I happen to have a fairly generic Hotmail address as a ‘spare’ e-mail account, and routinely get e-mails from companies where someone has signed up to a website using my address.
The best behaved include an ‘activation link’ before the account can be used, verifying that the e-mail address really does belong to that person before allowing them to use the site. (Bonus points for including a ‘deactivation link’ in the e-mail straight away, that makes my life a lot easier.) Sadly, a great number of websites decide to take everything on trust and happily send out a welcome e-mail without doing any verification.
OK… so no big deal. The initial e-mail usually includes a username and password so I can log on, close whatever stupid account has been opened, and move on. In the rare and annoying cases where no ‘Delete my account’ is available I can always change the e-mail address (no verification, remember?) and password, ensuring it becomes a dead account that no-one has access to. Good. Shame on you for abusing my e-mail address in the first place.
Today, however, this happened with Juno Records. Not only did they happily let someone sign up to this site, they also allowed them to buy products on it, all without checking the e-mail address was genuine! It gets worse. Here’s a screenshot from the site:
Juno Account
This is sloppy design that puts people at risk.
As I just finished my first A2 Maths homework about the modulus function, I felt that would be an appropriate title. Good evening!
My life is a bit of a mish-mash of things happening at the moment. The Babble Summer CDs arrived on Tuesday and are so beautifully presented I’m quite speechless in gratitude for Pingu for putting in so much work. Great job guys! 
For those unaware, Babble members prepared a summery CD of their favourite tracks and sent them to Pingu to be duplicated, labelled and delivered.
I’m also reading for the first time in far too long. Specifically, In Defence of History which, I was told, is the book to read if you want to study History at Cambridge. It is rather good though! [Wary eyes if any future admissions people watch this] I’ll reserve judgement till the end, however, on whether History is an art or a science. For the moment – I’ll say either, both and neither, OK? And talking of History, I have decided to do my Individual Assignment on… *drumroll* the French Revolution!
Oh, and we started to watch All Quiet on the Western Front in English and were amused by the very dodgy American accents of the ‘German’ soldiers. Sorry. Horror of war and all that.
Happy Birthday Me 
I’m still tired after RaVe on Saturday at Nic’s house – a brilliant event, and very well managed too – where I got approximately no sleep. Joshua and Fabio enjoyed themselves too, though… and while I could publish all sorts of gossip, I’ll hold off for now. (Not of out discretion, I’m just tired and busy. 
) A2s started today, but at a nice and easy pace, which is lucky.
Happy Birthday to Hanan, too 
The Church of England wants all faith schools exempted from a planned ban on discrimination against homosexuals
(BBC News)
“Jody was not the first man to be killed, or terrorised, or beaten, or humiliated for being homosexual”
(BBC News)
Something is desperately wrong when those in charge of our children’s education are still trying to wrangle and squirm their way out of true tolerance and respect as if it was all a big game they can drag out for eternity. It isn’t. People still die because institutions like the Church have contributed, over many many years, to a homophobic culture that persists even in this relatively liberal society. I hope those many good men and women in the Church will examine their consciences and pressure their leaders to live up to their public face of inclusion.
No not the 1950s TV show… just thought I should fill my loyal blog readers in with the fact I’m going out with Lucy. Since… yeah, OK, since 17:37:03. Of the 25th of February. OK so maybe this was a bit late in blogging, and I might lose my reputation for bringing you breaking news 
, but I did pledge not to turn this into a teenage-love-life-yawnathon and I won’t. Promise.
Anyway! Went to ‘Camden’ with Joshua today. So called because I am (still) convinced Camden isn’t a real place but a state of mind on some other plane of existence or something. But they do sell very nice crepes and I do rather like it, so let’s go back. You can come too Clare, since you asked so nicely. Oooh – and we broke Joshua’s record for being offered weed by drug dealers in Camden, which I am rather proud in being a part of. 
Joshua is coming along with Fabio and I to Birmingham tomorrow for Nic’s RaVe, and I might just bump into Lucy too, you never know. 
Helen on It’s (waiting) time.: “Fabulous news, congratulations to you both! X” Jun 8, 21:51
