Identicons and the SA Internode clique
WordPress has a new feature in the form of “identicons“.
Identicons work essentially by generating an avatar (the “icon” in “identicon“) for users without one (such as a Gravatar avatar). The means of generation is essentially an algorithm that creates an icon that is unique each possible IP address meaning that someone with a static IP address will have an unchanging identicon that no other computer on the Internet should be able to share.
Identicons essentially give a means of recognising sock puppets. People who post under more than one name. They can also stop some people posing as others.
How reliable are identicons though?
Consider that I myself am an Internode customer. Consider that more than a couple of people who have ever commented on this blog have similar Internet plans to me and indeed, cycle through the same range of IP addresses that I do, each time that they connect.
Both of my brothers have accounts that cycle through the same range. So does at least one cousin (as well as a couple of our mutual friends) and one Uncle. So does the couple who’s wedding I was best man at last year.
I know of a couple of blogs on my blogroll who’s authors have accounts that cycle through the same range, and at least two commentors on this blog who aren’t bloggers themselves also have IP addresses in the same range!
It’s not at all impossible for for those of us who cycle through the same range (i.e. who have our IPs dynamically assigned from Internode rather than statically) to at some point occupy an IP address that another of us used during a session previously. This would result in the use of the same, identical identicon for two people (albeit not at the same time).
I’m also curious (and I should really look into it) as to how similar identicons with similar IP addresses are. Are they discernible from a casual glance? If any fellow Internode using bloggers want to give this post a link/pingback, it would help as when embedding pinkbacks in the comments threads, Gravatars aren’t used.
Actually, I’ve got things set to “Wavatar” at the moment, but I can switch and change and take a screenshot if people participate.
Anyway, but to my blogging semi-hiatus (which will now probably end before the end of the month).
~ Bruce
Filed under: Blogosphere, Cybersafety, Internet, Metablogging
It would to be easy to get around Identicons if you wanted to use different socks puppets. Just allocate a different gravatar for each puppet.
Or, if you wanted to pose as another commenter you could just take a screen shot of their avatar and make a gravatar out of it.
My bet is, Bruce, that these Identicons are a waste of everyone’s time. Plus, they look stupid.
Interesting point.
Thanks for mentioning about the Wavatar I was wondering where the funny pics came from. I just set mine to ‘MonsterID’, I had been using the standard Identicon (hadn’t realised they could be changed). For anyone else interested, these can be set on the Settings/Discussion page.
Hee Hee, you should see AV’s Monstercon it look a bit like Mr Penis Head
Or, if you wanted to pose as another commenter you could just take a screen shot of their avatar and make a gravatar out of it.
Except the icon would be hosted at Gravatar, unlike the other identicons.
Gravatars are easy to “borrow” anyway if you know the email address of the people who are using them.
My bet is, Bruce, that these Identicons are a waste of everyone’s time. Plus, they look stupid.
Should I be taking bets?
I don’t like the idea have having things on the Net imposed upon the user. It’s another form of control and de-democratises the Net as such.
It is like DRM.
WordPress need to get rid of this function. Users should be able to recognise sock puppets anyhow. They shouldn’t be mollycoddled by WordPress.
It’s like a dictatorship, man.
Did you take them down already? I don’t see any avatars…
I use the MonsterID plugin on my blog, which generates prettier monsters than the ones gravatar provides.
It’s not just for exposing sockpuppets — having a “face” to go along with people’s names helps to keep track of people in long comment threads.
Did you take them down already? I don’t see any avatars…
I’m still set to wavatars and haven’t changed a thing. Avatars don’t appear in the comments threads on this WordPress profile but they do in the recent comments section.
If I get enough links to the post requesting pingbacks from Internode users, then I’ll revert to identicions temporarily to check out what they look like compared to my own (and post a screen cap).
…having a “face” to go along with people’s names helps to keep track of people in long comment threads.
A face that may change with dynamically assigned IPs
They look ludicrous. Who wants some purple blob posing as them? I’ll stick with the stern, yet sensible face of Sir Thomas McIlwraith.
Calvinist theology?!? Can’t say I sympathise.
Oh, and try getting a pingback from this post. It won’t be accompanied by the picture of Sir Thomas.