I prefer AOL email hands-down over any regular “free” email sites, really; not only is it secure by having them as my service provider, but all email is saved automatically on my computer.

But I did lose a Yahoo name to a spambot recently (well, its been stolen for two years now, it was one of those badlinks in a ymsgr msg that I accidentally clicked when heading to hit the delete button; it automatically gave them my pw, which I assure you really *was* complicated, but damn), and it’s annoyed me to no end becuz I’d had the sn since early 1999. And since they merged with GeoCities, I also ended up losing my old website. (which admittedly is very cheesy from a “now” pov, lol, but still… would love to fix it up)

I’ve tried emailing YahooCS with all kinds of proof about myself (and all from my alternate email on said acct from before it got hacked, which they should have record of!) but they’ve constantly been absolutely no help, giving nothing but endless cardboard responses. Hell if I kno what infomation I signed up with, it was nearly ten years ago (and was into that “never give out your REAL name and personal information” phase) and I never bothered to change it cuz the acct lasted so long and I only used it for ymsgr and GC, not email. It had been suggested by other ppls of course that I simply make a new acct… like, how does that help? Of course I already have more than one, heh, and use them all for different things. But I want MY name back, and MY old site back, and MY groups back. That’s just a matter of my name being mine.

But the most obvious reason for YCS to help me would be that I still to this day recieve group mail at my current email (which I’ve had from AOL since I joined them permanently in Nov2003) from the groups joined under my name, and I can reply to them AND I can approve msgs in my OWN group! (by email; since I can’t log in at the groupsite, all it takes is a reply to the automated “approve” email that is sent to me when ppl post msgs to my group).

Ah well. Obviously these days I’m much more careful about what info I use to sign up to sites with and I always save *everything*, heh.

To answer some q’s in the transcript- none of my accts would ever be worth anything to give up and I’d do *anything* to get them back if they truly were my name and reputation. I kno it sounds pointless to say “do anything” when I don’t have any money in that way, but whatever. For example, if/when I lose my current YouTube acct (for whatever reasons, ie the fandom vs copyright issues) I would still always want it back, even tho I have some others; SimbiAni is completely original and deserves keeping its place in its small piece of internet history (ie, my AtB video on my current YT account has reached 690,000+ views!)…

If only it was possible to contact a real, living (as well as intelligent) person working there at YCS, I could convince them of the logic of my case… *sigh*

If you still didn’t get it, the answer is

categorically

NO

Had you read my explanation you’d know.

No more such comments will be approved.

thanks for your blog

roomil

I went through all the same things, only I lost business as well.

It is possible and it is easy. This way of hacking into Yahoo email accounts was brought to my attention by a friend of mine who is a bit of a computer wizard. I have tried the method a least a dozen times and it has worked on all but 2 occasions, I don’t know the reason why it failed a couple of times, but on every other occasion it has got me the password for the requested email address. This is how it is done:
STEP 1- Log in to your own yahoo account. Note: Your account must be at least 30 days old for this to work.
STEP 2- Once you have logged into your own account, compose an e-mail to: xxxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com This is a mailing address to the Yahoo Staff. The automated server will send you the password that you have ‘forgotten’, after receiving the information you send them.
STEP 3- In the subject line type exactly: password retrieve.
STEP 4- On the first line of your mail write the email address of the person you want to hacking.
STEP 5- On the second line type in the e-mail address you are using.
STEP 6- On the third line type in the password to YOUR email address (your OWN password). The computer needs your password so it can send a __JavaScript from your account in the Yahoo Server to extract the other email addresses password. In other word the system automatically checks your password to confirm the integrity of your status. Remember you are sending your password to a machine not a man. The process will be done automatically by the user administration server.
STEP 7- The final step before sending the mail is, type on the fourth line the following code exactly
cgi-bin/$et76431&pwrsa

[If by this time you haven’t “got” it, it’s an attmpt to make you send this person your login details]

I never personally lost my Yahoo! password.

“kristie” responded to this post with some interesting information, 2 comments above yours. I suggest you use it to recover the account.

As for trusting a free service with near-to-none tech support as your primary email service provider - well…

There’s a parable: Two men were camping in the woods. Suddenly, a bear was upon them. One started to run naked as he was. The other delayed to wear his shoes. When asked by the first what he was doing, he replied: “I don’t have to run very fast, but I have to run faster than you”.

Set up a GOOD password. Make up a secret question and answer. Make sure you can login okay. Login from secure terminals only. Run an anti-spyware tool. Don’t give your password away. If you do all these, you’re not likely to be hacked, even if someone IS out to get you.

– Arik