A Message from "the big-guy"
Feb 3, 2004 | 4:35 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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It's not me, but rather those on this board that have the reputation for being drunky.
FewMiles..
FewMiles..
Feb 3, 2004 | 4:36 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2002
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So since you know how the hacker did it, why don't you tell us? 
Feb 3, 2004 | 5:18 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Originally posted by Randy Petersen:
(Emphasis added.)
I am most gratified to learn of the continuing commitment to the highest standards -- not that I expected anything less given what I've observed over the past two years -- and of the segregation of technical and "editorial" functions. This is analogous to the two-man rule for certain keys, information, and codes used by naval officers, or the conflict-of-interest rules applied to government employees, contractors, attorneys, accountants, corporate officers, and others.
By no means is it a slam on our hard-working moderator corps, and if anything I've posted regarding this brouhaha could be implied as being unappreciative of your commitment in time and in emotional stress, I sincerely and deeply apologize. (I also hope that my favorite numbered colleague has no hard feelings!) (Gaucho100k, I think Im a closeted quasi-member of the PPP
, but what does it stand for? And what is OP-FOP??)
Finally, I am truly happy that it will not be necessary to make a federal case out of this.
See 18 U.S.C. 1030, 2511 & 2701.
[Not that it would affect me personally; I'm a short-timer with only 11 working days left.]
[UBB edit.]
[This message has been edited by SPN Lifer (edited Feb 03, 2004).]
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">What I want to comment on are the instances whereby a few members had their user accounts hi-jacked. This has happened before (just two or three times in the last five years). In each situation, we have believed that the hi-jack was caused by another member inappropriately having access to a users password or other cause.
. * . * . *
I have the assurance of my tech team assigned to FlyerTalk, that it has not happened because of a security lapse on our end. There are just four people in the world that have access to FlyerTalk protocols and I'm one of them. The tech team has no interest at all in the FlyerTalk Community other than to make sure it works right for its members. We change passwords from time to time and in each incident of a hi-jack, scour our Weblogs and other data at our disposal and that of our hosting company. We have high security on our servers because of a relationship we have with American Express and mileagemanager.com. In fact, we use the very same data house that American Express uses for some of their services. We know the security standards are very high for this.
We also know that the standards of the members of FlyerTalk are very high and continue to run FlyerTalk with these standards in mind. We've never - and will never release the back end of FlyerTalk to any other party than ourselves.</font>
. * . * . *
I have the assurance of my tech team assigned to FlyerTalk, that it has not happened because of a security lapse on our end. There are just four people in the world that have access to FlyerTalk protocols and I'm one of them. The tech team has no interest at all in the FlyerTalk Community other than to make sure it works right for its members. We change passwords from time to time and in each incident of a hi-jack, scour our Weblogs and other data at our disposal and that of our hosting company. We have high security on our servers because of a relationship we have with American Express and mileagemanager.com. In fact, we use the very same data house that American Express uses for some of their services. We know the security standards are very high for this.
We also know that the standards of the members of FlyerTalk are very high and continue to run FlyerTalk with these standards in mind. We've never - and will never release the back end of FlyerTalk to any other party than ourselves.</font>
I am most gratified to learn of the continuing commitment to the highest standards -- not that I expected anything less given what I've observed over the past two years -- and of the segregation of technical and "editorial" functions. This is analogous to the two-man rule for certain keys, information, and codes used by naval officers, or the conflict-of-interest rules applied to government employees, contractors, attorneys, accountants, corporate officers, and others.
By no means is it a slam on our hard-working moderator corps, and if anything I've posted regarding this brouhaha could be implied as being unappreciative of your commitment in time and in emotional stress, I sincerely and deeply apologize. (I also hope that my favorite numbered colleague has no hard feelings!) (Gaucho100k, I think Im a closeted quasi-member of the PPP
, but what does it stand for? And what is OP-FOP??)Finally, I am truly happy that it will not be necessary to make a federal case out of this.
See 18 U.S.C. 1030, 2511 & 2701.[Not that it would affect me personally; I'm a short-timer with only 11 working days left.]
[UBB edit.]
[This message has been edited by SPN Lifer (edited Feb 03, 2004).]
Feb 3, 2004 | 5:54 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Department of Homeland Sincerity
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Posts: 12,317
PPP = Peter Piper Pizza
or if you prefer:
PPP = People's Progressive Party
OP-FOP = One Party - Flaming Other Party
[This message has been edited by UALOneKPlus (edited Feb 03, 2004).]
or if you prefer:
PPP = People's Progressive Party
OP-FOP = One Party - Flaming Other Party
[This message has been edited by UALOneKPlus (edited Feb 03, 2004).]
Feb 3, 2004 | 5:59 pm
#20
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: BCT. Formerly known as attorney28
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Hey SPN Lifer, I think you should call the FBI, Secret Service and Interpol on FewMiles for not cooperating with the authorities here! He claims to know what happened and is not telling.
Oh, and call the TSA, too.
And if you want, also the salvation army.
Oh, and call the TSA, too.
And if you want, also the salvation army.
Feb 3, 2004 | 6:03 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Don't forget the Mounties. He is Canaidan after all. Not to be trusted.
Feb 3, 2004 | 6:34 pm
#22
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
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Posts: 102,077
I use PPP to refer to Pushy Prudish Puritans.
Feb 3, 2004 | 6:45 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Or even better, how about the CNMI Attorney General's Office?
See http://www.saipansucks.com/about.htm
(Not that I'm endorsing the contents of this site, by any means!)
See http://www.saipansucks.com/about.htm
(Not that I'm endorsing the contents of this site, by any means!)
Feb 3, 2004 | 7:09 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by wharvey:
Thank You "Big GUY".
Glad to hear that the security of Flyertalk has not been compromised. Your team has been very responsive when I have made them aware of problems... and I could not see them easily allowing the system to be qualified. They are too proud of this site.
Thanks again Randy for providing one of the best resources on the Internet.
William</font>
Thank You "Big GUY".
Glad to hear that the security of Flyertalk has not been compromised. Your team has been very responsive when I have made them aware of problems... and I could not see them easily allowing the system to be qualified. They are too proud of this site.
Thanks again Randy for providing one of the best resources on the Internet.
William</font>
Feb 3, 2004 | 8:07 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Wonderland; UA 1K, AA Plat
Posts: 97
Thank you Randy for all your efforts in cleaning up this recent mess as well as your support (for lack of a better word) of the FlyerTalk community -- it truly is a wonderful resource to learn and share re travel
Feb 3, 2004 | 10:49 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: FTFOE
Programs: TalkBoard: We discuss / ad nauseum things that mean / so very little
Posts: 10,225
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by skofarrell:
Don't forget the Mounties. He is Canaidan after all. Not to be trusted.</font>
Don't forget the Mounties. He is Canaidan after all. Not to be trusted.
</font>
Excuse me while I go start five or six threads to complain.
FewMiles..
Feb 3, 2004 | 11:46 pm
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Wherever Oxfam wants me to go.
Posts: 3,966
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by FewMiles:
Next time I post a particularly nasty flame post, I'll follow it up claiming that my account was hacked.
I predict that the "I was drunk" defense is going to come out of the woodwork soon.
</font>
Next time I post a particularly nasty flame post, I'll follow it up claiming that my account was hacked.
I predict that the "I was drunk" defense is going to come out of the woodwork soon.
</font>
And the "I was drunk" defense hasn't worked for me.
Feb 4, 2004 | 1:49 am
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Saipan, MP 96950 USA (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands = the CNMI)
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For 4 years as a CNMI Assistant Public Defender, some of my duties involved defending over 1,000 DUI cases.
Feb 4, 2004 | 5:13 am
#29
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by UALOneKPlus:
PPP = Peter Piper Pizza
or if you prefer:
PPP = People's Progressive Party
OP-FOP = One Party - Flaming Other Party
</font>
PPP = Peter Piper Pizza
or if you prefer:
PPP = People's Progressive Party
OP-FOP = One Party - Flaming Other Party
</font>
Feb 4, 2004 | 2:17 pm
#30
Original Poster
Founder of FlyerTalk
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 6,540
I'm glad to have been able to answer underpressure's question and will move this to read-only format since it is likely that the question has been asked and answered, Glad that it seems it has helped some members.