Unable to log in under your old username

[Appleby 7]

If U R unable to log-in under your old username, please see below for an exceprt from a related e-mail from Dave Baker

Last week we upgraded the software that runs the BenefitsLink message boards, to improve security (prevent break-ins).

This note comes to you because you've registered "Appleby" as your user name for the purpose of posting messages and otherwise using the BenefitsLink message boards.

______________________________________________

INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE HAVING TROUBLE LOGGING IN

Have you had trouble logging in lately? If so, please follow this procedure:

1. Go to the home page of the message boards, at http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the link near the bottom that says "Delete cookies set by this board"

3. Scroll up to the top of the page and click on the "Log In" link (next to "Welcome, Guest")

4. Enter your email address (the one this email is being sent to)

5. Enter the password you assigned previously when you created your "Appleby" user name

6. Click "Log me in"

If you've forgotten the password used for your "Appleby" user name, it's easy to set a new one. Instead of entering your email address and password, click on the link that says "I've forgotten my password! Click here!" You'll be taken to a different screen where you fill in your email address (the one this email is being sent to), a "security code" (which stops automated web robots from using the form), and then click "Proceed." Once you have created a new password, it would be smart to follow the 6-step procedure described above before you try to log in with the new password.

If you continue to have trouble logging in, please let me know.

Also, consider wheter you changed your e-mail address since you signed up.

[Dave Baker 83]

If U R unable to log-in under your old username, please see below for an exceprt from a related e-mail from Dave Baker[\quote]

Thanks, Appleby! Very helpful.

And you make a good point re the email address.

After I sent the email you quoted, I discovered that the new software has a limitation the old one didn't: you can't register more than one username under the same email address.

Plus, during the upgrade process, the software intentionally disabled the "other" email addresses in the case of folks who have already registered more than one username under the same email address. I haven't been able to determine how the software decided which username got to keep the email address.

Which means that some folks who have been happily using a particular username but forgot their password have been unable to get their password emailed to them automatically per the procedure Appleby quoted. The automatic email sails off into the ether, trying to reach the disabled email address. Other folks find the procedure works just fine, becuase they only had one username registered (hence the email works) or the username they're trying to recover the password for is the username that had the non-disabled email address (in the case of multiple usernames that used the same email address).

So if you're not getting the email with your password recovery instructions, let me know at davebaker at benefitslink.com, and I'll manually fix things at my end.

This is the reason I decided to change the log-in procedure; you don't put in your username any more, but instead you put in your email address. That way, if somebody is registered under that email address, they should be able to get the password recovery email reliably, as compared to the old system of logging in by putting in one of your usernames.

Would anybody like to run this message board:

THANKS for your patience; it is a pleasure to work with such great folks.