Anyone mind telling why....

[Guest Alexander_EFG]

was my post removed? It is decent that when an admin removes a valid post to at least via PM state why it was removed so that the users can take this into "account" the next time?Original post:==============Dear readers and Avsim staff,The inactivity policy, which is mentioned above the forum in red, has one huge flaw in it. Inactivity should not automaticly mean account deletion. Why? Simple... I've been away from this forum for more than 90 days and after that period, when I returned, I found out that it could have been anyone that could recreate my account and start impersonating me. Which means:- He/she could send or (even worse) receive PM's meant for me. -> Privacy breach.- He/she could post messages which could harm me in person. -> Harassment and a possibility to a Privacy breach.I seriously ask the Avsim staff to put accounts on actief status = false instead of just have them deleted. For one thing, most sites like: Hotmail, Yahoo, other fora have learn't their lesson. Don't let Avsim walk the same hallway as the others did, namely the courthouse hallway.Also, as a forumuser, I ask your (fellow users of this forum) attention to this matter. This policy is a serious privacy breach to your Avsim Forum personalia.Comments are welcome and I'm very open to a fair discussion. Actions taken are appreciated even more.With kind regards,Alex==================

[michal 44]

Just minutes ago I read Tom A.'s reply to your post. Now it is gone. Maybe it got moved to a different forum ???Michael J.

[Guest Alexander_EFG]

I just wonder what his reply was... :S

[michal 44]

Basically he was saying all these things you worry about could not happen in practice (or chance of happening was very slim). And he explained why. It was a long post.Michael J.http://www.reality-xp.com/community/nr/rsc/rxp-higher.jpg

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

I removed both your message and my reply because both were dumb. If you really think that someone would take us to court for allowing someone else to take on their account ID after 90 days of account inactivity, well, I am left speachless. I will just leave it at.EDIT: and one further thought.. If you can't take responsibility for maintaining your own account, accusing AVSIM of providing a security breach because of your lack of following the rules / policies is further reason to discount this entire subject. That's why I removed the first thread. We'll see how long this one lasts before I put it in the rubbish bin too.

[Guest Alexander_EFG]

Hi Tom,Ever considered that if I'm posting this that I might take this to court? Just a thought here... Besides, I don't really appreciate that someone as you, the big chief of Avsim, is calling me dumb. Not very kind of you.Besides, I give you a point if improvement and prevention here. What's wrong or dumb about that?Edit: Now you're putting the responsibility within the scope of the user? How cute. The users provide private information and enthrust Avsim that this information can not be accessed by third parties. Ok, sofar Avsim is clear, but then the user also enthrusts Avsim that no-one is able through, an easy way as the hole in your policy called "Inactive accounts", take over their sign-in name in put it to malicious use. Even Microsoft, owner of Hotmail, took this not so lightly as you do this now and they are more entitled to do so than you are in my humble opinion.Edit 2: Tom, is your account actually a subject to the same policy?

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

I called us both dumb, if I called anyone dumb at all (go back and read my message). If you can afford to take us to court over something like this, then good luck. There is nothing dumb about suggesting improvements, but doing so with the accompanying accusation that we are providing a security risk is disingenious at best. What private information is existent that isn't removed when the account is deactivated? None except the User ID that someone "might" remember and try to impersonate (know how many times that has happened in the last year? NONE, ZIP, NADA that we have been informed of). As for malicious use, if a user has not used his account ID in 90 days, who cares? And yes, my account, as is everyone's, is subject to the same 90 day rule. So what? I travel extensively, as anyone who knows me can attest to, but I always take responsibility for keeping my account up to date. If a user can't make the effort to post one message every 90 days, then this whole discussion is rather ridiculous, don't you think? And since this forum software is becoming popular everywhere in the FS community, you would accuse all the others of the same security breach too?

[michal 44]

Alex,Why are you making such a big fuss of something which is a simple discussion forum ?. What possible gain, damage could be accomplished by mascarading as someone else ? You use bloated words like "court", "private information", "entrust", "harm", "prevention", "breach", "huge flaw", that simply sound silly in relation to what sort of information flows through this site. This is not CIA, FBI or Department of Defense forum. I am just trying to use common sense. I totally agree with Tom.Michael J.

[Guest Alexander_EFG]

Calling yourself dumb is one thing, doing this with someone else is dangerous. It can be insulting (doh) and in my case it is.Sorry Tom, I can't afford taking you to court. Seeing that all of your people are volounteers, then you must have enough funds from your advertisers to outrun me on this one.That it didn't happen doesn't mean that it won't happen. Prevention is always better than cure.Who is making the accusations here? Is constructive criticism an accusation? Is a pointer to prevention and improvement one? Enlighten me here, cause according to you I must be dumb considering your comment on the deleted post. Thank you.Final point which seems not to be getting to you is: Set a boolean to false is the account is inactive. If someone logs in again then set it to true. Just don't allow account re-creation.Thanks for reading.With regards,

[michal 44]

>Sorry Tom, I can't afford taking you to court. Seeing that all>of your people are volounteers, then you must have enough>funds from your advertisers to outrun me on this one.>Alex,You do sound like a fairly young person, your whole reasoning points to it. Being young you most likely did not have enough time in life to accumulate wealth. So yes, most likely Tom would outrun you. *:-*Michael J.

[Guest tgabriel]

It's called trying to start a flame war. Some folks with little to do and less innate intelligence like to do such things in order to "stir the vat." Tom was right, it is a dumb topic. Post once every 90 days, there are no security breaches, don't threaten people with litigation every time you sneeze. 'nuff said.:-roll :-erks :-lol :-lol :-jumpy :-eek

[Guest Alexander_EFG]

Hi Michael,Yes, I am "young". Twentythree is not the age for an average man to gain too much wealth, but I did gain enough experience on other fields of life. Having this said I just want you and Tom to know that he is not talking to a frustrated teen with a useless life, but to a concerned user which is now (besides being called dumb) is not being taken serious.Greetzz,Edit: @tgabriel: reading the postings might be a good idea before jumping into a thread. 'Nough said. ;) No one is trying to start a flamewar here besides people who post messages like yours. I started this thread with the intention to share my opinion and to point out an obvious privacy leak. I NEVER expected to be treated like a small kid by Mr Tom "The Holy Grail" himself and defenetly NEVER expected not being taken seriously. Perhaps the level of this conversation belongs in a more mature environment and not here.

[michal 44]

One of these days I got to visit Amsterdam. I was only transiting through its airport once or twice.Michael J.

[Guest tgabriel]

So now Tom is Mr. Holy Grail. Very mature, young'un.It would be hard for you to find a more mature environment. As to reading the thread, that is what I did. Your whiny post is exactly the kind to start flame wars because it concerns a dumb, pointless topic.Post every 90 days and you will not have problems. Trying to invent a security breach where none exists is an invitation to being flamed as is any argumentative reproach. You don't like it? Stay away. After all, you saw fit to not partake in the fellowship here for at least 91 days. Why bother now? From the looks of your post, you had nothing mature to offer, just a reaction to being deleted from the list. Your reaction is nothing short of pathetic.

[Guest Ken_Salter]

Locked. :-rollhttp://saltydogfly2.avsim.net/images/avsim_sig.jpg"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."