator who sent the warnings. Just as a note, the warnings aren't official in any way. Consider it a 'push back to the right path', that you may be breaking the rules and that something needs to change; either you withdraw one of the nations (if you control both, not saying you do, just saying the possibility; or you and your friend use seperate computers from now on). However, if you both continue to log into the same computer despite the warnings, both nations will be ejected from the UN.

Just for further clarification, if you and your friend stop logging in on the same computer (whomever's computer you were both using at the same time), there will be no problem.

We can't verify that there are indeed 2 people behind that computer screen, so this is how it has to be, and how it has been for quite a long time. If we trusted that every player was telling the truth about their brother's sister's aunt's uncle's grandma's grandson's friend, we'd have a lot of people taking advantage of it.

Perhaps there is a little confusion here:

My friend and I don't share a computer; we use our own computers at our own homes. We never used the same computer at the same time; my mother would kill me (my friend's a girl); i.e. we use separate computers, and how both our nations got confuddled into being suspected as belonging to one player, we are still not very clear.

I very well assure you that none of us own two nations; in fact, both of us own only one nation each.

Perhaps there is a little confusion here:

My friend and I don't share a computer; we use our own computers at our own homes. We never used the same computer at the same time; my mother would kill me (my friend's a girl); i.e. we use separate computers, and how both our nations got confuddled into being suspected as belonging to one player, we are still not very clear.

I very well assure you that none of us own two nations; in fact, both of us own only one nation each.
Have you both ever used computers with similar/same IP addresses? Like say at a school/university or an Internet Cafe? If so, that will do it.

The problem is not using the computer at the same time, but using the same computer. if you went to your friends home or vice versa, even tho you logged in on that pc only once, it will pop up with similar IP addresses for that one time and that MIGHT make it seem like you are multi UN-ing.

That happened to several people that I know of.

Does this mean that if I my computer was down next week, so I logged in via the city library computer, and someone else with a UN nation had previously logged in via that computer in, say, 2003, it would look as if we were multi-ing even if neither of us ever touched the library computer again?

If you go on times as well as IP address, say the unknown person and I had both gone to the library after school, so we'd both logged in around the same time of day, even if it was three years apart.

Like, does the 'once logged in via computer X at time Y' notation follow a nation around forever?

I'd never considered this because I have told the other NSer who uses our home computer that if he ever joins the UN I will kill him, and he believes me, as he is my son (my daughter's got a life lately, so her nation's died).

However, I can't go round threatening all other NSers in the city on the offchance that they might use the library computer. I had always felt reassured that it would be there to feed my NS addiction if my home computer gave up the ghost.

Are you now telling me I've got to go out and make friends with somebody who doesn't understand NS so I can use their computer for backup?

Does this mean that if I my computer was down next week, so I logged in via the city library computer, and someone else with a UN nation had previously logged in via that computer in, say, 2003, it would look as if we were multi-ing even if neither of us ever touched the library computer again?
AS [violet] posted in the Ejected from the UN? Here's why (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=274575) topic, "These methods include IP address tracking and login pattern detection." If you and your friends are sitting around the single library computer and taking turns logging in to your UN nations to post on the messageboard ... yeah, we'll think you're a multi. If you sit down at the computer at City Library to play NS, and another NS player happens by 5 or 6 hours (or days) later to play his nation, we probably wouldn't.

Also, we'd most likely detect it as a library / school / computerlab computer. IP addresses carry a lot of information, and we check them out in depth on iffy cases. Also, as has been mentioned multiple times, IP addresses and login patterns are only two of many tools in our arsenal. A simple IP match will not trigger ejection or deletion. The process is much more rigorous. (That's why we groan when somebody says "there's a multi ring in [100-nation-region]. Check it out, please?")

If you want to go around threatening other NSers in your city anyway, we can't stop you ... but don't do it on our account.

*meekly* Thank you, Fris. My worries have been soothed and my awe at the extent of them there modly powahs reinforced. However ...

If you want to go around threatening other NSers in your city anyway, we can't stop you ... but don't do it on our account.

... I think I feel an NS-related murder mystery RP coming on.

Perhaps there is a little confusion here:

My friend and I don't share a computer; we use our own computers at our own homes. We never used the same computer at the same time; my mother would kill me (my friend's a girl); i.e. we use separate computers, and how both our nations got confuddled into being suspected as belonging to one player, we are still not very clear.

I very well assure you that none of us own two nations; in fact, both of us own only one nation each.
I think following reasons why you got that warning:

1. Your ISP is being WTF. Go contact your internet service provider.
2. You probably sharing a T1/T3 satellite internet service with other neighbours, that's if you live in a small community with no xDSL service.
3. Your friend probably hijacked your nation.
4. You're lying...

Have you both ever used computers with similar/same IP addresses? Like say at a school/university or an Internet Cafe? If so, that will do it.

Oh ok! Thanks for clearing things up. I'm really sorry this has turned out to be such a hoo-ha.

4. You're lying...

This is a very blatant accusation. I'm not trying to say you're meaning harm, but if you have to say this I am rather disappointed.

I think following reasons why you got that warning:

1. Your ISP is being WTF. Go contact your internet service provider.
2. You probably sharing a T1/T3 satellite internet service with other neighbours, that's if you live in a small community with no xDSL service.
3. Your friend probably hijacked your nation.
4. You're lying...
1. Wrong
2. Wrong
3. Wrong
4. Based on the "aha!" moment of the previous post, probably also wrong.

The Chinese Republics, three mods had already responded in this case. Your speculation was not only wrong, but unnecessarily abrasive. Cease and desist your speculation in this forum, and stick to answers you can prove.