OK…maybe it has something to do with my recent OS change to Win7 (a lot of stuff got sort of wonky with that) but in browsing a few Forums, I find that reading privileges are restricted to registered members only. I don't ever remember registering on those places, though I scan them semi-regularly. Is it ME? Or is this a new paranoid trend from the past rearing it's ugly head again? Of course, posting should be a registered function and if I were planning to do that I would smear more of my info onto yet another Internet site (speaking of paranoia)…but READING? Come on…with all the security built into the new Forum programs, what's the problem, folks? It's GLASS we're talking here…not National Security. I won't say more about this until I find out what's going on. Is it ME and Win7? Me and my lack of remembering whether I was previously registered on those sites? (not likely)…Is this something new? I suppose I need another previously unregistered person to tell me if a couple of the SMF boards like AoG and AGF are giving them the "finger". Not ALL the SMF's are doing this so I suspect it's not me and 7.
They are doing it to protect themselves. They found out how insecure their forums were and some are reacting now.
Windows 7 has nothing to do with it.
That's interesting, Wayne. I haven't seen or heard of any recent, ongoing security problems with the SMF programs. Do you really think that people who can hack a Forum program would be stopped by a minor registration requirement? OR…is it the old "BOT" problem gathering info from posts…again…still? There are several ways to block that and now that most Forums don't show e-mail addresses in lieu of the Private Mail, most of the old "pickup" hazard should be avoided. Certainly, people who use forums know better than to put sensitive private info in messages on the public Internet? We know when we choose to participate in Forums that whatever is posted will be PUBLIC knowledge. Forum Administrators and programs can only protect users from their inexperience to a small degree…much as we try.
Obviously, some of the older, "original code" Forums don't even try. For months, I've been getting E-mail (SPAM) addressed to a "real name" registration (not the posting name) alias that I use on ONE forum only. It's associated with the SF e-mail address ONLY in the registration process there and is not used anywhere else on the 'Net. Neither the "real name" nor the e-mail is visible to anyone but the administrators. So, what's the deal? Are there hackers reading their company/Forum records OR…are they selling the userlist commercially? I'm not pissed enough (YET) to formally challenge the administration/company owners. Easy enough to just mass delete the E-mails with all the other SPAM. Still, it's totally and finally destroyed any faith I ever had in that place (which wasn't much).
At least, I'm glad to know that the shaky truce between Win7 and myself is still holding. It's an ongoing battle to find enough improvement in this to justify the nightmare of an OS change (aside from the inevitable result of cleaning out the partition that held the old XP OS. That was good…starting new).
I'm registered at both A.O.G. and T.A.G.F. As far as I know, no damage has been done to date, but what might be a weakness has been uncovered, and precautions are being taken or at least considered. As Wayne says, it's nothing to do with Windows. It's a bitch when one cannot blame Bill Gates. Kinda takes the fun out of things.
I'm told that the same "problem" exists on at least one additional SMF/Stained Glass board, but the problem – if it actually is a problem – is being ignored.
……………. there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worthwhile doing as simply messing about in boats.
I don't think it's Windows 7 but I haven't tried any new forums.
I sorta HATE Win7…most days. Even when I'm not actively despising it, I still don't find any advantages to it over XP for my uses anyway. Time…Patience all seem reasonable until I hit yet another aggravating snag. EVERYTHING I try for the first time is a PITA.
OK…for example: I plugged in my KINDLE (as I did dozens of times on the old XP) and it wasn't there. Oh, all the searches through devices etc SAID it was there and functioning but it was not. SO…once you plug it in you must EJECT it ON the computer before the device will work on its own. HOW the hell do I eject it when there's nothing in the list that says Kindle? So, now I have a blank Kindle and no way to get it back? Spent a frustrating 2 hours last night and gave up. That's when the light bulb went off in the ole brain pan. I vaguely remembered a "dead Kindle" problem way back when I first got it. Didn't remember the solution but I must have had one…right?
Now, here's where you protect yourself by keeping the .pdf User Manuals for EVERYTHING in the house (Computer peripherals, electronics, household gadgets and equipment) in your .doc files…not only in the paper files or in this case in the Kindle (where it's no help on a dead reader). Figured there was nothing lost if I actually READ the Kindle troubleshooting section. Yeah, of course…it told me how to do a "reset" by holding the power switch ON for 15 sec…then waiting 30 sec for the device to reset. OK, It's back…AND it's showing up in the computer. Wasn't Win7…it was ME. I did something stupid, dunno what but still stupid. Of course, I had pretty much ruled out Win7 anyway because I still have XP on the laptop and it didn't work there either last night. I MUST stop blaming Win7 for my own stupidity…but I'm a LONG way from loving it.
P.S. I was dreading sending that Kindle in for repairs considering that I have hundreds of dollars of books on it in .txt files that I did NOT buy at Amazon. Not illegal, but would probably have hacked them off and I doubt any device would have returned with all my books intact.
I'm registered at both A.O.G. and T.A.G.F. As far as I know, no damage has been done to date, but what might be a weakness has been uncovered, and precautions are being taken or at least considered. As Wayne says, it's nothing to do with Windows. It's a bitch when one cannot blame Bill Gates. Kinda takes the fun out of things.
I'm told that the same "problem" exists on at least one additional SMF/Stained Glass board, but the problem – if it actually is a problem – is being ignored.
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I won't say more about this until I find out what's going on. Is it ME and Win7? Me and my lack of remembering whether I was previously registered on those sites? (not likely)…Is this something new? I suppose I need another previously unregistered person to tell me if a couple of the SMF boards like AoG and AGF are giving them the "finger". Not ALL the SMF's are doing this so I suspect it's not me and 7.
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