In article <0l2cnv8hvhjb4ri7rp6bqo4pla3rfrg4qe@news.rcn.com >, Jay T Blocksom
wrote:
> > ...(it's a subscription service, so there is a credit card on file).
> [snip]
>
> I thought you said it was a free service? I, for one, would NEVER provide
> credit card info for such ANY non-payment purpose, as a matter of
> principle (and prudence).

It's a free service with a certain set of features and limits, or you can
buy a subscription and get more features and less limits.

....
> 2. - Make the sign-up process difficult to "spoof" by using tokenized
> closed-loop confirmation such as discussed (albeit, in a different
> context) here: <http://www.cluelessmailers.org/info/listmanagement.html>
> *and* not accepting ANY sign-ups using e-mail addresses at highly abusable
> domains like Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. (or basically any "free e-mail"
> service). Better yet, only send the logon ID/password by snail mail --
> this would slow down the sign-up process somewhat for everyone, legitimate
> users included; but mostly it would put a severe crimp in an abuser's
> ability to morph from one "trial account" to the next.

Unfortunately, most of our users are "ordinary" users. Hotmail or Yahoo is
often the only email address many have (or at least know of...they've
probably got one from their ISP sitting somewhere in an unread pile of paper
that came when they got their cable modem installed). We're talking that
kind of people that are the ones that are spreading all these damn worms
'cause they are too dumb to use Windows Update.

That's one of the reasons it probably needs to go by machine.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. I'm continuing to think about this
problem. (Technically, it is a quite interesting problem).

--
Evidence Eliminator is worthless: www.evidence-eliminator-sucks.com
--Tim Smith