Suggestion for Plusnet

To mitigate many potential problems both current and future, be it spam, malware, malicious users etc.

Why not allow the possibilty of users being able to change their username, either by portal access, or ticket request?

Surely it would be the best remedy to counter the current spam situation, and users could have the option of having a mail re-direct for thier old username, should such an option be desirable (hardly likely in the case of spam).

I for one would be far happier knowing that my e-mail addy couldn't be in the 'list' of names to be spammed, and this would make it certain (with the unlikely chance of choosing a username previously compromised).

Not something which should be forced of course, but it seems to me that there are many out there who would like this option. I myself received a dozen spam e-mails in the last two years, and while I've sorted the issue by introducing mail filters, I'm not happy knowing that my username is directly in the spammers crosshairs.

It would also reduce the concern regarding trojans, viri and any other potential malware problems.

Give the Register and Beeb, and anyone else some positive, no arguments solution, and put this problem to bed once and for all.

This has been asked a number of times and I think it is being looked into or at least considered. I agree that it should be something that they should be taking seriously and offering customers ASAP.

In the mean time there are two option you can follow. Setup a free PAYG dialup account and use that for your e-mail. Setup an email account with another provider (gmail, yahoo, msn, etc) which will provide you with at least the same level of service.

Any redirects setup to either another PlusNet address or an external address will mean that the spam as well as the valid e-mail follows you, but it's something that can be turned off to remove the link to the leaked address after a number of weeks/months.

This problem is unfortunately not going to be put to bed once and for all. There is nothing that anyone can do to entirely solve what has happened. The cat is out of the bag, the horse has bolted, <insert other analogy here>. What can be done is help provide clear information and assistance for those who have been impacted. And for PlusNet to tighten up and ensure it doesn't happen again.

In reply to:

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<insert other analogy here>

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Since you insist, how about "the fish has escaped the keep-net"??

Nice one.

I'll see you're fish and raise you a...

"the lemming has already thrown itself off the cliff"

I'll see your lemming and raise you a...

"the cow has jumped over the moon"

Just to confirm, we certainly do want to find a suitable mechanism to achieve this. At the moment, it's a 20 odd minute manual process to change a username. We are still working out what the best solution to that is.

Ian

Fine. I got twenty minutes to spare if you have.

20 x 200,000.....just short of eight years methinks.

Busy, busy.


Seriously, though it's good to know that it's being considered.

There is a far easier solution to this. PN don't need to change the username for everyone because if you think why that is desired you can also see another way to do it.

My ISP provides me with a username to use on my connection but they don't insist that I use their email address to receive communication from them, instead they use whatever I supply to them for that purpose (more than one if needed). With this username I can create email address if I need and get 1GB of web space.

However, they also allow me to create a subdomain in the format of anythingIwant.myzen.co.uk with a further 1GB of web space. This then has the ability to have pop3/web email access in the format [email protected]. Should it ever become compromised I can easily change this subdomain to another one and it doesn't affect me one bit because it isn't tied to the operation of my whole account with them.

The main problem with PN position is the insistence to send all communication to the postmaster account and the username/password is used for access all facilities related to the account e.g. ftp, email, web space etc.

Solutions:
Remove the necessity to monitor the ISP supplied email address
Send all communication to the user on their preffered email address
Allow the creation of a subdomain and email addresses

Given that 'x' usernames have already been compromised, my OP's advice stands. I don't want a subdomain. I want a secure, changeable username domain.

What's more, [email protected] is a more complicated e-mail setup for the user than [email protected]

I'd get very bored having to tell folk [email protected]

In reply to:

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Just to confirm, we certainly do want to find a suitable mechanism to achieve this. At the moment, it's a 20 odd minute manual process to change a username. We are still working out what the best solution to that is.

Ian

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I thought PlusNet said many times it was impossible to change usernames. Something about being registered with BT.