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The Magic Cafe Forum Index :: Announcements (Please Read) :: ATTENTION: AOL Users (Updated 2/17/2008) :: TOPIC IS LOCKED (0 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

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Gene
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Café Forum Developer
Howard City, MI
276 Posts

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A person who recently registered wasn't receiving registration/password emails from the Café. This is, in fact, due to AOL blocking the emails.

If you are an AOL user and are not receiving emails from the Café, please do not contact us about it. Here is the email I sent to the person, exactly as written:

Quote:
Well, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do, and I'm pretty upset about it. I tried it myself and was able to find out what is blocking the emails sent to you from the Café. This is the message our mail server is getting from the AOL email server:

"This error message indicates that your email has been identified as coming from a server or web site that may have a compromised script or program available."

Frankly, AOL is full of crap. The Café never sends unsolicited email, and it never has. Our server is registered with AOL, and I get emails directly from AOL anytime an AOL user marks an email from our server as spam. In EVERY case I've traced the email to an AOL user who has specifically opted to receive the email, and either by accident or whatever, marked the email as spam with AOL.

I'm sorry, but I can't fix this. Until it is fixed you won't be able to get on the Café. Don't count on it though. AOL is widely known for blocking emails. Take a look at the message above and note how it says "server or web site that MAY have". Not "does" have, but "may" have. They're blocking legitimate emails, and that's not good.
Due to AOL issues, I'm afraid I'm going to have to add AOL to the registration block list. It doesn't make a great deal of difference anyway. If AOL isn't accepting email sent from the Café, new registrants aren't going to get a password by email. At least now those registrants will not be wondering when they'll get their registration email.

I've done everything I can to avoid this, but AOL is just too much. I've had it with them.
Somebody kick me off the computer, will ya? Smile Smile
Gene
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Café Forum Developer
Howard City, MI
276 Posts

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In addition to blocking new registrations using AOL email addresses, it has also become necessary to block all outgoing emails from the Café to members having AOL email addresses on file. Emails are simply not getting through to AOL and are clogging the server's mail queue. Unfortunately, blocking those emails also means those members cannot change their registered email addresses by themselves. This will affect almost 4,000 Café members.

If you are an AOL user, you will no longer receive emails from the Café to alert you to new private messages, topic reply notifications, or any other email normally sent by the Café, regardless of your preference settings. That is, if you were even getting those emails at all lately.

Any member having a registered AOL email address will have to contact me directly by PM to get their email address changed. Such requests must include the new email address, and that address cannot be from a free service (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.). I anticipate getting many such requests, so please be patient. I will get to them as soon as I possibly can.

Thank you.
Somebody kick me off the computer, will ya? Smile Smile
Dennis Michael
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Inner circle
Southern, NJ
5821 Posts

Profile of Dennis Michael
Many Members subscribe to Verizon and Comcast. These users can change their email address to those Internet Service Providers and do away with that AOL account. By the way this AOL problem is not limited to the Café. Many domains and cheap hosting areas also have been blocked, as well as foreign email address.

In addition, if you own a domain name like http://www.MagicalBirtdayParty.com , the host should provide you with at least one email address such as DennisMichael@MagicalBirthdayParty.com That email address is like a business card and helps you establish yourself as an entertainer.

Receiving these emails are very easy with MS Outlook or similar email programs. In my opinion, it has come to that time where you must establish yourself somewhere in cyberspace, and AOL would not be the best for the 1st choice, as a Café Member.

Dennis

PS..Last week (Feb 2008) I switched to MS Office 2007 and all I can say about their email program (Outlook 2007) is WOW!
Dennis Michael
kinesis
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Inner circle
Scotland, surrounded by
2708 Posts

Profile of kinesis
I work in I.T. and as many of you know AOL is referred to as A O H*LL (*=E) I'm sorry to hear you have some much work ahead of you Gene.

Dennis, Office 2007 is a whole lot better generally. But I.E. 7 - YUCK!!!


Regards to all,

Derek
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one - Albert Einstein






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Larry Barnowsky
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Inner circle
Cooperstown, NY where bats are made from
4770 Posts

Profile of Larry Barnowsky
Gene,
I have AOL email. Does that mean that advertisers like myself will not get notices regarding receipt of payment for banners etc.?

Larry
Gene
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Café Forum Developer
Howard City, MI
276 Posts

Profile of Gene
Larry, I think the banner issues are handled independently of the forum. I'm not positive though, because I'm not involved in that. If you've been getting those notices since the date of my original post here, I'd guess they're coming from a different mail server.
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MAKMagic
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Special user
I got banned for one of my
555 Posts

Profile of MAKMagic
Gmail - it has the biggest storage. The biggest sendable file size limit. The best spam filter (Customizable).

And it's FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.:Michael Kelley
On the Level, By the Square
squando
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Elite user
444 Posts

Profile of squando
I tried to change my emom aol to comcast and the Café wouldn't let it happen. How do I change this?
Frank
Gene
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Café Forum Developer
Howard City, MI
276 Posts

Profile of Gene
Send me a PM with the details, I'll take care of it for you.
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Gene
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Café Forum Developer
Howard City, MI
276 Posts

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To all, let me repeat - if you have an AOL email address on file, you can't change it yourself. Don't even bother trying, you won't get anywhere. You must send your request to me via PM and I will take care of it.

Thanks.
Somebody kick me off the computer, will ya? Smile Smile
gdw
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Inner circle
4884 Posts

Profile of gdw
I do NOT have an AOL e-mail here, but I still can not change my e-mail. I have sent pm's to mods before about it, but never received any reply.

My e-mail that I registered with is a yahoo.ca account which I have not used for a long time. However, I do check up every now and then, and even before I stopped using it, I never received an e-mail from the Café.

I have tried simply creating another account here, but was un able to do so with a Gmail account. I found this odd. I do not know why I was told that Gmail was an unaccepted e-mail server on the Café.

Perhaps someone can help me with this?

Thanks
Glenn
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

I won't forget you Robert.
Dave Scribner
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Assistant Manager
Lake Hopatcong, NJ
4860 Posts

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Glenn, the Café will not allow free servers to be used as email addresses. Those in existence prior to the rule being implemented quite some time ago are fine but new ones are not allowed.
Where the magic begins
gdw
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Inner circle
4884 Posts

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Well that sucks. So how can I change my e-mail address then? Since I've been here since before that rule and registered with a free email server, would there be no problem with changing my address? I imagine there are gmail registered accounts from before already, yes?
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

I won't forget you Robert.
Gene
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Café Forum Developer
Howard City, MI
276 Posts

Profile of Gene
Quote:
On 2008-02-19 00:11, gdw wrote:
I do not know why I was told that Gmail was an unaccepted e-mail server on the Café.
Simple: Because anyone can get a gmail email account simply by filling out a form. Gmail is no different from Yahoo, or Hotmail, or any other free email service in that regard. That whole issue is simply another example of a few bad apples spoiling the pie for everybody else.
Somebody kick me off the computer, will ya? Smile Smile
gdw
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Inner circle
4884 Posts

Profile of gdw
With servers like Gmail, why would anyone even need to have a pay e-mail server?

Doesn't this also prohibit most young and up and coming magicians from accessing the Café? What teenager would pay for e-mail?

I always found that to be one of the greatest things about the Café, it was a place where every magician, of any level could come for help and fellowship.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

I won't forget you Robert.
Payne
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Inner circle
Seattle
4571 Posts

Profile of Payne
Sorry to hear about your problems with AOL. I've been with them for years and years and have never had a problem with them so I see little reason to change my E-mail since I have the very easy to remember address of payne@aol.com
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
Gene
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Café Forum Developer
Howard City, MI
276 Posts

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No, gdw, it doesn't, but I'm not going to explain it here. Let's keep this topic on-topic please.
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Dave Scribner
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Assistant Manager
Lake Hopatcong, NJ
4860 Posts

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I explained things to gdw in a PM.
Where the magic begins
Gene
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Café Forum Developer
Howard City, MI
276 Posts

Profile of Gene
Ok, thanks.
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felixjr
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Loyal user
221 Posts

Profile of felixjr
A special thank you to Dennis Michael!

I am an unlucky aol person and I could not log on without my password. I attempted several times to get my password, but never got it. I read your aol notice and figured I can't contact magic Café and they couldn't contact me. You can't PM someone if you aren't logged in...

So I contacted Dennis and he was kind enough to forward my email to Magic Café and now you can read this email. Thanks you again!!!!

Jim Richardson
Felixjr