Network Solutions Spam Filter Sucks. . .and More
So I put in a bid for a domain name and won it from SnapNames because there was a very good possibility someone else was after it. I won the domain and got an email from SnapNames that Network Solutions would send me the login information within 48 hours. Three days later, still no email. So I email Network Solutions support and got a standard "we got your email and will be in touch soon" email. And I waited. Still no email with the login info.
But I did get a survey from them asking how their service was. I was honest. It sucked.
I got a prompt reply and a voicemail message from their corporate office apologizing and saying that the email had been sent out and was being sent out again. I still didn't receive it. Now this was earlier this week when that horrendous worm hit the net, so I thought that was why.
I waited another day and called Network Solutions and got a very nice woman, Jennifer to help me. We went through everything and it dawned on me. I bet they had a spam filter that was filtering out those wonderful penis spams with variations on the word penis. Now think, people - what is my last name? Hitchcock. And what is the last part of that name? A variation on penis.
Oy.
I asked Jennifer if they had filtering and she said she was pretty sure they did. So I asked her to change my email address from the one I used to win the domain (from my jahitchcock.com address) to a different one. She said they had to call me at the number I used to register the domain.
Well, that'd be a problem, since I use J2, a free voicemail/fax number service. The reason it's free is because the number you're assigned is not in your area code (that's a monthly fee if you do want it in your area code). I use that number to weed the whackos from the real people I want to speak with and explained this to her. I told her that was why I also used a PO Box for the domain registration. She said that was a problem and put me on hold.
She got back and said she was going to send me an email from her personal account and to read what she sent to her over the phone. I got that fine and read it:
"Red tree frog dancing the waltz."
Wallah! We changed my email address to the haltabuse.org one and I finally got my login information.
I told her they had better talk to their IT folks, as a lot of people have the word "cock" in their last name.
This isn't the first time this is happened. Hotmail made me change my last name when I got my account with them because they claimed my last name was obscene. So my last name reads "Hitchock" without the "c."
Sometimes these filters are a bit much.
On to other things:
Local bookstores in New England suck. Well, most of them. It's been like pulling teeth to get them to book me for a signing for my latest book. I did get a few that had me do book signings last time, but Borders is a huge pain in the butt.
Last time I could book a signing directly with the store. This time I have to go through their area manager, who has not gotten back to me, even though I have emailed and called her.
You know what? Fine. Doing book signings takes a lot of time and I do them for nothing. Driving to the bookstore averages 1-2 hours, plus 1-3 hours for a signing, then driving home. So I'm out a full day when I could be doing work, weeding my vegetable garden or spending time with my husband and dogs.
Pfft.
It's funny how I am having no problem booking signings at the places I'm speaking at. The Barnes & Noble in New Orleans was eager to have me do a signing and I called at pretty much the last minute. Same with Illinois, Atlanta, etc. Go figure.
I may have good news soon. Got a call from a former producer for the Montel Show. She's working on another talk show and wants to book me as an expert, along with victims I've worked with. The show will begin airing in September. I'll post more when I know for sure.
Also, another good thing may be happening. I'll know after my trip to New Orleans the end of this month. Cross your fingers for me - it may be a really good thing for me and my book!
On another note, local media in Maine/New Hampshire also suck. You would think they would jump at the chance to have a well-known cyber crime expert that is local. Only three media outlets use me regularly - WGAN Radio, The York Independent newspaper and NECN.
That's it. I'm central to Boston, MA; Portland, ME and Manchester, NH. Press releases go out to them every time either WHOA or I do something significant. No response. I wish they would wake up and realize they have an expert right here instead of having to call on experts that are across the country or elsewhere.
Yes, I'm in a pissy mood.
I'm off today to do a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Manchester, NH from 1-4 pm. It's a cooperative local authors signing. There will be a bunch of us - just in time for Father's Day, ha ha.
I hope my books sell well. The manager for the store couldn't get my books from the distributor in time, so I have to bring what I have on hand, about 10 books. I hope they all sell and people complain because there aren't enough books!
But I did get a survey from them asking how their service was. I was honest. It sucked.
I got a prompt reply and a voicemail message from their corporate office apologizing and saying that the email had been sent out and was being sent out again. I still didn't receive it. Now this was earlier this week when that horrendous worm hit the net, so I thought that was why.
I waited another day and called Network Solutions and got a very nice woman, Jennifer to help me. We went through everything and it dawned on me. I bet they had a spam filter that was filtering out those wonderful penis spams with variations on the word penis. Now think, people - what is my last name? Hitchcock. And what is the last part of that name? A variation on penis.
Oy.
I asked Jennifer if they had filtering and she said she was pretty sure they did. So I asked her to change my email address from the one I used to win the domain (from my jahitchcock.com address) to a different one. She said they had to call me at the number I used to register the domain.
Well, that'd be a problem, since I use J2, a free voicemail/fax number service. The reason it's free is because the number you're assigned is not in your area code (that's a monthly fee if you do want it in your area code). I use that number to weed the whackos from the real people I want to speak with and explained this to her. I told her that was why I also used a PO Box for the domain registration. She said that was a problem and put me on hold.
She got back and said she was going to send me an email from her personal account and to read what she sent to her over the phone. I got that fine and read it:
"Red tree frog dancing the waltz."
Wallah! We changed my email address to the haltabuse.org one and I finally got my login information.
I told her they had better talk to their IT folks, as a lot of people have the word "cock" in their last name.
This isn't the first time this is happened. Hotmail made me change my last name when I got my account with them because they claimed my last name was obscene. So my last name reads "Hitchock" without the "c."
Sometimes these filters are a bit much.
On to other things:
Local bookstores in New England suck. Well, most of them. It's been like pulling teeth to get them to book me for a signing for my latest book. I did get a few that had me do book signings last time, but Borders is a huge pain in the butt.
Last time I could book a signing directly with the store. This time I have to go through their area manager, who has not gotten back to me, even though I have emailed and called her.
You know what? Fine. Doing book signings takes a lot of time and I do them for nothing. Driving to the bookstore averages 1-2 hours, plus 1-3 hours for a signing, then driving home. So I'm out a full day when I could be doing work, weeding my vegetable garden or spending time with my husband and dogs.
Pfft.
It's funny how I am having no problem booking signings at the places I'm speaking at. The Barnes & Noble in New Orleans was eager to have me do a signing and I called at pretty much the last minute. Same with Illinois, Atlanta, etc. Go figure.
I may have good news soon. Got a call from a former producer for the Montel Show. She's working on another talk show and wants to book me as an expert, along with victims I've worked with. The show will begin airing in September. I'll post more when I know for sure.
Also, another good thing may be happening. I'll know after my trip to New Orleans the end of this month. Cross your fingers for me - it may be a really good thing for me and my book!
On another note, local media in Maine/New Hampshire also suck. You would think they would jump at the chance to have a well-known cyber crime expert that is local. Only three media outlets use me regularly - WGAN Radio, The York Independent newspaper and NECN.
That's it. I'm central to Boston, MA; Portland, ME and Manchester, NH. Press releases go out to them every time either WHOA or I do something significant. No response. I wish they would wake up and realize they have an expert right here instead of having to call on experts that are across the country or elsewhere.
Yes, I'm in a pissy mood.
I'm off today to do a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Manchester, NH from 1-4 pm. It's a cooperative local authors signing. There will be a bunch of us - just in time for Father's Day, ha ha.
I hope my books sell well. The manager for the store couldn't get my books from the distributor in time, so I have to bring what I have on hand, about 10 books. I hope they all sell and people complain because there aren't enough books!
Comments
Also, Bill Husted, the "Technobuddy", runs a column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and he might be a decent contact: Click here for his page
Just a helpful thought.
Cheers!
Jay