text: ping, lookup, traceroute, whois, finger, portscan? is it ok to use these tools on ip's that i just come across. as long as i step lightly and have no ill intent?  these are unix in gui tools on mac osx really these are just examples of the type tools i want to learn on the command line.  i have posted other questions like this and everyone gives an unfounded "no you can't" but i know the real network builders 'look' at stuff too. how did they get there?  but where do you draw the line between observing the network and snooping, or appearing to do recon. a good way to learn to use these tools is to ping yourself, then look yourself up, go have a whack at tracing your own root, whois is pretty much the same as lookup, as is finger, and portscannin something is deffo a no, no, as if they have any kinda security, they'll capture your i.p addy, and you'll be screwed, basically what i'm sayin is, if all you want to do is learn the command lines, then do it to yourself  r3dm0