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Ask YC: what should I do about a psycho-stalker-impersonator on my blog?

4 points by juwo ↗ HN
Important: please do not post comments on my blog as we want to track this person.

Instead please send me email as listed on my YC profile.

For some time now, someone who has been impersonating a real person has been writing hate-filled comments on my blog. He has now started making wild and false allegations of adultery and 'financial misdealings'. My wife and I think he could be dangerous.

1. Previously they were anonymous but since then, I placed the restriction that Anonymous comments are not allowed. https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3787333977682664075&postID=6036258607431298636

Then he got himself a blogger profile using an OpenId from Microsoft Live.com This person's email address on their profile is

bk_wordtech@live.com

In his blog profile, he listed himself as Bruce Karlson. President, Word-Tech and location as Mission, KS.

That has since been erased. Now I see his profile has been made private.

A Google search turned up Bruce Karlson, president of Word-Tech, Mission Hills, KS. http://www.wordtech.com/default.html Phone: (913)722-3334

When I called him, he was genuinely shocked and said someone may have been impersonating him. He said he has owned his business 30 years and does not know who could be behind this. From speaking with him on the phone, he is not computer knowledgeable.

2. This has continued now regularly. see the comments on each article: http://juwo.blogspot.com/2008/02/plea-to-my-church-elders-for-financial.html http://juwo.blogspot.com/2008/03/if-einstein-does-not-impress-god-what.html

Most recently, last night: http://juwo.blogspot.com/2008/03/jesus-and-demoniac.html

If he was a genuine person, then he should identify himself and come forward with any grievance he has. Instead he is impersonating someone and is on a tirade. My wife and I have no clue who he could be. Now a 'new' person with Google id Apollyon (a literary name for Satan. cf. Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress) has joined in. A few minutes ago, I find he has deleted the Bruce Karlson profile probably since I threatened to call the police.

3. Can he be tracked from his live id? I complained to Google last week for impersonation but nothing has happened. I am going to complain to the police.

Any help appreciated. Again, please do not post comments on my blog as we want to track this person. I can easily shut off comments, but would that make him desperate?

thanks, Anil

9 comments

[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 33.0 ms ] thread
[dead] tefflox
Mission Hills? That dude is rich! It's probably his only male heir, trying to re-invent my point-based system of materialized karma. Stay out of his way!
ghiotion
Man, I feel for you on this. Find his IP and block it. If that doesn't work, block his entire ISP with a message that they have this guy to thank for it. Finally, ignore him. If he makes a comment, delete it. Don't respond. From what I've seen, you seem to be feeding into his pathology. This isn't a blame the victim thing, but an Internet thing. The guy's a troll and every time you answer him, you reinforce his behavior.
martianpenguin
The blog isn't hosted on a service that allows blocking by IP as far as I'm aware. But other than that, I agree.
ghiotion
He could use something like:

http://toolator.com/ban/

Says it works with blogspot.

[dead] juwo
I noticed at the toolator website there were advertisements for software to hide and change the ip address!
[dead] juwo
He is using Google blogger/blogspot with an OpenId from Microsoft.

Is it easy to get a fake account?

As far as I know, the aim was to deter fake accounts and at least with some msn accounts, a credit card is required. (with blogger, a cell phone account).

Is this someone I know? a neighbor perhaps? that is what concerns me because he could physically attack us. I don't care too much about some random person on the internet.

michaelr
You've already spent too much time worrying about this. Disable comments or just let him fade away (i.e. discontinue acknowledgment of his posts). If his pay off disappears so will he.
ezmobius
You are playing right into this troll's hands. Don't bother responding to him, just delete his posts and ignore him.
mynameishere
The comments by "Bruce" don't strike me as markedly more irrational than the posts themselves, and by internet standards they seem not-especially-harassing. I'll admit I didn't devote too much time trying to decipher anything.

If this person is in fact impersonating a real person, then ask that person to press charges for identity theft. Aside from that, just block the user every time he shows up.