RevengeDriven wrote:Its not possible at all to take control of a computer with just an i.p. The person would have to somehow download something from the person trying to take control of the computer. Knowing an i.p. doesn't do you any good.
Knowing an IP does you tons of good.
First and foremost, how are you supposed to launch an attack against someone if you can't specify their computer? The IP address in and of itself is just a number, but it's what enables attacking in the first place. And while you are right in saying "Its not possible at all to take control of a computer with just an i.p.", it's not a very big step from an IP to ownd if that particular computer is vulnerable.
Additionally, an IP address can reveal geographical, ISP, and in some cases personal information, all of which can be used to help in a social engineering attack. You would be surprised what people will tell you if you say you grew up in the same area or even use the same ISP.
RevengeDriven wrote:Even port scanning for ports running vulnerable app.s is of little use unless you have the skills to set up shop on the computer you are scanning.
Or you can find an exploit online/use Metasploit.