Adding more authenticated email addresses for account use

[housecat]

One thing that has always kept me from using Hardforum more than I would have otherwise over the years, is the inability to use my favorite email accounts. Today a lot of people use Gmail. I understand the reasoning behind blocking Hotmail and others.

But Gmail/Googlemail requires a cell phone to set up an account. This was done to prevent the same type of spam accounts that Hforum is wary of.

Will gmail/googlemail (in UK&Germany) be allowed as our Hforum addresses? I'm currently using my work address, and I try to avoid checking that email as much as possible while I'm at home.

From Google-

If you'd like to sign up for a Gmail address, you need to have a mobile phone that has text-messaging capabilities.

If you don't have a phone, you may want to ask a friend if you can use his or her number to receive a code.

One of the reasons we're offering this new way to sign up for Gmail is to help protect our users and combat abuse. Spam and abuse protection are two things we take very seriously, and our users have been very happy with the small amount of spam they've received in Gmail. We take many measures to ensure that spammers have a difficult time sending their spam messages, getting these messages delivered, or even obtaining a Gmail address (spammers will often use many different addresses to send spam). Sending invitation codes to mobile phones is one way to address this, as the number of addresses created per phone number can be limited.

Since most Gmail accounts are going to be validated in this way, it's a good question to wonder if this domain will be opened up to everyone.

 

[King Icewind]

I have a couple Gmail accounts set up. I have NEVER had to use a cell phone for any of it. So I think you talking about checking your gmail mail on the phone.

And I'll say that it will more than likely never happen.

 

[[Spectre]]

Gmail DOES NOT require a phone number for its accounts everywhere and differentiating the location of a gmail account is a pain.

If you want to use gmail just forward your mail to your gmail account.

Also, if you really want to be a dick you can always use a disposable cellphone to set up a million gmail spam accounts and SMS verify through that number for those locations that do have SMS verification.

 

[housecat]

I could set up a rule in Outlook to forward emails from here to there, but I think I might have to leave my work machine on with Outlook open to do so?

I had to use my cell phone to authenticate my gmail account, but I wasn't aware that the requirement wasn't the same everywhere. I'm near Chicago so the cell phone thing must be for the US (I also signed up for mine during the '04 beta).

 

[housecat]

I have a couple Gmail accounts set up. I have NEVER had to use a cell phone for any of it. So I think you talking about checking your gmail mail on the phone.

And I'll say that it will more than likely never happen.

It would send you a text and you had to reply to confirm it through the text message. You can google it for more information on the process.

 

[Zero82z]

I could set up a rule in Outlook to forward emails from here to there, but I think I might have to leave my work machine on with Outlook open to do so?

That depends how your e-mail service is set up. If your work uses Exchange, mail forwarding rules that you set will be handled by the mail server.

 

[FrgMstr]

Our rules are set up here to protect our users forum experience. I do not see them changing any time soon.