Webmaster finally gets revenge on surfer!

[PhillipB]

This is in response to an e-mail I got today:

FYI - just joined your site and cancelled. Wanted to tell you why.


The assigned username and passwords really stink. Come on, I mean, 12 randomly assigned incoherent letters & numbers? Who can keep those correct all the time?


I would suggest you either let individuals pick a username & password or use something much more user friendly than that. Other websites I've joined allow the individual to choose their own or at least provide something much more regular.


My opinion only.

To which I replied:

Hi there,

I appreciate your feedback on my site. If I may, allow me to explain something about our username and password system:

1) First of all, I'm not sure what an "incoherent letter or number" is. We only use letters and numbers from the English system. I thought about using Chinese, but that would probably give people a legitimate reason to cancel. What I believe you are trying to refer to is the word itself is incoherent. It most definitely is, for the following reason:

2) For every one member that specifically signs up and cancels because of our username/password system -- and keep in mind there aren't many because we randomly survey those that sign up and cancel shortly thereafter -- there are about 5 hackers trying to gain access to our site. These hackers sit there all day long, running extremely complex software which keeps hitting our site with every word in the English dictionary. Now before they resort to some of the more obscure words, they rely on our more intelligent customers' use of common combinations. Pet's names, yes/no, username/password, their first name/last name (that's my favorite), famous actors' first and last names, TV shows, etc. You would be amazed how many George/Bush users we had before implementing our new system.

Anyway, once one of these hackers finds a working username/password, he or she will then post that information to a "hacked password site." Within about 2 minutes, my site gets accessed by thousands of free moochers, causing my site to slow down, my bandwidth costs to scream through the roof, and my blood-pressure to rise about 5 notches. Suddenly, legitimate members begin canceling and eventually my site will stop responding entirely. All because someone decided to use Anna/Nicole as their username and password....

3) Judging from your e-mail, I have to conclude you must be using either an Atari 2600, Commodore 64, or some other obscure operating system built before the invention of the Windows and Macintosh platform. I say that because had you been using either Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer, you could take the 1 second to check the box which pops up and essentially asks you "hey, do you want me to save your username and password so you never have to type it in again". Problem solved.

4) So you're using a 1984 IBM XT, with Netscape .04 (called Mosaic back then), surfing the Web via AOL and a 2400 baud modem. I'm sure you're experiencing more problems than random usernames/passwords, but I digress. It would have taken you a whopping 30 seconds to send an e-mail asking me to change your username and password to whatever you wanted. As I explain in my member's section, you are free to e-mail me should you need anything.

Long story short...you would have stayed had you really liked the site. After all, checking the username/password box or e-mailing me a username/password request isn't too difficult, is it? ;-)

Best of luck,
MH
E-mail: [email protected]

[Spunky]

[detoxed]

looks like an email, not revenge

[Chris]

rofl FUCKING OWNED

[NaughtyAllie]

That was great!

[PhillipB]

I just don't get the surfers that sign up then cancel in 3 minutes. We have a pretty extensive member's section...there is no way they could have seen the entire thing in such a short amount of time!!

[extreme]

good reading.

[Pipecrew]

Originally posted by APN Philip
I just don't get the surfers that sign up then cancel in 3 minutes. We have a pretty extensive member's section...there is no way they could have seen the entire thing in such a short amount of time!!

dude some surfers are fucking professionals, The first thing they do is cancel, some even email in and confirm they cancelled haha

[rooster]

sorry, but thats retarded on many levels. Wated half the day writing a novel, the surfer is somewhat right in that alot of cc processors let you choose your own and it is easier to remember.

[PhillipB]

Originally posted by rooster
sorry, but thats retarded on many levels. Wated half the day writing a novel, the surfer is somewhat right in that alot of cc processors let you choose your own and it is easier to remember.

10 minutes is half a day?

Who needs "easier to remember" when you simply check the u/p box? You're either the guy that joined, or you're also using the Lynx all-text Internet browser, lol.


moron

[CoolE]

Yeah, you showed him. Afterall, class and grace have no place in an adult business. Rock on dude!

[bugout]

Originally posted by APN Philip
I just don't get the surfers that sign up then cancel in 3 minutes. We have a pretty extensive member's section...there is no way they could have seen the entire thing in such a short amount of time!!

It's the first thing i do when i sign up for a site so i dont get re-billed..

duh..

I'm there to check out the members section and see what the surfer sees.. I cant fucking remember to cancel all these sites.

[foolio]

Originally posted by APN Philip
10 minutes is half a day?

lol, I guess for him it is...

[martzy]

hhaha probably was the hacker all pissed off

[digifan]

Lol that was too funny and a great reading.

[psyko514]

i wanna see what he replies to you.

[MetaMan]

hey stupids with stupids websites,
these "hackers" use brute force programs,
how bout a delay in logging in?
that way it will take them at least a year to break the pass,

alot of u webmasters r so fuckin stupid,
no wonder ur sites get taken, use ur dam brain or pay someone to turn in on for u.

[VideoVoyeur]

There is something that some of you might actually leanr about a bussiness.



Its called

"the cutomer is always right"



Sure maybe you cannot let him choose his own username and password, but tell him that and why and leave out the bullshit kiddie remarks.



Paysites do more business on word of mouth from friends to other friends and from people who like a site posting on one of the many THOUSANDS os site reviews urls on the net.


Piss off one with childish emails, you might have just lost a few members he could have kicked your way if he had liked the site.



Im not saying he wasnt an asshole, but its not your place to tell him that.


He is buying your product, in business theres an old saying that still rings true


"The customer is always right"

[MetaMan]

Originally posted by VideoVoyeur
There is something that some of you might actually leanr about a bussiness.



Its called

"the cutomer is always right"



Sure maybe you cannot let him choose his own username and password, but tell him that and why and leave out the bullshit kiddie remarks.



Paysites do more business on word of mouth from friends to other friends and from people who like a site posting on one of the many THOUSANDS os site reviews urls on the net.


Piss off one with childish emails, you might have just lost a few members he could have kicked your way if he had liked the site.



Im not saying he wasnt an asshole, but its not your place to tell him that.


He is buying your product, in business theres an old saying that still rings true


"The customer is always right"

shut up and do some thinking on ur own,
using other peoples modo's
foo!