# Passwords **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 15, 2000, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459 "2000-06-15T08:02:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2000, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/1 "2000-06-15T08:02:03Z")
I’m sure that suggestions have already been made on how to tighten up on user profiles and security here. But, anyway, here’s my tuppence-worth: 1. When registering, a password is automatically generated and emailed to your specified email address. You can change it at a later date via your user profile. 2. Email addresses can _not_ be changed by the user. Changes have to be requested in an email to one of the mods (or possibly a web-based email account which all mods have access to). I know it may mean more work for the mods, but if it could reduce the amount of trolls, there may fewer threads to close, posts to delete or posters to ban. Hopefully. Obvious flaws? You can still register via a web-based email account and use that to receive any password. I don’t think there’s any way around that; I doubt it’s even possible to ban every web-based email provider. Would the board software support this kind of idea? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2000, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/2 "2000-06-15T18:15:09Z")
This is a new software package, only a few weeks old, in fact, and there’s lots of stuff in it that needs fixing. Like everything you mentioned above. Fixes are in the works. Thanks for your comments, we appreciate it. your humble TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2000, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/3 "2000-06-15T18:59:27Z")
> [@](#): > > originally posted by mattk: > 2. Email addresses can _not_ be changed by the user. Changes have to be requested in an email to one of the mods (or possibly a web-based email account which all mods have access to). I think that’s too much work for the administrators. I personally would propose that if you change your e-mail address, the password also gets changed and a new random password is e-mailed to the new address. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/4 "2000-06-15T19:32:15Z")
That sounds better than my suggestion, certainly. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/5 "2000-06-15T20:34:33Z")
Didn’t the UBB automatically do Matt’s 1) and Arnold’s version of 2)? I had assumed vBoard would have picked up those two rather convenient functions of UBB. ---
**Author:** ![CatsPaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CatsPaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatsPaw)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2000, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/6 "2000-06-15T22:06:03Z")
I don’t see how any of this would make a difference. It doesn’t take 2 minutes to open a new account, and look at the number of choices: [http://www.chek.com/domains/index.php3?category=Complete](http://www.chek.com/domains/index.php3?category=Complete) ---
**Author:** ![CatsPaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CatsPaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatsPaw)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2000, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/7 "2000-06-15T22:10:21Z")
Sorry, that only showed hundreds of free email sites Here’s the one with thousands. [http://www.emailaddresses.com/](http://www.emailaddresses.com/) You’ll note many have free forwarding, so you can receive mail from dozens of accounts just by opening your regular mail. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2000, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/8 "2000-06-15T22:21:14Z")
Tengu: I get the impression that the people that coded vBulletin started with an older release of UBB. CatsPaw: the changes would prevent you from puttin an invalid e-mail address in your profile (i.e. one that doesn’t work or to which you don’t have access.) ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/9 "2000-06-16T04:33:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > This is a new software package, only a few weeks old, in fact, and there’s lots of stuff in it that needs fixing. > > Like everything you mentioned above. > > Fixes are in the works. > > Thanks for your comments, we appreciate it. > > your humble TubaDiva > > \*\* –Okay, okay. For your 8 minute troll record and Lynn’s comment that Tuba is the lobbying force behind increased security…Chocolate headed for Tuba, too. You think I’m kidding. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/10 "2000-06-16T16:15:00Z")
Woo-hoo! He delivered! (Well, the USPS will deliver, but it started with Doug.) Thank you VERY much, Doug my dear. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passwords/22459/11 "2000-06-16T21:16:15Z")
Well, I’m back on my feet again. I swooned, Doug. Thank you very much! I really appreciate it. Lynn In a good mood for once, and you all have Doug to thank.