Hi. This question is specifically for someone who can speak for VATSIM as a representative of the organization. I used to do SATCO years ago, and right about the time it fizzled, so did my interest in flight simming at the time. Over the years, Flightsim has been an on-again, off-again thing for me, which I suppose speaks highly of the product(s) and the genre itself. I've never found myself coming back to, say, Doom or Command and Conquer with the same rekindled interest. Needless to say, it's a hobby that I've loved over the years, and which has welcomed me back like the father of the prodigal son time and time again.Well, lately I've been interested in getting back to online flying. I've been reading the material on the Vatsim site over the last couple of weeks and I'm really excited to get started. However, I have a hurdle that I see no way around, so I'm bringing it up here.Firstly, I want to say that I completely understand the email policy (requiring ISP email addresses), as I remember distinctly how people used to log into the SATCO servers to cause problems. Tower buzzes, wrong-way takeoffs on purpose, etc. It was as aggrivating to me as a pilot as I'm sure it was to the controllers. However, this policy, on the surface, seems to sweep away the good with the bad to a degree. I've long since abandoned my ISP email address in favor of a MSN address, because regardless of where I am, I always have access to it. I'm currently a Comcast user, but the account is not in my name. Sort of a complicated situation behind that, but the jist is that my mother in law is paying for the account in order to have a reliable channel of communication with my wife, who is deaf. We were stuck using a local free dialup service here, and when she offered to set us up with Comcast on her nickel, we jumped at the chance. So basically, my only email address for the last 4 or 5 years now has been via MSN, which is clearly unacceptable to Vatsim's policy. My question is, is there no possible alternative to verifying who I am? Perhaps a phonecall, or even a scan of my driver's license for that matter. I really want to give Vatsim a whirl, and this one simple barrier is... well, frustrating in how simple a situation it is, but with no clear solution other than to go through the rigamorole of setting up my own ISP account.Any help would be appreciated.Thanks,Jonathan D.

Martin,Thank you for your response. I had seen that form previously, but seeing the entry field for a Vatsim ID number, I'd assumed it was for current members having login problems. I'll go ahead and send a message through it now. Thanks again!Jonathan D.

Martin,I did recieve a quite terse response after using the online form which basically told me that I was out of luck given my circumstances. Are you aware of any process of appeal in this sort of situation, or am I basically shut out of Vatsim?Thanks,

Hello Jonathan,could you please forward the text you

Will do. Thanks again!-Jon

Hello,I've just recieved a sad e-mail from VATSIM, that my account was suspended [because of non-ISP e-mail]. I can make a phone call, or send a scan of drivers ID to continue my flying, because I don't have an access to ISP account.Could you help me?Yours,Bartosz Kuleszavalarian_at_o2.pl

Bartosz,Surely tpnet (the ISP you were connected from at signup) will give you an email account?

It won't. It's not so easy, it's something like a global provider of the internet, a don't have any ability to get a ISP email from it.Eventually, I can have an email from Orange [@orange.pl], but I don't know, if it'll be allright.

Bartosz,Email me either using the address in my sig or norman at vatsim dot netDo not include your password - nobody should ever ask for your password. Detail the other email addresses you have available to you that are not from a free provider and I will do my best to help you out.I wont be able to reply to emails from 1200z for the rest of the day.

Thank you, I've just mailed to you and look forward for response.

Yes, Bartosz. @orange.pl is enough. Orange is one of three polish mobile phone operators and they are ISP too.The problem was o2.pl. As you probably know it is the easiest free non-ISP e-mail & instant messaging provider in Poland. If you read all your spam, 99% you will get from o2.pl account, won't you ?

Bartosz, I can read on http://www.tp.pl/b/binaries/PL/355427/DSL_...6_363957958.doc that all users of package "INTERNET DSL" get:1) 1 GB HDD space for unlimited amount of email accounts,2) domain .internetdsl.pl and DNS service support,(...)9) email access via POP3,10) no limits on transfer11) WWW logs access.So typically, you should have an access to e-mail account from tpnet.

Not a problem any more.VATSIM accepts non ISP emails registrations as of beginning of May 2007.Kyprianos Biris :-cool[link:hvacc.org]Hellenic vACChttp://vateur.org/staff/vateur_m.jpghttp://online.vatsimindicators.net/810309/3.png