For real???

I would like to preface this post by saying that I absolutely LOVE my new job. I have learned more in the past few weeks regarding development than I think I did at my last job in a whole year.

The difference now, though, is dealing with small clients that have somewhat strange requests from time to time.

Case in point (sent in by a male, nonetheless):

Question.

One of my FAVORITE hobbies at work is checking on ticket availability at ticketmaster.com

However, this morning when I was trying like a mad man to get the BEST MADONNA tickets I possibly could, I think I “tried” too many times, and it seems ticketmaster blocked our IP address!

This has happened in the past, but only for like ten to fifteen minutes at a time. I have been unable to log in to ticketmaster for 4 hours and now I’m concerned. Especially because tomorrow morning, WHILE I HAVE TO BE HERE, more tickets are going on sale at 9am.

Some people have mentioned a program that resets your IP address for you, but I’m thinking that doesn’t sound like an option.

Any ideas on what I can do to sneak back on to ticketmaster.com

My 1st response:

Is this for real? We have help him get Madonna tickets??!?!?!

Then I sucked it up and actually responded:

A) I do not know if this substantiated. How would we know if Ticketmaster “temporarily blocks an IP address”? All I could really find on this topic is this article from Slashdot:

http://it.slashdot.org/it/07/10/07/2332237.shtml

B) If you were going to try and sneak back in, you would have to make the site think that you had a different IP. The only way that I know of to do that is to use a proxy. There are MANY ways to do this and they are as simple as a google search away. Here are some that might work:

1. FoxyProxy - http://foxyproxy.mozdev.org/ - Complete details for download setup on this site. This is a plug in for Firefox.
2. Proxy Changer - http://www.proxychanger.com/ - If you use IE…
3. Listing of available proxy servers: http://www.publicproxyservers.com/

I am not sure if this will work, however as I found this on Ticketmaster’s site:

Proxy Servers

Some online service providers, such as AOL or Prodigy, use a device called a proxy server. Proxy servers save copies of sites on their server rather than connecting users to the Internet or the specific site requested. In most cases this works fine.

Using a proxy server might prevent you from purchasing tickets because you need to access our ticketing system directly. If you do not know if you are accessing the Internet through using a proxy server, contact your Internet service provider.

Access Ticketmaster.com through a direct Internet connection and not through any service using proxy servers.

My recommendation would to calm down and try less. I don’t think we should be helping clients “sneak” back into web sites after they had been blocked due to what the site has deemed to be “malicious” or “questionable” use.

Pretty funny IMO. I should start a web site or something... like the Chronicles of George (go here if you have never been, it's hilarious).