New pool owner

[Domimax]

Glad I found this place. Will research before my many questions.

[CarlD]

Read our sister-site, poolsolutions.com while you are at it. LOTS of great material there and has been for many years!

[Domimax]

Thanks. Why can I not search?

[CarlD]

I don't know all the details but it has to do with your status as a trial user. That's for the owner, PoolDoc (Ben) to explain.

[PoolDoc]

. . . membership updated.

The forum software I use (vBulletin) has repeatedly had security holes in the search function. About 10% of my new registrations are hackers or spammers. The *trial user* status allows me to see all new incoming users myself . . . and purge most of the bad guys.

Unfortunately, the ongoing privilege level has to do with whether a user registered anonymously (like you did) or with personally verifiable address and phone. About 1 - 2% of the anonymous registrants who successfully post and are granted "General User" status like you have are STILL some sort of bad guy, so General Users don't have access to the insecure, but convenient vBulletin search.

Those that register with real info over 100x less likely to be bad guys, so they mostly get a higher privilege level.

Most folks don't realize how big a problem Internet security is, but I have to pay attention to that, or I'll get 'pwned' or worse. For example current problems include:

1. 100% of all Internet Explorer configurations are COMPLETELY insecure, and there's no fix. Accidentally browsing the wrong website -- which could be mine, if I allowed some users to post "helpful files" -- can result in hackers getting more control of your computer than you have, and access to ALL your passwords.

2. A recent hack of AOL has fully exposed most email accounts -- name, password and full hacker access.

3. And then, there's HeartBleed, which turns out to have enabled various parties to FULLY access all your encrypted communication to your bank, your doctor, and most other encrypted services. Current suspicion is that only the US NSA has fully exploited this, but no one knows for sure. Having the NSA read my stuff doesn't bother me much, but having Slovakian hacker farms gain access to my accounts, as pitiful as they are, does.

The situation is somewhat parallel to the pool industry. Pool chemical companies don't want you to know the truth about chemicals, because then you won't spend your money they way they want. Big banks and insurance companies don't want you to know how bad the Internet security problems are, because they are afraid you won't bank online, which saves them much money.

Me? I'm not too worried:
+ I don't bank online; my accounts are info only, with a few exceptions;
+ I don't 'sext' my wife, and she doesn't 'sext' me, and I don't care if the NSA sees the rest of it.
+ And, in my day job, I screen new users at the PoolForum carefully, use a custom firewall, and generally act like a "Network Nazi".