Countries blocked due to abuse. READ THIS!

Oliver · Last edited by Oliver on Fri Oct 21, 2005 10:07 pm; edited 2 times in total

Our recent restriction caused many people complaining because their country/IP range has been blocked from our servers. Obviously this policy isn't the best way to fight abusers, but it is the only one available that will bring us a prompt success in this fight.

Although we will leave certain IPs and IP ranges blocked we intend to allow people from the most of the countries/IP ranges that are currently blocked to sign up here at 100webspace again. But there will be still some restrictions.

This situation will be discussed with our managers and it will be sorted out. Meanwhile I would like to ask you everyone to stand by and stop posting here at the forum about the same issue over and over again, this would not speed up things. Thank you in advance!
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masterman · Noobie Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 25

Well at least people can post in this one. What ever way you look at this, blocking a whole country is discrimination. This company blocked the whole of Israel because of a few abusers of the service. Are 100 webspace willing to publish the estimated numbers of abusers in Israel, compared to any other large country? This would then show that they have a reason to block just Israel, while leaving other countries unblocked. If one thread was left open for people to post their views, new threads wouldn't be started. But as 99% have been deleted or locked, people assume 100webspce have something to hide.
Just my thoughts on the matter.But I don't expect them to stay for long Rolling Eyes

Oliver · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:26 pm Post subject:

We would appreciate if everyone that has something to say about this posts here. This thread will remain open and we will review every single post so that we can take in consideration everything you have to say.

We cannot publish the information you asked for, but I assure you that we had a good reason to make this restriction (although as said before this is just a temporary thing until we manage to find a way to fight the abuse comming from the blocked IP ranges). The problem is that there is a great % of abuse comming from the IP ranges that we have blocked compared to the non-abusers signing up from there. You should agree that we cannot allow people to sign up from an IP range that brings 70-80% abusers - and these are only the accounts that we managed to find and close. We are checking all servers for abusers' accounts and as soon as we finish with these checks we will concentrate on finding a better way to prevent them for using our service to publish sites with abusive content, phishing sites and all kind of content that is illegal.

We needed to take this measure to win us some time to do the checks. It is a pitty that the whole team is now busy checking for abusers and not improving the service. We really hope of your understanding in this matter. As I said befoe this measure is a temporary one, please give us some time to figure a better way to fight abuse of our services. Thank you in advance again!
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ben-gur · Noobie Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 1

Dear Oliver Reed,

Your decision to block all Israel's IP addresses has made lots of "noise" here in Israel, and has been reported in the news.

Your frustration from Israelis is easily shown by your posts, and I truly can understand this.

But I believe that blocking whole range of IP's is not the correct solution. As you mentioned yourself here http://forum.100webspace.com/viewtopic.php?t=2098 you lose money from this action.

I am not familiar with the specific abuse your network and servers have been under, but I can assure you that the source of any abuse is worldwide.

I believe that you should find better solutions to protect your network and servers. I hope (for everyone sake) that this problem will be solved.

Regards,
Adam.
Citizen of Israel.

robthunder · Noobie Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 8

Greetings,

Where is the actual list of blocked countries? Or if this does not exist, where is the original announcement on this issue? I've been all over your site and I can't seem find this information.

I don't have an opinion one way or another. I'm just intensely curious.

Thanks.

bonkersmad · ABUSER Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 20

i'd like to see the list too Rolling Eyes

Oliver · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:43 pm Post subject:

@ben-gur: I really want to make it clear that nationality is not the matter here. You should understand also that the fact that 80% of the accounts made from your country were accounts that in one way or the other abused our service. Again I want to say that these are the accounts that we were able to close until now and we haven't finished the checks on half of our servers.

I really have nothing more to say about this issue. We will try to find a better way to prevent abuse comming from the IP ranges that we have blocked but until we do this restriction is our best option.
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masterman · Noobie Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 25

80%

I'm sorry, but that is VERY had to take in Shocked

It would be good for your business and the public to see some proof of this. As a business man myself, I would do everything possible do back up my actions. This leaves no doubt about why your action was needed, and would stop this topic dead.
At the moment there is only the story that your company blocked a whole country Shocked

Maybe the story (and proof) that 80% of members from that country abused the service would put a stop to it all.

Oliver · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 9:06 pm Post subject:

You are a business man, right? You of all people really think that we would publish any information about this on the Net? Also I think people do not understand that we are the ones providing the service and as such we are the ones who decide whether to distribute it in a certain country/to certain individual or not. It is not us who should be blaimed for the situation, we changed data centers several times and ruined our business relation with several companies because of our policy to accept everyone, but now this is over. We must protect ourselves from abuse and we will.

End of discussion, if anyone has a Pre-sales question, please ask it. Otherwise I do not think that there is anything else to be added to this subject!
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masterman · Noobie Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 25

andr3a_net · Noobie Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 23

Are Sign ups from Italy blocked ?

If I try to click on Sign Up I have the following error:

Signups trought proxies are not allowed. Please use your real IP.

I'm connected trought an italian Adsl at home with only one pc.

Thanks! Smile

Oliver · Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 11:04 am Post subject:

Please just try signing up from a computer that uses a different ISP.
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cross · Noobie Joined: 06 Aug 2005 Posts: 1

Hope The Quick Reply Is As Good As The Quick Decision Making In Ur Company.

In Mumbai Most Of The Personal Computer Users Are Connected Thru Lan... So I Gues Ur Missing Out On An Big Chuck Of New Users..

Anyways .. Be Quick And Be Safe.

arthurvandijk · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:51 pm Post subject:

I think it is good you try to minimalize abuse, but to block an IP range? What happens if, say only 50% used a "re-route"? I WAS a hacker about 3 years ago, so I know about this: You NEVER use your own IP, so always re-route it to somewhere...

The only way to show the true IP is to ping it for about 5 to 20 times, depending on howmany re-routes have been taken place...

It realy came from that one country?? I'm really sorry, but I can't agree... I live in the Netherlands, and am therefore unaffected so far, but still, it concerns me that an entire country was blocked, for one reason or the other...

I do know that you guys are trying everything you can to avoid being abused in some way, so don't get me wrong, I'm just providing some "classified" info...

Sorry all you guys out there, but this was needed to be said...

(by the way, your "/templates/100webspace/images/icon_minipost.gif" is not working...)
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DonChino · Noobie Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 5

Just happened across this FORUM and this TOPIC and I am glad to see that I am NOT the only one that blocks whole countries because of abuse. The Internet is a PRIVELEDGE and NOT A RIGHT, so I also made the choice to BLOCK CERTAIN COUNTRIES for my website/portal. Obviously this hurts business but it is better to BLOCK CERTAIN COUNTRIES until something can be done to properly address problem users.

You build a portal/site and ALL YOUR TIME is focused on setting up a STABLE infrastructure without having irresponsible individuals destroy the work of HARD WORKING individuals... Good job 100webspace.com...

luis123456 · Noobie Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 5

I know that 100webspace has to be protected, and I have already an account on 100webspace.
The problem is the following:
I have tried to signup with a proxy and this is sucessful. But, in some days, I wish to create an account to my friend in THEIR computer. And get the same result. I will refer the proxy I was used to signup in this service, and this is blocked!
Time before, I have tried on 3 another computers and can�t signup to this service because an IP range is blocked. I know that some abusers has done in 100ws, but I finally have to "give" access to my account to my friend because he can�t signup.

What about the service?

Isn�t good, I have to install MANUALLY my own scripts, bcz the cp don�t have an installer. In the demo, I can see that an "Elefeante free scripts" has appear in the demo, but I have started a thread and get the response "100ws does not support Elefante scripts".
And in another service, with thw same, THE SAME control panel, I get Elefante for free without ned to pay for nothing.

If you want to block abusers, the way is offering good services, and the users cannot have to live these experiences, I know this bcz I are the manager of a hosting company.
I see millions of threads of people complainting that their IP rangr is blocked, a sollution is well at this moment.