Some users still using Hotmail etc and unable to post on the forum

[exxos]

I have said this a million times for literally years now! People need to stop using hotmail and microsoft related email accounts!!

Registrations have been blocked for common email domains where for example, Microsoft continued to block them. So there is no use in users trying to register with such email accounts anymore. I'm sure a lot of people are aware of my epic long battle with Microsoft and I have given up trying to get off their blacklist. So I no longer allow registrations using Microsoft related accounts.

However, it is just come to my attention that some people still have not switched away from such problem accounts on the forum. Unfortunately you are going to get continually blocked by CleanTalk and a lot of people are already not getting email notifications because Microsoft have been blocking them for years now. The amount of bounced emails I get because of these email accounts..!!

So if you have one of these accounts, you need to change your email address, or if unable, contact a Admin to change it for you. Otherwise you will not be able to post on the forum. Or any other accounts which Microsoft related or likely to have the same problem as well. Also note I'm also blocking t-online.de as they are blocking my server as well and I really cannot be bothered to battle with them as I have previously mentioned.

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I was almost tempted to send out a mass email to all forum users as a test to see if they get emails or not. However when I have sent a mass email out before I generally get multiple people giving me abuse because they apparently have never signed up with the forum and want to be removed!

I have been thinking of setting up a email test page so people can verify if they are getting emails. In particular for store orders where receipts go to and often go missing. If people would find this useful then I can write a quick test page to do just that. People of course would have to be logged in for it to work.

[exxos]

There are still a lot of people who still have not updated their email address and people are still continuously trying to sign up with the forum with emails which simply do not work.

I spent considerable time trying to fix this people and I have given up sorry !

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if anyone wants to complain, do it towards Microsoft because they generated these problems and I cannot fix Microsoft!

[exxos]

People can view their email address in the control panel ucp.php?i=178

I have started to deactivate old accounts which have been dormant or never completed registration.

Anyone who still has a microsoft accounts like Hotmail / outlook (including domain names which also use Microsoft servers ) I will consider it abandoned in the future as it has not been updated and such accounts will be deactivated.

[alexh]

Hotmail is my primary personal email address are you saying that active forum members can't continue to use hotmail as the email for their account? Or is it just new users?

[exxos]

Hotmail is my primary personal email address are you saying that active forum members can't continue to use hotmail as the email for their account? Or is it just new users?

If your using Hotmail then technically you should not even be able to post on the forum because they are blocked and have been for some time now.. It is possible the block is only valid for new users hence why you can still post..

The solution is to change away from Hotmail entirely and use something not Microsoft related otherwise you run the risk of not being able to post on the forum in the future.

EDIT:

I opened up a support ticket with cleantalk, they said the moderation should apply to all users, however it only actually says guests and new users in the settings... They said they will get back to me in a few days after they have made some tests...

[exxos]

Cleantalk basically said they don't have the resources to fix the problem In otherwords, the only guy who knew how it works has left.... Same thing as always, want something fixing... Fix it yourself... I'll not mention the flaw publically as it could easily be taken advantage of.

[exxos]

I have patched the antispam extension. So the couple of "backdoors" which could have resulted in mass spam events, should now be patched.

It is possible some users may inadvertently hit the antispam protection.. The whole thing is a bit of a "learning" thing, so it may take some weeks to "train" it to not block legitimate posts.. If it becomes a huge problem then I will just have to disable the update and maybe rethink my strategy again...

Plus, for the millionth time, you're going likely going get blocked if you are using one of the emails which is in the blacklist..

Also in case people haven't seen this news article about the type of things which are happening these days... Totally horrific....
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93qw3lw4kvo

I will continue to be vigilant on such matters to protect this community in as many ways I can think of....

EDIT:

There may be a couple seconds delay when posting messages sometimes.. This is likely down to the anti-spam service checking up on things before allowing the post though. So don't multiple click submit , just wait it out...

[mrbombermillzy]

Maybe this will help some forum members transition...

Without spitting too much hate for MS (as I now deal with their systems and SW in my new job), I used to have my main email address with them. However, some of my friends couldnt reach me, or didnt get replies that I had sent; their emails were being blocked (both ways it seems).

Sometimes you dont find this out till much later, after several people judge you as rude or non responsive, or the damage is done with less familiar contacts.

This is not what I want at all from an email provider. I may just as well have gone back to posting letters.

Obviously I have since changed providers, especially after MS recently decided to prevent third party mail programs from retrieving emails from its mail servers. That was literally the last nail in the coffin.

In the end, I dont care what they are doing with the emails; their email services are just not fit for purpose if a random amount just 'disappear'.

Random fact: Richard Stallman (the creator of GNU) classes Windows as malware. Just saying.

Ok, I think Ive got that out of my system now. Rant over I guess.

[exxos]

MS recently decided to prevent third party mail programs from retrieving emails from its mail servers. That was literally the last nail in the coffin.

Didn't know what! wow! M$ just want everyone locked into their own ecosystem and screw everyone else... as usual.

gmail seems ok currently.. but how long that will last....

[mrbombermillzy]

Well, they wouldnt put it like that obviously.

They would say that your 3rd party app hasnt upgraded its systems to 'modern authentication methods'.

Anyhow:

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Im dreading the day when they decide they want to move onto compulsory MFA to sign in. All the staff I support at work will have meltdowns.