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View Full Version : What is a transparent pixel in signature?


tox08
03-16-2010, 09:59 AM
Ain't been on the forums for a while and noitced new section called THE DUNCE CORNER, having a read on the first page and under Other Serious Infractions there is this:

ben99 (http://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/member.php?u=184338) - (Using the n00bish tactic of the transparent pixel on the signature, that even my grandma knows of. Created a dupe (http://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/members/lied-245912) immediately. And then returned as loller (http://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/../member.php?u=246309).) (Disabled on 08/01/10)

Now i'm sounding noobish and asking wtf is transparent pixel in the sig?? Google doesn't tell me either!! :frusty::frusty:
stan
03-16-2010, 11:07 AM
Lord knows i am no expert but i think it is really an IP catching pixel. You click on the picture / avatar and they can collect your IP address. Mostly used by tracker staff to prove you are on places like this. Anon -sbi would give you a better explanation. Melvin gave him the runaround on Anon own forum a few months ago using it and other tricks.
tox08
03-16-2010, 02:01 PM
hmmm i see. I've never come across the term before so i was curious as to what the hell it was!
c0ld
03-16-2010, 03:32 PM
Don't even need to click it, it just needs to load on page and they have your IP. Doesn't prove anything though.
anon
03-16-2010, 05:59 PM
Lord knows i am no expert

Aren't you?

Either way, I have explained it in that same thread:

Transparent pixel + hosting on a server you have log access to = catching the IPs of everyone visiting the page where the pixel is present.
tesco
03-17-2010, 11:22 PM
Don't even need to click it, it just needs to load on page and they have your IP. Doesn't prove anything though.
Yup.

When you load teh page it downloads the "image" which is just a transparent pixel (but it could be anything).
The server hosting it then logs your IP.

If they put it into a post then they can:
a) view the logs in real time, when an IP shows up in the log they look at the thread and see who is currently viewing it, they will then know that user's IP,
or b) just accumulate IPs and then check them against users in their own tracker to catch people trading accounts/invites.

There are other uses as well.