User names going out of action

[little-paddy]

Hi,
I am currently on my third user name for PPRUNE. What is the deal with the handling of user accounts? My first two accounts after some months of usage, decided that I could no longer post, access my User CP or reply on any posts. This rendered the user names useless.

Why is this happening?

LP

[The Nr Fairy]

Short answer - dunno. Most likely to be your PC setup rather than PPRuNe.

But I bet this gets moved to Computers and Internet very shortly . . .

[john_tullamarine]

.. just waiting an answer from the guys who know about such things ...

JT

[Danny]

Regardign the problem quoted, it is more often than not a case of someone changing their email address and either entering it incorrectly and therefore not receiving the confirmation email or else not even answering the confirmation email once they receive it. Also, if they forget their password and and don't respond to the change password email the same thing will happen.

There is a script that looks for users who have not responded to their confirmation email and if so, it sends out 3 reminders over a period of 10 days. If no response after 10 days the Username is automatically deleted. End of story.

If that doesn't answer the problem, please ask users who have been using the same Username for nearly seven years why they don't seem to have a problem. There is no other reason why a Username becomes 'unaccessible'.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Danny,

Do not forget Banning due to Spamming, Language, or Content of posts. :eek:

Richard

[Saab Dastard]

Hi, Danny -

Just a small point but when I changed my email address after getting broadband, I got the confirmation email, but for whatever reason the system wouldn't accept my response.

I actually was able to re-register with the same username, so it didn't (doesn't) bother me. Not even the loss of nearly 200 posts! (seems some people have lost a lot more over the pink headsets thread shenanigans :E )

Thanks for all your efforts, BTW, the new server is fantastic! :ok:

SD

[Danny]

Banning doesn't delete a Username.

Regarding the change of email address, there was a flaw in the script which was corrected about 5 months ago. Up until then, anyone changing their email address who had been registered fro more than 10 days only had until the next run of the cron job which then automatically deleted all unverified accounts over 10 days old. In theory, you could have anything from 1 second to 24 hours depending on what time relative to the cron job running before your account was deleted if you had been registered over 10 days.

If the system allowed you to register the same Username as before then the old one must have been deleted. Unfortunately, some people seem to place great emphasis on the number of posts but in reality all it does is remind you about maybe purchasing a Personal Title (http://www.pprune.org/go.php?go=/ptorder/ptorder.htm) if you haven't already got one! :\

[Saab Dastard]

Well, seeing as it was my 150th post (in this universe, at least) it seems like Kismet, Danny - here's the money for my Personal Title!
:D
SD

[little-paddy]

Hey Danny,
Thanks for your reply. That is the wierd thing. It didn't delete the username i.e. I can still login. It just removes all priviledges.

It is no worries though I guess. I am used to Little-Paddy now!!!!


Thanks again

LP

[itchybum]

Little Paddy I experienced the same problem on more than one occasion. I have had four usernames suddenly crap out on me and refuse to allow me priveleges. Now and then, I try my previous username and if I persist I can eventually post but this "itchybum" ALWAYS gets me in to all services.

For the previous to work I had to delete cookies and temp internet files then log in and even then I had to do it several times and fail before it actually got me to the POST window. Then after I finish typing and hit SUBMIT (or whatever) it often went back to the log-in window and I had to start again. Very annoying.

What's more annoying is there was no explanation from pprune except that it must be a PC problem. Strange since itchybum gets in every time with the SAME PC but I could not get this point across and they eventually got tired of offering advice.ask users who have the same Username for nearly seven years why they don't have a problem. There is no other reason why a Username becomes 'unaccessible'. Well obviously there must be another reason since it sounds, L.Paddy, as though your problem is not unique.

[Danny]

If you let us know the username with a problem we can look into it. Please send requests for assistance to [email protected] and then patiently wait for a reply. We do eventually get around to dealing with all admin mail but as we have day jobs that can take us away for protracted periods, it may take a bit of time.

Only reason that a Username loses some privilidges is that it has been moved to a different usergroup. As 'registered' you should have no problems. If you have changed your email or password and not acknowledged the confirmation email you are in the 'Users awaiting email confirmation' group and if you don't confirm within 10 days your Username is deleted. If you have been banned then you can only read the forums. 'Banned' should appear under your name in any posts you have made.

The problem with those who appear to be logged in but when they come to post is due to a corrupted cookie. If your cookie is getting corrupted regularly then you need to find out if anything on your computer is conflicting with it. The soultion that works 99% of the time is to elete ALL cookies associated to www.pprune.org AND pprune.org (some may have the www and others may not). Once the cookies have been deleted you should quit your browser and then relaunch it and then log into PPRuNe.