Pet Talk software upgrade

[Karen]

I've had similar problems with the "just a test ..." topic. I noriced that though Netscape seemed to have given up, the page had not finished loading, so my "reload" button was greyed out. When I hit option-reload, it worked. That is a topic, of course, loaded with "smilies from various sites, and when those sites are slow, our page is going to be even slower because of it.

[Freckles]

I just found a change that surprised me. I email a lot of folks. At the top of each person's post was the email icon and I would click on that to get the address. If there was no email icon, then I knew I couldn't email them.

Then today I recognized some names (which previously didn't show the email icon) with the email icon. Great! Now I could email them. But clicking the icon said the address was not available. Well, I'm hoping there was a good reason to always include that icon, even if it isn't used. Can I attach to a Personal Message?

I'm familiar with the buddy list, but what is "add to your ignore list"?

I like seeing the latest new member with their number.

I hadn't realized I was member 20.

Thanks for a great site.

[Karen]

As in most systems "Administrator" is member number 1!

[Freckles]

At the bottom of the person's profile are the words "add to your ignore list". What does that mean?

[Logan]

I'm thinking that your answer is that you could check that spot, Joan, and then not receive any private messages from that person. I may be wrong. This is just a guess! So far, I have no one that I would like to ignore!!

[Fuzzy317]

Information about the ignore or buddy list in on the faq page. Both lists can be viewed/edited when you go to the my profile page.

[Freckles]

If I send a private message to someone, and they have already chosen not to accept any private messages, will I be notified? I have two messages out in limbo right now.

[delidog]

spencer the lion...are you out there....i need your help again....please go to dog rescue and see update on boomer and precious...any advise????? thanks,the deli dog

[4 feline house]

I changed mine after Ruthie and I spoke about this. All this time I thought it was my teenage son visiting porn sites, even though he repeatedly denied it and even though he certainly wouldn't be posting my email address if he were. Although an equal number of unsolicited emails are not pornographic, I still do not want them. I don't fly so I don't care about milage points, I don't need my credit repaired, I already have an investment firm I trust, etc. Even though I have a junk mail folder, this is still highly irritating to me, and I still have to take the time to delete them. Besides, the porno ones are exceedingly offensive, as the subject is usually filled with words I wouldn't repeat to my closest friend. I can get caller ID and call blocker for my phone, but I resent having to pay a relatively large sum of money for a computer and a DSL line only to spend time deleting filth off my computer that someone else has put there. This is the only board I visit in which the actual email address is visible, so after hearing Ruthie voice the same complaint I began thinking it was not coincidental. Also, like most people, I have several email addresses, but the one posted here was the only one getting 10-20 porn mails a day - one day there were over 1,000!!!! It occurred to me that with the addition of the private messaging capability, I don't need to be "cut off" from my Pettalk and potential Pettalk freinds just because choose not to have my email address public.

[Logan]

I have been a member here for over a year. I have never gotten any unsolicited or pornographic emails (and I don't want any either) and my email address has always been and is currently public. And I am certainly visible in all areas of the site. I feel like if it had to do with Pet Talk, it would be happening to all of us with public email addresses. So maybe your problem is coming from a different place like an accidental checking of a block on a website or an email.

My daughter accidently viewed a link once from the Flow-go folks. You have to read carefully when you get a link to that site, because the first one you click will sign you up for all sorts of newsletter and advertisements. My ten year old was getting credit card applications! That's a scarey thought.

[ August 18, 2001: Message edited by: Logan ]

[TheAntiPam]

Regarding the unwanted emails - another source of junk mail is the automated senders that some senders use. Once they know the "@asdf.com" part of anyone's address, they have a program that just tries one name after another, like [email protected], [email protected] etc. They don't pay "postage" for those that don't get delivered, so they don't care how many are invalid.

Also, regardless of the "privacy policy" on web sites, many privately maintained sites share addresses with others. It only takes one time...and it might be months before your email troubles stop.

You probably will never know why you are getting the junk mail... The timing of signing up with PetTalk and getting junk is probably just a coincidence. Unfortunately it is a peril of this amazing tool - The Internet!

[4 feline house]

Anti-Pam-

I always thought it was just one of those automatic ones addressers, too, that just mathematically makes up any combination of letters and then adds the more common @ domains. But when Ruthie mentioned it, too, I started wondering. I thought then it was one of those outfits that goes on bulletin boards trolling for email addresses. But if no one else is getting them, it probably is just coincidence.

Logan - I know what you mean about that Flow-Go stuff - sign up for one newsletter and next thing you know your mail box is crammed with "special offers"! I finally had to unsubscribe to the newsletter and block future mail!

One time an unsolicited copy of TV Guide came, along with a bill thanking me for my order! I don't watch enough TV to warrant subscribing to TV Guide, and the few times I need to know what's on I can check the newspaper. I think that was from that Flow-Go thing too! In fact, I would blame all the junk email on them, except they started before that.

The only other newsletters I get are from places that I trust, like Internet for Christians. But who knows, maybe IFC is selling my email address to someone who wants to send me naked pictures of Cindy Crawford! Ha ha!

Anyway, thanks everyone, for letting me know it's not everyone here having that problem.

[TheAntiPam]

Just one more comment about unwanted email: You might notice that the sender's address ends with something other than .com or .net. If it is a 2-letter combination, for instance .uk or .de, it is coming from a Non-USA country. Even if it is written in English, they may not have the same restrictions or email "manners".

And quite honestly, there are plenty of people from all countries who don't really care if you want to hear from them. It is their job to send out advertising, regardless... Sometimes asking to be unsubscribed does not even help.

You can also report abusive or unwanted x-rated mail to your Internet provider. In some cases of abuse, the provider will stop ALL email from a sender.

Ok, I'll stay off my soapbox - for a while anyway! Here's hoping our mailboxes are filled with sweet thoughts and loving fur faces from friends!

[Albea]

I must say also that I never got any abnoxious e-mail because the address is in my profile at POTD. I don't know if it is because I have Spaminator from Earthlink and Netbarrier with a firewall. I heard that if you have DSL service, it is more likely that you will get spam because the computer is connected all the time. Maybe the experts in the field can say whether or not this is true.

[4 feline house]

Albea-I think you're thinking of hackers. The IP address is static. Also, we don't leave our computer on all the time. I'm really not sure where the thinking "all the time connected" started, because I connect and disconnect and turn my computer on and off when needed, just like anyone using voice phone lines, cable, etc. Lastly, since I use hotmail, my computer doesn't even enter into the equation. My ISP email address never gets spam - and now that I think of it, it probably works just like hotmail because I still have to "sign on" to get my email. So, anyway, I don't think it's because of the DSL line. But I'm not an expert, either! Incidentally, between my son and me, we have 8 email addresses, and this is the only one getting spam. I'm sure I have given out my email address somewhere, and it has been sold, resold, and sold again. I have not seen Ruthie (roopooroo) since she started this thread, but we both used to work at the same place. Neither one of us do now. But I remember that when signing up for various benenfits, there were blanks for email address. Never dreaming that giving Aetna, VALIC, etc my email address would be dangerous, I gave it. Now the spam. I'll bet Ruthie did, too, and that's how all this got started. It really won't be that big of a deal now. I have an email filter, too, but I still checked it daily to make sure someone I had never corresponded with wasn't sending me and email for the first time - specifically, someone at Pettalk! But with the pm, and with my email address no longer on my profile, that won't be happening, so I can now just ignore the junk mail folder and the items will be deleted without me ever having to look at them.

[ August 19, 2001: Message edited by: 4 feline house ]