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Email PIN - to protect kids

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Email PIN - to protect kids
Hi All

As you know, there is tons of spam out there. How can we help protect our kids from receiving such junk?

Well, I was thinking that perhaps email accounts could be designated as either "PIN-protected" or "non-PIN-protected".

For kids, you would set up PIN-protected email accounts. What this means is that all incoming mail to a PIN-protected email account would have to include the PIN, or else it would be deleted automatically from the mail server by the email program.

All that would have to be added to any email client (from the user's point of view) is an extra field to enter the PIN.

Also, PIN-protected email accounts would not be identified as such to any outside entity. The sender would have to know ahead of time that it was a PIN-protected email account and to enter the PIN.

For example, let's say Little Johnnie has 6 friends at school. He gives his Email PIN to his 6 friends. When his friends send him email, they must include Little Johnnie's Email PIN in the Email PIN field, or else their email is deleted by Little Johnnie's email program when Little J checks his email. It's pretty straightforward.

The Email PIN could be changed in case spammers figured it out. Little J would then have to update his friends with the new email PIN.

So, bottom line is that parents would have an easy way to block unwanted email.

Now, what about business use of email or email accounts for the parents and other adults? Well, they could use non-PIN-protected email if they wanted to have an account that stayed wide open, as with some business needs...like "sales@" or "info@". Not a problem. But, they could also designate some email accounts as PIN-protected when they might not need wide open exposure for an email account. This way, you could set up "public" email accounts and "private" email accounts pretty easily as your needs determined.

Well...whatcha think?

Many thanks Smile

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Last edited by:

DogTags: Aug 17, 2002, 3:05 AM
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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
A system like that already exists in that you can set up a bot to filter out messages without a subject line containing your "pin"/arbritrary string. For most people I doubt that it's a proper solution.
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Re: [giovanni] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
Hi giovanni

What is the filtering system that you're mentioning, and why do you think a Email PIN is not a proper solution for most users?

Many thanks. Smile

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Last edited by:

DogTags: Aug 17, 2002, 5:26 AM
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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
HI,

Can't this be done by using the following filters in your email server?:
Limit delivery to a specific IP from a specific IP
Limit delivery to a specific email address from a specific email address
Limit deliveery to a specific domain from a specific domain

There are also many more that may work.



Just a thought!Cool
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Re: [Teambldr] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
What I have in mind is making this as part of the everyday parlance of the average user - "What's your Email PIN?" kind of thing.

To do this, it has to be really easy to utilize. That's why I thought having an additional line when creating an email would be the most intuitive.

So, for example, Sammy writes a note to Johnnie. There would be boxes for To, From, Subject, CC, BCC, Attached, and finally Email PIN.

Implemented in this manner, a non-techy person could really easily make use of this security feature.

That's the main idea...make something that appeals to all users.

The PIN list would be stored by the various email clients locally, and all they would have to do is do a quick lookup to validate the PIN. It would become a standard part of the setup.

Also, if there were reason to "unlock" a PIN-protected email addy, this would have to be done by admin.

Yes, I know that there are some blocking methods already, but I'm looking for a way that would easily be accepted and employed by the overwhelming body of users.

Cheers! Smile

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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
I can see your idea...but I do see it as something with limited potential (in my opinion). The ewason is that to make that work you have to have support from Microsoft, AOL/Netscape, Qualcomm, etc...

Another issue is that thoses compnies are not shy about wanting to move people away from email and on to IM systems.

Another thought is that hackers will just figure a way to use the PIN list against you and/or the people on your PIN list.

Just thoughts though....Wink
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Re: [Teambldr] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
I've actually already written to Qualcomm, AOL, and MS just now. We'll see what happens.

I don't know....I think it of it like using a MAC card...plug it in, type in the PIN, and away you go.

I appreciate everyone's comments. Smile

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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
nice idea but I can see worms/viruses targetting outlook and getting spam/worms out ...
what about PGP?

openoffice + gimp + sketch ... Smile
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Re: [QooQ] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
PGP would encrypt the emails, but I don't think it could prevent a flood of spam, whether encrypted or not.

I know that there would be some spammers who could likely skim the PIN because most email is sent as flatfile (as I understand it).

However, my guess is that many spammers are just stinkin' weasels who use some mass mailing script. So, you could probably cut back on their spam fairly well.

What I'm trying to do is come up with a method that becomes popular and is independant of ISP, email client, or whatever.

We'll see... Smile

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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
In Reply To:
Hi giovanni

What is the filtering system that you're mentioning, and why do you think a Email PIN is not a proper solution for most users?

Many thanks. Smile


What is the filtering system that you're mentioning

I don't know the specific name of the system, but I know that it exists. I'm not too sure how hard it would be to set it up with qmail, so that the sender had to include your email in the subject line or something. Not sure...

why do you think a Email PIN is not a proper solution for most users?
I agree with your basic concept, which is having some additional requirement in the sent email before it is allowed to be received. I just think that this implementation is overly complex, when you can just say "make sure you include my email in the subject line as well" - this would knock out nearly all spams and would be much simpler. It could be done very simply, say be having a robot filtering all mail and saying that the sender should include the email address in the subject line.
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Re: [giovanni] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
Thanks, giovanni

I think the program you might be referring to is Spam Assassin:

http://www.SpamAssassin.org

Smile Smile

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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
I think so, yep. Looks like a very useful program.

I like your site btw!
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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
I know, but ... in place of an open pin you could have it done through PGP.

I agree though such a addition to sendmail/qmail would be really good.

openoffice + gimp + sketch ... Smile
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Re: [QooQ] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
I see...pgp pin...good idea...

There are two things that I think of with this:

1. How do we integrate this feature so that the average user can utilize it? Meaning, would encrypting the email pin seem too complicated for most users?

2. Definite probs coming up with a universal encryption system. I could see MS trying coming up with it's own encryption so that both sender and recipient would have to use an MS email prog. This could cut out other good systems like Eudora and Pegasus.


Only Change PIN
One other nice thing about utilizing an email pin is that you would never have to change your email address if it got nailed by spammers. You'd only have to change your pin. Thus, if the email that all of your important clients know you as is:

SuperSalesman@whatever.com

you would never have to change it to anything different. Just change the pin, and you're back in action. Kinda nice...

Thanks, All ! Smile

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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
hmmm, I'd prefer an open source and keep MS out till the last. That way the standard would be set and adapted, tested and finally trusted.

I hate how MS and other apps phone home with user information.

openoffice + gimp + sketch ... Smile
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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
Regarding the PIN, it could include Alpha elements, Numeric elements, and Symbolic elements, all to maximize the range. Thus, you would have an:

AlphaNymbolic PIN

Is there such a term as "AlphaNymbolic"?? I think it could be a new word (if adopted). I'm checking things out. (Wouldn't it be cool to add a new word to the dictionary!)

AlphaNymbolic: Alpha, Numeric, and Symbolic

Alpha........(a-z, A-Z)
N..............(0-9)
ymbolic.....(# & - % _ ..... or whatever symbols are acceptable for this special email field.)

Anyway, if I get any good feedback, I'll let you know. Smile Smile

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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
You are always looking for a way to be famous eh Dogtags ?
Angelic

openoffice + gimp + sketch ... Smile
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Re: [QooQ] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
LOL.....Smile

Actually, I'm trying to make it as hard as possible for hackers. If we can add symbolic characters, this could add a nice layer of complication for those weasels.

But I'm still LOL.....Cool Cool Cool

You know how to get me, QooQ!

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Re: [DogTags] Email PIN - to protect kids In reply to
Angelic

openoffice + gimp + sketch ... Smile