Discussion: What to do about unwanted game e-mail
By
Acanous_Quietus,
Posted on: 2008-04-21 14:20 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
Okay.
I am glad you made this topic because I wanted to know what you guys are going to do about all the pr0n e-mail spam 
we are getting now in game. I see the whole pr0n spam as being 10x worse than the RMT stuff because that could mean alot of people canceling their accounts the first time one of their kids gets one of these emails and goes to the site. If you guys are doing something about this in issue 12 you might as well discuss it now instead of waiting for it to go live that way we have something to look forward to.
Bump and Grind Bane/SoA
Kenja No Ishi Earth/Empathy Controller
Legendary Sannin Ninja/Pain Mastermind
Entoxicated Ninja/PSN Mastermind
Ninja Ryukenden Kat/WP Scrapper
Hellish Thoughts Fire/PSI Dominator
Thank You Devs for Merits!!!!
The only problem with using the /ignore_spammer command I see is the continuous use of nonsensical names used by most spammers, that makes it often impossible to correctly ignore. For the email that has been flooding our accounts specifically could the Dev's please add an in-game email address (per server) that we can forward the emails to (IE Email Petitions; Pinnacle Spammers; Virtue Petitions, etc). The player base can then easily forward the email along to the support team for their review/actions. Or add a button to the current in-game email structure to forward the email as a petition.
I have to admit that your posting is the 1st I have heard about any type of porn emails/tells. Only thing I have ever seen is RMT data.
I have to admit, that if there is a group of people dipping down to porn emails/tells, then these people must be really be getting sad.
Are you seriously getting pr0n?!?! 
And i thought it was bad with all the influance / infamy e-mails....
Although I have to say, it's a little amusing when I log onto a character I havent played in a couple days and see 5 or 6 e-mails from the same website giving 6 different prices for the same amount of influence....
Well I hope the support people can handle all the petitions. I get at least one or 2 day depending on the toon.
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Playing on: Protector - Guardian - Victory
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I am glad you made this topic because I wanted to know what you guys are going to do about all the pr0n e-mail spam we are getting now in game. I see the whole pr0n spam as being 10x worse than the RMT stuff because that could mean alot of people canceling their accounts the first time one of their kids gets one of these emails and goes to the site. If you guys are doing something about this in issue 12 you might as well discuss it now instead of waiting for it to go live that way we have something to look forward to.
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DEADDD. You get those type of e-mails? Yikes! That's ridiculous. How lame???
Yeah!! lets take it to those dirty ad spamming communists!
/petition
/reload
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The only problem with using the /ignore_spammer command I see is the continuous use of nonsensical names used by most spammers, that makes it often impossible to correctly ignore. For the email that has been flooding our accounts specifically could the Dev's please add an in-game email address (per server) that we can forward the emails to (IE Email Petitions; Pinnacle Spammers; Virtue Petitions, etc). The player base can then easily forward the email along to the support team for their review/actions. Or add a button to the current in-game email structure to forward the email as a petition.
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I like this suggestion.
Also, haven't seen pr0n ads yet, nor heard about them from any other players. And in my SG, I'd be getting text messages about it as soon as it happened.
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We have a number of changes coming to the game in the next free expansion, Issue 12: Midnight Hour, to address this problem in a number of ways. Thanks as always for your support!
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Spam button on the E-mail interface, I bet. 
New ways.
I really hope a Spam/report option in the E-mail interface is one of them.
The tells are one thing, but backspace and switch the /t to /ignorespammer.
Keep up the fight folks, they will adapt and evolve, but make it another games problem, by making it more pain than its worth here.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
I'm praying they are removing email availability from trial accounts. That'd go a long way to stop the spammers, I'm sure.
Thanks for the update to let us know there are more fixes on the horizon for this problem.
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The only problem with using the /ignore_spammer command I see is the continuous use of nonsensical names used by most spammers, that makes it often impossible to correctly ignore. For the email that has been flooding our accounts specifically could the Dev's please add an in-game email address (per server) that we can forward the emails to (IE Email Petitions; Pinnacle Spammers; Virtue Petitions, etc). The player base can then easily forward the email along to the support team for their review/actions. Or add a button to the current in-game email structure to forward the email as a petition.
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I like this suggestion.
Also, haven't seen pr0n ads yet, nor heard about them from any other players. And in my SG, I'd be getting text messages about it as soon as it happened.
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As I mentioned in the original announcement, we have several improvements to the game coming in Issue 12 to address. While I don't have an exhaustive list of everything we are doing, it does include much easier ways to report abuse as well as ways to prevent abuse from the start (including limitations to Trial accounts).
Lighthouse
Community Relations Manager
If you have a specific in game, account, tech or billing problem please contact our Customer Support team via The Knowledge Base "Ask A Question" page.
I probably be flamed for this because it is a radical idea. But ...
Why not remove the e-mail system all together? All MMOs have e-mail which is why I say it is radical. But, it's usage here is limited compared to some others. We cannot transfer influence, enchantments, salvage, or recipes like other MMOs. It is really only text based communication. In my opinion communication is handled much more conveniently with tells and offiline messages. It would be curious what the actual usage numbers for e-mail would be without those reported for spam. My perception (which is limited and quite possibly wrong) is that it is not used much outside of sending RMT and now p0rn messages. Removing it would stop one of their more powertools, the ability to send spam while the player is offline.
Just my .02 influence.
--Rad
/whereami:
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The only problem with using the /ignore_spammer command I see is the continuous use of nonsensical names used by most spammers, that makes it often impossible to correctly ignore. For the email that has been flooding our accounts specifically could the Dev's please add an in-game email address (per server) that we can forward the emails to (IE Email Petitions; Pinnacle Spammers; Virtue Petitions, etc). The player base can then easily forward the email along to the support team for their review/actions. Or add a button to the current in-game email structure to forward the email as a petition.
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For tells, just hit backspace three times (one to bring up the reply, two to delete the space and comma), then replace /tell with /ignore spammer.
Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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http://www.plaync.com/us/support/ask.html.
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AM I the only one getting a dead page with this link?
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I probably be flamed for this because it is a radical idea. But ...
Why not remove the e-mail system all together? All MMOs have e-mail which is why I say it is radical. But, it's usage here is limited compared to some others. We cannot transfer influence, enchantments, salvage, or recipes like other MMOs. It is really only text based communication. In my opinion communication is handled much more conveniently with tells and offiline messages. It would be curious what the actual usage numbers for e-mail would be without those reported for spam. My perception (which is limited and quite possibly wrong) is that it is not used much outside of sending RMT and now p0rn messages. Removing it would stop one of their more powertools, the ability to send spam while the player is offline.
Just my .02 influence.
--Rad
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Many SGs use it as well. It would be screwing over those who use it legitimately. Especially in big SGs where, say, they kick someone for inactivity, and can't recall the global name (if they even knew it) - only global tells get saved as offline messages.
Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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http://www.plaync.com/us/support/ask.html.
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AM I the only one getting a dead page with this link?
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I think it is because the period got put in as part of the link (so it's a .html. file, not a .html file).
Mods, please fix the link in Lighthouse's post!
Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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I have to admit that your posting is the 1st I have heard about any type of porn emails/tells. Only thing I have ever seen is RMT data.
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Are you seriously getting pr0n?!?!
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You get those type of e-mails? Yikes! That's ridiculous.
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Yes, those types of e-mails do exist... and worse. Child pr0n, for example. With an explicit description of what the supposed link goes to.
Fortunately, it wasn't me, but it was somebody I knew. Spent some time on advising the whole "/ignorespammer", then "/petition", and I also suggested contacting Customer support with all info (such as time, server, etc.), since this is, quite frankly, a felony, and thus should be taken very seriously.
RMTs are annoying, but we're starting to veer into some dangerous waters with what some folks are sending off, be it by e-mail or tells. Let's hope it can be nipped in the bud post haste, before too many people, especially new people, see this kind of stuff.
Dungeoncleaners! (ID#125715): Slay the Adventurers! Rescue the Monsters! Return the Treasure!
Peppermint Cat-- Lv50 Mewtant Ice/Eng Bls
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I have to admit that your posting is the 1st I have heard about any type of porn emails/tells. Only thing I have ever seen is RMT data.
I have to admit, that if there is a group of people dipping down to porn emails/tells, then these people must be really be getting sad.
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There have been at least 2 other threads where players have also stated they have been getting pr0n in their emails too. One deleted and the other locked I think.
Bump and Grind Bane/SoA
Kenja No Ishi Earth/Empathy Controller
Legendary Sannin Ninja/Pain Mastermind
Entoxicated Ninja/PSN Mastermind
Ninja Ryukenden Kat/WP Scrapper
Hellish Thoughts Fire/PSI Dominator
Thank You Devs for Merits!!!!
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Are you seriously getting pr0n?!?!
[/ QUOTE ]
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You get those type of e-mails? Yikes! That's ridiculous.
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yes, there are that big of losers who have to pervert my game with very explicit language. I have one particular character on Liberty and one on Victory that seem to get hit with waves of junk from "power leveling" to pornographic references. Christmas time was really bad.
Ignore_spammer is my close friend, but i don't always petition. I do not want to annoy with 15-20 petitions nor want to send that many... can I just do one big one?
Please do not remove email or sending tells... maybe tie to vet reward or some other means... I wonder what the authentication piece will be to fix this...
CLOSE CITY OF HEROES?
NEVER PLAY ANOTHER NCSOFT PRODUCT AGAIN.
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http://www.plaync.com/us/support/ask.html.
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AM I the only one getting a dead page with this link?
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I think it is because the period got put in as part of the link (so it's a .html. file, not a .html file).
Mods, please fix the link in Lighthouse's post!
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Sorry bout that. Link is fixed.
Lighthouse
Community Relations Manager
If you have a specific in game, account, tech or billing problem please contact our Customer Support team via The Knowledge Base "Ask A Question" page.
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I probably be flamed for this because it is a radical idea. But ...
Why not remove the e-mail system all together? All MMOs have e-mail which is why I say it is radical. But, it's usage here is limited compared to some others. We cannot transfer influence, enchantments, salvage, or recipes like other MMOs. It is really only text based communication. In my opinion communication is handled much more conveniently with tells and offiline messages. It would be curious what the actual usage numbers for e-mail would be without those reported for spam. My perception (which is limited and quite possibly wrong) is that it is not used much outside of sending RMT and now p0rn messages. Removing it would stop one of their more powertools, the ability to send spam while the player is offline.
Just my .02 influence.
--Rad
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I would be ok with removing the e-mail system we have if there was an easy way to communicate en mass with my entire SG at once. As it stands now, I have to send SG updates via the e-mail system. I send out a quarterly State of the SG type thing just to let people know what's going on and what's coming up. If there were another system in place I could use instead, I certainly would! The e-mail system is far from ideal, but was helpful when we didn't have globals.
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I would suggest this announcement be stickied, pushed to top, and locked on *every other forum* here. That way, nobody could miss it.
<.<
Of course, it's fairly apparent that nobody reads stickies...
/Please post a hijack this and dxdiag log. 'read this' below. Thanks!
//Currently Playing in mah head: Something About Us - Daft Punk
///Oh gods, please do NOT make people post those here...
August 31, 2012. A Day that will Live in Infamy. Or Information. Possibly Influence. Well, Inf, anyway. Thank you, Paragon Studios, for what you did, and the enjoyment and camaraderie you brought.
This is houtex, aka Mike, signing off the forums. G'night all. - 10/26/2012
Well... perhaps I was premature about that whole 'signing off' thing... - 11-9-2012
I would like to say that the complete removal of email. Sounds like a grand idea. For I never use such methods to contact people. I will normally send a "tell" to there global name. It is then displayed upon logon. They logon and read it once and then they can be done with it . Then it is erased as soon as you log off. Although a method to save certain "tells" would be nice. So basicly I am making a proposition to create an "email/tell screening system".
Please use this thread to discuss the below announcement.
Unfortunately, you may be sent an unwanted in-game e-mail advertisements. Should you receive one there are several things you can do that will alert us to the problem and allow us to address it:
First, make use of the /ignore_spammer command on the sender of the unwanted e-mail. This will fast track the process of identifying the account doing the sending as a spammer and also add the user to your ignore list to prevent you from receiving further tells from them.
Second, make use of the /petition command to let us know what happened. This can be as simple as /petition I received a spam e-mail from <name> that was advertising buying influence. You can also enter or manage your support tickets via the web at http://www.plaync.com/us/support/ask.html.
Third, dont visit their website! Even if you want to see how stupid their selling practices are or are curious, often times these sites will attempt to infect your PC with viruses or keyloggers so that they can gain access to your account.
Lastly, get back to playing and enjoying City of Heroes!
We have a number of changes coming to the game in the next free expansion, Issue 12: Midnight Hour, to address this problem in a number of ways. Thanks as always for your support!
Lighthouse
Community Relations Manager
If you have a specific in game, account, tech or billing problem please contact our Customer Support team via The Knowledge Base "Ask A Question" page.