Friendly reminder: think twice about clicking links in comments.

36  2015-03-31 by [deleted]

Paranoia level: 8.5/10.

Lately I've noticed that if I get into an argument with someone who I think is a shill (I've been on a negativity streak lately, only arguing with people whose views piss me off), at some point deep into the conversation they tend to send me obscure links to blogs or memes hosted on domains I don't recognize.

Could be benign -- and I'm just being paranoid. But you ought to know that it's just a matter of setting up a web server, coding some rinky-dink website in HTML, and you're able to capture every visitors' IP address. With a little bit of added sophistication, you can doxx them pretty easily or inject malicious code into their machine. It's a version of a pretty common 1337 h4x0r trick.

I doubt the NSA or other big organizations bother doing this -- it's pretty simple and primitive. But I wouldn't be surprised if smaller organizations, like the JIDF or the Hasbara clan over at /r/conspiratard, use this tactic to doxx and intimidate users they don't like.

So be careful, double-check the links you click.

15 comments

9  [deleted] 2015-03-31

Damn, an insta-downvote. That's some serious speed reading. I'm starting to see what you guys are saying about the new queue now.

8  Doctor_Brain-Wave 2015-03-31

The only way to seriously read /r/conspiracy is through the new queue.

4  JamesColesPardon 2015-03-31

Sadly, you must learn this by yourself, and no one can show you the value of the NewQue™, you must discover it yourself.

3  DiscoLollipop 2015-03-31

I read mostly when at work and I cannot visit the new queue because it's classified as pornography... Idk why.

http://imgur.com/YTTojVR

Edit: Added link to show how arousing the new content is ;)

2  JamesColesPardon 2015-03-31

That's weird that it's only the new queue.

1  Wolf_of_Coinstreet 2015-03-31

Come join the last bastion of freedom @ /r/Fuck_All_Mods anything goes and only 1 Mod, me.

2  [deleted] 2015-03-31

Haha alright, thanks.

3  WideAwakeNWO 2015-03-31

Wow, paranoia level must have reached 10/10, the OP deleted their account

2  strokethekitty 2015-03-31

I hate it when someone sends out a link that downloads a .pdf with no warning (on a cell phone). Even though its always been benign in my experiences, a little warning goes a long way..

2  [deleted] 2015-03-31

Yeah, I think that comes from the fact that most people don't realize how vulnerable PDFs are.

1  Rockran 2015-03-31

Paranoia level 9/10:

You're on Reddit.

1  [deleted] 2015-03-31

It's not really paranoia. Just a friendly reminder of a tactic that's already very commonly used.

5  Rockran 2015-03-31

very commonly used

I doubt that. If it were very common surely we'd see more frequent complaints.

1  [deleted] 2015-03-31

I'm not saying it's commonly used on Reddit specifically (although probably more common than you think). But it's ubiquitous elsewhere. Like, anyone remember the AOL chatroom bots that would spam shit like "13/f hot & horny, wanna see my pics"?

Yeah, you shouldn't have clicked those links, fucking perv.

1  DaggerHashimoto 2015-03-31

good idea! thanks