Once again as I travel, I am experiencing difficulties with my email accounts. This time though, I am seriously wondering if email servers are crashing around me. Not only can I not access my email accounts, my security answers are also rejected. Does this mean someone other than me has accessed my accounts and changed all of my security answers?
One thing is for sure. When we started using electronic communications, did we ever imagine them controlling our lives like they do now? I mean, email is something we all become addicted to and therefore, become users that have difficulty when we can't get to them. It is a lot like students and their addictions to their cell phones. Are you aware that recent studies have indicated that over 80% of cell phone users under the age of 35 always check their phones for messages before going to bed at night? 80%! Now that is an addiction. Have I become addicted to my phone? Not to check messages in social media but yes - to check emails. You see, email is my communication avenue to the world. Really. I communicate with family, my publisher and my legal clients via emails. I know we used to use the telephone, but perhaps it is best that I don't...at least to my email provider. I might (easily) lose my temper.
So why the angst? Because aren't having security questions supposed to determine whether I am the rightful owner of my accounts, right? Then what gives when I answer a question about my father's place of birth and then are told my answer is not correct? Since I know my father reads this blog, he would get a kick out of learning he was not really born in the same town I was! To make matters worse, according to my provider, I was not born on the birth date I have been celebrating now for 55 years! Isn't the Internet wonderful, it teaches us new things every day, even things that aren't even true!
So where to turn? I'll let you know when my accounts are unlocked (if they ever are). Does anyone remember "let your fingers do the walking" for the Yellow Page Ads? Today, I am not sure anyone remembers what the Yellow Pages were?! Until I regain access to my email accounts, I will be under some form of "lock and key." Until then, be well and remember, help used to be just a phone call away!
One thing is for sure. When we started using electronic communications, did we ever imagine them controlling our lives like they do now? I mean, email is something we all become addicted to and therefore, become users that have difficulty when we can't get to them. It is a lot like students and their addictions to their cell phones. Are you aware that recent studies have indicated that over 80% of cell phone users under the age of 35 always check their phones for messages before going to bed at night? 80%! Now that is an addiction. Have I become addicted to my phone? Not to check messages in social media but yes - to check emails. You see, email is my communication avenue to the world. Really. I communicate with family, my publisher and my legal clients via emails. I know we used to use the telephone, but perhaps it is best that I don't...at least to my email provider. I might (easily) lose my temper.
So why the angst? Because aren't having security questions supposed to determine whether I am the rightful owner of my accounts, right? Then what gives when I answer a question about my father's place of birth and then are told my answer is not correct? Since I know my father reads this blog, he would get a kick out of learning he was not really born in the same town I was! To make matters worse, according to my provider, I was not born on the birth date I have been celebrating now for 55 years! Isn't the Internet wonderful, it teaches us new things every day, even things that aren't even true!
So where to turn? I'll let you know when my accounts are unlocked (if they ever are). Does anyone remember "let your fingers do the walking" for the Yellow Page Ads? Today, I am not sure anyone remembers what the Yellow Pages were?! Until I regain access to my email accounts, I will be under some form of "lock and key." Until then, be well and remember, help used to be just a phone call away!
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