Legality and IP-Tracing

[JrShiner]

Those worried about IP-Tracing when posting photos or pictures, or even posts discussing moonshining in your area can use this site: http://www.hotspotshield.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Remember - install programs at your own risk. This works for me, and if you're a semi-advanced computer user it might be easy for you, if you aren't, be careful.

It installs a small program onto your computer that (when enabled) *WILL* limit your internet speed, and occasionally have you watch advertisements in order to view certain web pages, so keep this in mind. However, it does mask your IP Address, so anything you post or do online is (almost) completely untraceable. If you want to try it out, feel free to download it, I use it all the time. To see if it's working go to http://www.whatsmyip.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow before installing and activating it, and then go back to http://www.whatsmyip.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow after installing and activate it.

Happy Masking!

[Husker]

There are free web proxies also. The VPN will make it appear as though you are coming from some other location (it is how many now play online poker here in the US, since they made it 'illegal'). Free web proxies, take the data from you, re-transmit it from their server to the server you want, then get the pages back from that server, and then send them to your machine. So they are simply a machine 'in the middle'. The web site thinks it is talking with them, but they forward the data from the site to you, and from you to the site. They can be built to also fully hide your tracks. Nice thing about them (web proxies), is that there is nothing to 'install'. An example of a 'free' web-proxy is http://hidemyass.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

A VPN is a server that you log into. You connect with it, and send it data, and it does things for you, sending data out, and returning results. So basically, it is more like a 2nd ISP that you log into. It can also be pretty 'secure' as far as hiding your tracks.

Now, neither of these, will actually buy you much privacy. Yes, they do make things 'harder', but in reality, there is very little true privacy on the web. But the 'key' in privacy, is to make it harder to find you, than your 'value' . A few hundred people talking about making a couple gallons of shine in their own garage, kitchen, basement, for themselves to drink, has a pretty low value (about nil for most law enforement). Now, if we were discussing devices that would turn Paris France into a glass parking lot, our 'value' as a target would be MUCH higher.

This is NOT to say, that people should not care about hiding their tracks, or keeping a low profile. We as a group, SHOULD learn to keep our yappers shut, and just quietly go about our biz.

H.

[Samohon]

+2. Stay low and only make small amounts for personal use and you will be OK...

My friend owns a homebrew shop in Glasgow. He sells the Stillsmart water purifier/distillation unit for £150. To cut a long story short, Customs and Excise came and took away one of his stills for testing purposes. 2 month later the report showed that the unit could only produce 300ml to 400ml of drinkable spirit and so allowed the unit to be sold even although the person purchasing the unit would in effect be breaking the law...

If Johnny Law really wants you, he already knows where you are...
Stay low, keep your stock to a minimum and if the worst does happen, at least you will have an argument if they decide to prosecute.
Making beer and wine also help to camouflage your distillation practices IMO, just be careful about who knows...

[Dimestorecowboy]

I know i'm new, but I believe in the saying, "Loose lips sinks ships". No thank you on other knowing, well besides your mentor maybe.

[googe]

Maybe start with....has anyone been investigated or arrested n this site?. If so.....

[HellBilly]

I just chalk anything I post up here as "theater of the mind"... on the Internet everyone is a tough guy, master brewer, moon-shining stud, who's car has 1000 HP at the wheels. As stated in real life lay low, but I highly doubt they are going to start tracing IP's on the Internet unless they have real evidence against you.

Even the government knows 90% of what is on the Internet is BS. Like Samohon said, in reality if they wanted you, they will find you. Unless you live in the hills somewhere with zero contact with the outside world, and off the grid... they already can find you. I am guessing since we are posting on the forum none of us qualify as "off the grid"