BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'

Subject: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 12:14 PM

WARNING - There are Identity Thieves out this morning. In skimming through the thread "Why are some instruments slated" I found a some what snippy comment with my name on it. I DID NOT POST THAT! It finishes with an expression - "cheers" - that I rarely use. Maybe this is a mistake, maybe not ??

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: MMario
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 12:19 PM

Les - when something like this happens (rarely - we all hope!) it is probably best to send Joe Offer and/or Pene (Jeff) a Private Message/e-mail to have it dealt with.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 12:19 PM

Les,

This sort of thing should be reported to the help forum, I think.

Don't worry about it, it's an occupational hazard, if (like me) you sometimes log in without a cookie.

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: MMario
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 12:21 PM

Of course - the other thing is that LesB and Les B. may be two different people - non-registered aren't restricted to unique names - and these are stightly different anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 12:28 PM

MMario - there is a slight possibility that we are two different people. I'm registered from my home computer, but not on the machine/s at work.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 12:59 PM

Surely you don't have to be regstered on different computers - sometimes I use computers in the library or at my son's, and all I do is log in with my username and password. (I suppose there might be something built into a work computer that messes things up so you can't do that.)

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 01:29 PM

If you look at GUEST,LesB's posting history, you'll see that he's posted 13 times since 2000, and almost always signed his posts "cheers, Les." Different guy, Les. That's what you get for having one of those kindergarten-type nicknames (Fred A, Tammy G, Robbie T, etc.) :)

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 01:34 PM

And which one of you is Les B, and which is Les b (U.K.), anyway?

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 01:44 PM

I've helped a couple of new members with similar-name membership issues, via PM. New members are not prompted to check the membername list before choosing a name here. IMO it would be too cumbersome in cases where it's similar but not identical-- there are too many possible variations. Of course if it's identical, it can't be used twice. But if it's similar, or a guest posting, these things can happen with no evil intent at all. What I have done when I spot it is drop the new member a PM asking if they are aware of the similar name, and if they are the same person (who maybe forgot their sign-in info, and so forth). I invite them to choose a new name to avoid confusion, but there is no requirement I am aware of that they do this.... if it seems to be a problem I let Joe know, or Pene Azul.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 01:46 PM

McGrath. Only one registration is needed. Having more that one is a bad plan - it can cause confusion as well as meaning 2 sets of PMs may need checking, etc.

Memberhip details are held in a database at Mudcat. The system here makes use of a cookie to identify you. All it really does is sends your memberID number to Mudcat each time you ask for a page here and a memer needs to ensure they are logged on. Some systems, particularly work ones where it may be part of a security policy will block cookies. In those cases, mulitple memberships will not help matters. No cookie - no membership - simple as that.

I take an alternative approach. Guest posts where allowed are actually posted to a special member account called "Guest Account". All other posts and things such as a PM require a username and password which are supplied automatically to a logged in member. I'm not convinced it is as secure as the memberID here as a form containing username and password could be left in browser's cache (user responsobility IMO) but it does mean a member can post or check/ reply to PMs even on a system that blocks cookies.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Dead Horse
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 01:53 PM

I aint Sparticus.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 04:06 PM

Lepus - a name is a name is a name, just like the rose. I'm the colonial Les B. - posting from work.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 04:11 PM

That's what I do Jon, if I understand your explanation, log in with a username and password - I'd think it'd be possible from any computer.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 04:22 PM

No, McGrath. Work, library etc. machines are sometimes set as to not allow cookies. Hence the need to be a 'guest'

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 04:54 PM

Hi, Les - both user names seem to be legitimate, but it is confusing. If it's a matter of apparent intentional deception, I step in and try to arbitrate. In this case, I think you need to work it out with the other Les B, if you can.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 04:59 PM

Ed is right there McGrath...

To try to continue my explaination,

When you logon here, if possible, a cookie is placed on your machine. In this case, although there may be other bits, there is an entry something along the lines of MemberID=xxxx.

Once that cookie is in place, everytime you ask for a page here or make a post, that MemberID also gets sent to Mudcat. Mudcat does most of its work with the MemberID number, eg. when you post as a member, you are posting as a number, not a name. The system can easily look up the name that corresponds to the number any time it needs to.

When you log off, the MemberID is deleted and you then become a guest.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Alice
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 05:17 PM

The Les B.in the US has been a member since at least 1997, first posts I found in February '97. Les can't set cookies on the computer at work, a situation faced by many who post with Guest handles. I hope the newer Les will work out a different name to use.

Alice

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: leprechaun
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 05:38 PM

Well in the words of John Lennon:

Les B, LesB, Les B, LesB

There will be an answer.

Les B, LesB

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 07:10 PM

Alice,I think that if you turn the clock back to 1997, you will find that the Mudcat forum was pretty much like the help forum and that the concept of membership did not really exist. I was not around at that time but I would consider "first come first served" in terms of creating a membership as a reasonable approach to that.

Even if a "Les B" was not able to use cookies because of his work there was nothing preventing him registering his name - it would have gone through without need for the cookie. He may never have been able to post as a member but would have blocked anyone else from the name (except as a guest)....

Rather than passing judgement, I'd rather the 2 Les B's work it out between them.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 08:45 PM

My eyes are glazing over with confusion! I indeed have been on Mudcat, as Alice stated, since 1997. I'm not sure what can (tin, to you across he pond) of worms I want to open, if any.

Maybe if both us "Les B's" are careful about what we say, we can co-exist. It was just a shock to see my Mudcat name on a post I knew I didn't originate.

Les B. from work

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 01:09 AM

Well, I was always hoping that one or the other of you was songwriter Les Barker, who was mentioned here from the very first day, since he's in the Digital Tradition. Unless I'm utterly confused, the other LesB has (UK) in his official name, but maybe he neglects to put that in when he's working without a cookie. Anyhow, please work it out.

Hmmmm. Just last night, I finished reading Ken Follett's The Third Twin. Now is it coming to life, right here at Mudcat?
Good novel, by the way.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Cluin
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 01:26 AM

leprechaun, I think "Let It Be" was mainly a Paul McCartney song. It's one of the ones he wants the writing credit changed to McCartney-Lennon on.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: leprechaun
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 02:47 AM

Ah well, all them English guys look alike to me.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 03:03 AM

The usual giveaway is a change in content or context... I've seen 3 postings from Guest Gargoyle today, 2 were the usual crass and insensitive drivel, 1 was actually quite insightful and could even be construed as helpful - which one was the real Garg? I thought Garg was growing up - Garg has certainly posted some useful stuff recently. I can only assume that s/he has relapsed or someone has stolen the cookie!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 10:14 AM

And I thought that Les Blanc, the film maker was our Mudcatter (he cleared that up)

Somehow I started saying "Cheers", and I ain't British!

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: Alice
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 10:37 AM

Jon, I was on the Mudcat in 1997, too, and I remember how the names were signed on threads.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST, herc
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 04:31 PM

I think we should allow LesB friends on mudcat.

Subject: RE: BS: Misappropriation of my 'handle'
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 04:58 PM

How did it work then Alice? It was way before my time so I may have said something out of order. My understanding is that the original Mudcat was rather like the help forum.

If that is the case, although there may have been honour amongst regulars here, a name would have been submitted to each post and there would have been no means of reserving names for member posts.

Come to think of it, there must have been some other stage, or perhaps even something at the beginning I'm not aware of. I helped with a number of membership problems here when I was a JoeClone. One proble that cropped up was what I call the "Old Member Loop" and kept getting asked for thier email address to get updated to the new (and in place when I joined - '99 I think) membership system.

This does mean that names were recorded prior to then though I'm not sure how it worked. The "Lyrics and Forum" search as it is now called also seems to give an indication of a major change at some point - can you find any old posts not by "non-member"?

I'd be interested in any info you may have and don't want to be putting out lies about how the system worked in the past to anyone.

Jon