Restricted e-mail addresses

[Chief]

I must reiterate that a proper e-mail address is mandatory in order to sign up for membership at Clarkblog.org.

E-mail addresses that use the name "Clarkblog" or any derivative of it as an e-mail adressee, will be rejected for membership here at Clarkblog.org

You do not have to allow the public to see your e-mail address. You don't even have to use your real name. But before I approve you for membership, you must provide me with a real e-mail address.

Sorry, but Site Security demands it.

Chief

[Chief]

Updating on April 12, 2007

Effective immediately, clarkblog.org will no longer accept g-mail accounts as a valid e-mail address for obtaining member access here at Clarkblog. I've had way too many trolls attempt to infiltrate my site using every phony name umder the sun, and all of them with a free g-mail account. The same thing goes for any of the other free e-mail sites that people frequently use to set up anonymous e-mailing so they can cover their identities on websites they don't like, but insist on reading anyway...

Anyone who is a current member of clarkblog.org that was previously approved using a g-mail account is grandfathered in.

So whoever it was that signed up last night at 10:30 using a g-mail account, that's why I rejected you first thing today. I don't hide who I am, so there's no need to hide who you are. You don't have to reveal your e-mail address to anybody but me, so there is no reason to hide who you are. Please sign up again, only please use a real address so I know who you are. My friends and I all know each other here and most of us have met in person and/or correspond on a regular basis via telephone and e-mail. I use the nickname Chief because it suits me perfectly for a number of good reasons, but I do not hide who I am at all here at clarkblog.

And please remember that I have provided a place right <a href="http://clarkblog.org/index.php/board,61.0.html">here</a> for unregestered guests to post any kind of comment you care to leave. If you want to use you g-mail account at clarkblog.org, that's the place to do it.

Thanks for supporting the site.

Chief

[tefen]

I think the original "clarkblog" email address issue was me. It's actually just force of habit at this point. When I sign up for any site I use the name of the site @[mydomain]. It makes it really easy to know where the spam is coming from, and I can turn off that email account to stem the tide of "free porn" and "cheap viagra".

Most of my friends and family ONLY have free email accounts. hotmail, yahoo, gmail. Many of us learned years ago that it's easiest to have one free email account that can follow you for years and years despite changing ISPs. God, anybody who went through the att.net, attbi.com, and now comcast.net changes can attest to the fact that even your email address you pay for can change without your desire or consent. That's part of the reason I told people to get hotmail in the late 90s. With a backer like microsoft, it's unlikely it's going to disappear anytime soon.


All that aside. I can certainly see how it could be a pain in the butt. Anytime you want to build a new account, it's quick, easy, and free. So simple to create a fake account, defile a forum and then create another account to attack again.

[Chief]

You raise an excellent point that I had not considered, and that is that there may be people who can only access a free e-mail account.

With that in mind, anyone who is in that circumstance can e-mail me and let me know it, and I will approve those folks on a case-by-case basis. I want to be fair, but I have to protect myself, especially in light of recent events.

Thanks for pointing that out!

;D

[karma]

Have to agree with tefen, as I use different free acounts for different hats of life so that one can keep an watchful eye on what is going on. I just love one I got last night from an account from wa.gov to my business account, now figure that one out??
(I don't open pdf files anymore after watching DH getting taken to the cleaners with computer repairs either.)

[Chief]

Whoa!

The .pdf files that I have here are off of my computer and have been thoroughly checked for any kind of virus or damaging format errors before I host them and link them from my server space. I use Norton antivirus right now and am in the process of transitioning to McAfee exclusively on my new system.

There is nothing wrong with my .pdf files that I am aware of, and I would hope you would let me know immeidately if you fond any problem with them.

???

And please keep in mind that this is not MySpace, its's MY space...

[karma]

Not PDF files from here, just be careful on opening certain pdf files from other places. :o Do request doc files to be on the safe side.

Myspace, wouldn't waste my time there or that tube place either, to many pop ups and other items that send off my security flags.

[tefen]

The most recent threats are PDF based, but .doc file viruses date back to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_%28computer_worm%29">"Melissa" virus</a> in 99 (if not earlier). There are hundreds of variants. I would choose .pdf over .doc any day.

As you mentioned, the best tactic is to avoid files of which you're unsure.

[Chief]

I stand corrected....I keep my SPAM filters in place al of the time, and never open anything that has not been washed through Mailwasher Pro. ( I downloaded it as freeware a couple of years ago, but it's so effective I signed up for the Pro version subscription. It's worth every penny...).

I haven't had any problem with attachments, but then again I don't get any from people that i do not know...

;D

[Waterbuffalo]

"And please keep in mind that this is not MySpace, its's MY space..."

Should this be on the bottom of all of Chief's posts from now on. This is from his post above.. :-0