Security Basics mailing list archives
Re: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion'
From: Alexander Klimov <alserkli () inbox ru>
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2006 18:43:22 +0200 (IST)
On Mon, 4 Dec 2006, Saqib Ali wrote:
My question is why so many online discussion forum require logon to post messages? Currently I have 20+ discussion forum account for the various vendors that I deal with (e.g. citrix, wise, altiris, active batch etc) . Why can't they be like mailing lists where the username+password is optional/not-required. Discussion forums use username+password as mean to 1) control access, 2) tie the post to a email address; and 3) prevent anonymous spam.
I guess 3 is actually number 1. There is incredible amount of spam even on not so well known sites.
Alternatively this can also be achieved by simply requiring email address along with post, and then sending a authorization email to the poster before making the post visible on the forum. This will achieve the same effect, and the user will not be burdened with remembering username+password for each forum where they make posts.
It would not be a good idea: entering password is much simpler than answering email for each post one makes. You do not need to remember them all, just use some software to store or derive passwords for each site. -- Regards, ASK --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is sponsored by: ByteCrusher Detect Malicious Web Content and Exploits in Real-Time. Anti-Virus engines can't detect unknown or new threats. LinkScanner can. Web surfing just became a whole lot safer. http://www.explabs.com/staging/promotions/xern_lspro.asp?loc=sfmaildetect ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current thread:
- News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Saqib Ali (Dec 04)
- Re: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Alexander Klimov (Dec 06)
- RE: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Andrew Aris (Dec 06)
- Re: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Saqib Ali (Dec 06)
- RE: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Andrew Aris (Dec 06)
- Re: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Saqib Ali (Dec 06)
- RE: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Pranav Lal (Dec 07)
- Re: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Saqib Ali (Dec 06)
- RE: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion' Lall, Navneet Singh (Dec 12)