[RFC] Ability to require correct location

[Methen]

One thing I have notice on a great many forums, is a great many people not only refuse to input their correct state location, but in many cases type in something totally redundant and just plain stupid in place of it,there by making the location search totally useless depending upon the type of forum and what it is being used for as well as destroying the purpose for which the forum itself was created for,(example finding role playing partners in your area)
What I propose is a option that will automatically input the persons actural location also Should it be possible to automatically block out proxy's or at the least let the admin know that a proxy is being used.

[callumacrae]

What I propose is a option that will automatically input the persons actural location

Impossible. Geolocation IP libraries are the closest we've got to this, but they're only accurate to the nearest country. Forcing people to have their correct location showing would create privacy issues.

also Should it be possible to automatically block out proxy's or at the least let the admin know that a proxy is being used.

I agree with this, but it isn't possible to check for every sort of proxies, only open proxies. This would also add more latency to the registration form, so I would suggest that if it were included, it should be disabled by default.

[Methen]

People that are that concern about privacy issues have no buiness on the internet then.

What I propose is a option that will automatically input the persons actural location

Impossible. Geolocation IP libraries are the closest we've got to this, but they're only accurate to the nearest country. Forcing people to have their correct location showing would create privacy issues.

also Should it be possible to automatically block out proxy's or at the least let the admin know that a proxy is being used.

I agree with this, but it isn't possible to check for every sort of proxies, only open proxies. This would also add more latency to the registration form, so I would suggest that if it were included, it should be disabled by default.

[DavidIQ]

Are you serious? Privacy concerns are very real and something everyone should be concerned about and something Google and Facebook get slammed for all the time. I know of people that have been on the Internet for ages and there's nothing that can be found about them. There are anonymous proxies in existence because people are paranoid about too much of their information going out to the wild Internet.

I don't see any benefit to this. Are you going to check for every single country? What if it's a new city? This is best left out of the core and made available as a plugin.

[Methen]

Here is a question to think about, would you ever let total strangers just walk into your home when ever they dang well please? well apply that same analogy to running a personal and private web site aka a home on the web..

Are you serious? Privacy concerns are very real and something everyone should be concerned about and something Google and Facebook get slammed for all the time. I know of people that have been on the Internet for ages and there's nothing that can be found about them. There are anonymous proxies in existence because people are paranoid about too much of their information going out to the wild Internet.

I don't see any benefit to this. Are you going to check for every single country? What if it's a new city? This is best left out of the core and made available as a plugin.

[callumacrae]

Here is a question to think about, would you ever let total strangers just walk into your home when ever they dang well please? well apply that same analogy to running a personal and private web site aka a home on the web..

That's completely different. Although if we are exaggerating hugely... would you go to a shop if it required you to present a total stranger with your passport to get in? I wouldn't.


You have't addressed my point that it is impossible to get a half accurate location from an IP address. For example, a search of IP address against a few geolocation databases suggests these possible locations for me:
- London (more than a few times)
- Worcester (pretty close, but over 100 miles away)
- Staple, Lancashire (?!)

None of them are close.

~Callum

[Methen]

That all comes down to which Ip search you are using there are some that give you the exact longitude and latitude, and I never actually said and thing about it having to be exact only the state which the person lived in.

Here is a question to think about, would you ever let total strangers just walk into your home when ever they dang well please? well apply that same analogy to running a personal and private web site aka a home on the web..

That's completely different. Although if we are exaggerating hugely... would you go to a shop if it required you to present a total stranger with your passport to get in? I wouldn't.


You have't addressed my point that it is impossible to get a half accurate location from an IP address. For example, a search of IP address against a few geolocation databases suggests these possible locations for me:
- London (more than a few times)
- Worcester (pretty close, but over 100 miles away)
- Staple, Lancashire (?!)

None of them are close.

~Callum

[callumacrae]

That all comes down to which Ip search you are using there are some that give you the exact longitude and latitude, and I never actually said and thing about it having to be exact only the state which the person lived in.

Could I have a link to one of them, please?

[Methen]

That all comes down to which Ip search you are using there are some that give you the exact longitude and latitude, and I never actually said and thing about it having to be exact only the state which the person lived in.

Could I have a link to one of them, please?

check your pm

[callumacrae]

That all comes down to which Ip search you are using there are some that give you the exact longitude and latitude, and I never actually said and thing about it having to be exact only the state which the person lived in.

Could I have a link to one of them, please?

check your pm

It was 53 miles out :-/