Webmaster posting private information?

[macgregor]

I hope Im posting in the correct place...didnt see a legal thread
or a question like this previously asked.

Owner of a competing forum community who has been around a number of years all alone enjoying non-competitive marketplace....
We've just opened the first competing forum and have had enormous success so far.
Obviously the owner of the big forum doesnt like the idea of a competitor after all this time and is using his large forum to speak out against us...he's now published my IP address publicly.

Is this legal?
Any advice or input appreciated.

[janharders]

I'd say it depends.
Generally, your IP is not that much of a private information. If his privacy policy states that all your data, including your IP address, will be protected on his board, he's obviously not in compliance. I doubt, however, that you can take any serious legal action without spending alot of time and money on it.
If you really want to know, talk to a lawyer who is specialised in that field, and knows your local laws.

[Green_Grass]

So he is scared of you.. Any publicity is = traffic. Any smart surfer, will visit your forum to check out the 'allegations' first. This should give you even more traffic. Try and convert this traffic.

[macgregor]

I guess my concern is mainly the potential security risks
of having my IP published on a board that gets the enormous
daily traffic they do.

yes, the "fear factor" involved here is very obvious :)

people dont react to things that dont matter to them.

[tangor]

Your IP can be sniffed in many ways (send me an email... I'll send your IP back to you, for example). Your response, if you are on your competitor's list, too, is to say "Thanks! Folks now know how to get in touch with me!" And if you aren't, post a link to his message on his list with the same "thank you."

Wanna bet there's a rethink? :)

[macgregor]

Your response, if you are on your competitor's list, too, is to say "Thanks! Folks now know how to get in touch with me!" And if you aren't, post a link to his message on his list with the same "thank you."

I dont quite follow this part...

[phranque]

anyone who has your domain name can easily obtain your ip through several methods that are publicly available.
if ip's were private information you wouldn't be able to find anything by domain name.

[janharders]

anyone who has your domain name can easily obtain your ip through several methods that are publicly available.

I thought he was worried about his dial up IP. Of course, if its the IP of your webserver, phranque is right and you shouldn't be worried at all - that information will only be news to people who are not familiar with the technical side.