Possible to search headers of Usenet newsgroup?

[sdsumike619]

Does anyone know if it's possible to conduct a search through the HEADERS of a usenet newsgroup? I'm trying to find posts that originated from specific IP addresses..

[jman98]

It's possible to search the headers for specific words, but specific IP addresses? I don't know about that. If I knew, I sure wouldn't tell you as I distrust anyone who would want to do that and it would be my encouragement to any follow up posts that anyone NOT tell you how to do that, if it's even possible.

I suppose I should point out that it's possible to fake this kind of information and you should be aware that by policy some Usenet providers do not retain any logs of outbound posts through their service, so this may be a bit of a fool's errand. But I still don't think you should be helped to do this as I can think of too much motivation for evil for wanting to do this. I don't care what your reason is, I wouldn't help you if I could and I hope no one else does either.

[sdsumike619]

jman98,
You're in no position to say that my motivations for wanting to conduct such a search are evil. In fact, my reasons are to stop evil from happening. And yes, it is very easy to see the originating IP address on Usenet posts. I simply did not want to go through each of them looking for the relevant ones that I need to find. It's not a big deal; I have all that I need anyways.

[jman98]

Usenet isn't policeable. And where is your mandate to do so? Just because you say your intentions are honorable doesn't make them so. If you have all you need anyways, then no one need respond any further.

[sdsumike619]

Individuals can be held legally liable for things that are posted anywhere on the internet.

[johns0]

Stopping crime on the streets is important but i sure wouldnt try to do it,stopping crime in the newsgroups is important but i sure wouldnt want to do that either,trained people do those things,they have much more resources than we do so any effort we try is piddling compared to them.

[sdsumike619]

There's a line that people can and do cross because they think they can hide behind the anonymity of the internet. In the USA at least, people can be held liable for their reckless actions.

[stiltman]

Yes you can search header info without downloading the full message.
Yes you can search for unique info in the header (IPs in your case)
Yes it is VERY easy to spoof, forge, and or completely falsify this info

Google how to search NNTP headers

[sdsumike619]

no such luck with that google search =(

[aedipuss]

anyone who posts through a major nsp has their personal ip removed. you'd need a court order against the nsp to get them to divulge it. and even then they don't keep records long enough for it to have any success.

[sdsumike619]

This isn't true of educational institutions.

[aedipuss]

This isn't true of educational institutions.

maybe not but to get the name associated with an ip requires a court order there also.

[sdsumike619]

You guys are killing me. I already know the person's name, and pretty much everything else about them. We're gathering evidence now to present the case. All I wanted to be able to do was quickly locate their posts via the IP, no more, no less.

[VegasBud]

sdsumike619,

IP addresses are not required in any of the mandatory header fields of a usenet message. Any field that isn't mandatory can't be relied on to even be present, much less contain accurate data. You would need to search using something besides IP address.

[sdsumike619]

all information is available on google groups, via "show original"
I already know the IP address, it's free for anyone to see.....I was just trying to find a way to aggregate all the posts from that IP address, but apparently there is no way to do this.

[themaster1]

if he use a vpn or tor good luck to you....