[FFML] [ADMIN] [OT] On the subject of email accounts

[Dennis Carr]

Didn't want to pull the ADMIN tag, but this really does bear upon it.

Something I've noticed is that, occasionally, we'll get bounce
notifications and subsequent unsubscribes from the list after the
bounces expire.  Most frequently, though, the bounces I see are either
because the recipient email box runs too full, or that the email
account was disabled for some reason - probably due to user deletion.

What's prompting my email in the first place today is a recent note
from Livejournal, which I'll quote in part:

You should be aware that Hotmail recycles email addresses that haven't
been used in more than a year. If you validated a Hotmail address for
your journal and displayed it publicly in the past, but then let the
address lapse, someone who finds and re-registers that address can use
it to obtain control of the journal.

(For those who don't use Livejournal, the source of this was owing to a
rash of break-ins, which they isolated to what seems to be this issue
related to LJ users having used at one point a hotmail.com account for
validation purposes - after the address lapses and recycles, people
break in and wreak havoc.)

So that said, I'm not really concerned about the bounce messages
(though it does make me curious at best).  I'm more concerned about the
implications. 

So that said, something I am asking people to do is be a bit more
diligent about changing email addresses.  A few pointers:

* The web interface (and the email-based listbot as well) have
facilities to change email addresses.  If you aren't sure how, one can
just unsubscribe from one address and subscribe at another, in no
particular order.

* Common sense: DON'T EVER GIVE YOUR PASSWORD OUT.  Yes, I know,
preaching to the choir, but it bears repeating. 

* If running out of room is your problem, check on another address for
the purpose.  Gmail has a virtually limitless quota.  Also, clear out
your old email if you don't need it.

* If you're on hotmail, be careful, and bear the above quote in mind. 

Thanks,
-Dennis
(List op)