On "Word Verification"

I have just managed to leave a comment on another blog. It took me seven (7) attempt to get the comment posted because the bloggers had chosen to avert spam-comments by activating "Word Verification" on their blog.

As some of you may know my vision is impaired, by congenital hyperopia and by emerging cataracts, making it almost impossible for me to interpret the blurry images of street numbers and intricately interwoven letters and numbers that must be entered to get a comment published.

After my horrible experience today I have decided that bloggers who choose to activate word verification on their blogs will no longer be worthy of my wisdom or wit.

In my own experience Blogger already recognizes 90-95 % of the spam-comments and the few that slip through are easily removed so I cannot really see any valid reason for activating that silly option.

Support Ticket #01587329 IX (Updated II)

My conversation with Theresa Linden continues:

Illustration from Neaspec

"A comment has been added to your Case.. 

Case: 01587329
Avatar: Bock McMillan
Type: Other Inworld Issues
Status: Information Requested
Hi Bock,

I am racking my brain here. Before this started happening a few weeks or more back, had there been any changes in connection or software/hardware, or anything on this computer that you can recall? Are you okay with checking with your ISP to make sure connection is working as it should?

Theresa Linden

To reply to this case, either Reply to this email, or visit : https://secondlife.com/my/support/?caseID=01587329

(To view the Case online, you will need to log into Secondlife.com with this Avatar: Bock McMillan)
---

To which I responded

"Hello again Theresa,  

Believe you me, I have been wracking my brain also. The only thing I can think of is that it could possibly coincide with the time when I updated my graphic drivers to NVIDIA GeForce 580 GTX 310,90, I am not certain though...  

Nothing else has been updated except the Windows updates that come every third week or so.  

Bock"
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UPDATE 1: And then a bit later I sent this:

"Dear Theresa,

I am going to download and install a previous graphic driver (GeForce 306.97 Driver which I have used in October 2012 before the problems occurred) and see if that helps! I will get back to you a.s.a.p.

Bock"
...

UPDATE 2: And later again...

"Theresa,

Well that goes to show how little I know about computers ;) That downdating changed nothing at all, everything is as bad as it was before.

Bock"

Support Ticket #01587329 VIII

I just got another email from the diligent Theresa Linden at Linden Lab, who is working on my ticket.

"A comment has been added to your Case..

Case: 01587329
Avatar: Bock McMillan
Type: Other Inworld Issues
Status: Information Requested

Hello Bock,

Thanks again for the updates. I was wondering if there was another computer at your location that can be tried to see if you have the same results?

Theresa Linden

To reply to this case, either Reply to this email, or visit : https://secondlife.com/my/support/?caseID=01587329

(To view the Case online, you will need to log into Secondlife.com with this Avatar: Bock McMillan)"
---

My response was:

"Hi Theresa,

No , this is the only computer I have at the moment.

Bock"

Happy Birthday, Kharissa!

We are celebrating Khar's Birthday!!

Kharissa loves dressing up (especially in period costume), so in honor of the occasion we're throwing a French Masquerade Party and you are cordially invited.

Here's the key info:
WHEN; Saturday, January. 12th, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. SLT
WHERE: Gay Riviera Isles (SLurl)
DRESS: It is a 18th Century French Masquerade, it's up to you how dressed up you would like to get but -- please, at a minimum wear a mask.

Hope to see you there!!!!

Support Ticket #01587329 VII

The adventure continues and the plot thickens... Today I sent the following email to my friend Theresa Linden at Linden Lab.

Illustration from autocab International

"Hello again Theresa,

When I did the self-tests you have asked me to perform with the test avatar I got the following results, nothing has been attached.

I do not get the repeats when I am chatting from my home sim (Southern Charm), neither in IMs nor in local chat. However if I go to a laggy sim (KMADD or a party sim) I still immediately get repeats of my own chats in local chat and those I talk to tell me I repeat in IM.

I also get the repeat teleports when I go from the laggy sims back to Southern Charm. When I have already successfully teleported back to Southern Charm I get this pop up (see picture Teleport message).

During this whole experience I have tried scanning for virus with both the program I have installed on my computer (PC Tools Internet Security) and several of the online virus-scanners (f-secure, Trend Micro etc.), at the suggestion of friends I also tried a free trial of the program Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.  None of these could detect any infection.

As some of my friends had told me about a Trojan that could settle in my keyboard I late last night made a search for a program that could detect and remove such a threat. I found and installed the program Spy Emergency, using this program two infections were detected VX2 ABetterInternet and Trojan Win32 Malware. These were removed in the recommended fashion and then I tried out Bock again, but the results were the same as I have reported above.

I am once again anxiously awaiting your recommendations on further actions.

Hugs,

Bock"

P.S. to my email earlier today.

"Hi again Theresa,

I forgot to mention that my payments are still repeated when I am in a laggy region but not when I pay from my home sim.

Hugs,

Bock"

New and Worsened!

Together with my dear friend and personal stylist Theresa Linden of the fashion house Lin-dEn-laB I have now made an extreme and complete makeover.

I think my boyish and unique new look will be a success!

I used to get complaints about being too tall, too muscular, too blond and too devastatingly handsome. That is no longer a problem. Safe, likable and blending in with the wood-work...

It did not help with my problems though, not as far as I could see during my quick visit tonight.

Support Ticket #01587329 VI

Illustration from Omnitechsupport

During the past night Theresa Linden has been putting Bock through another set of trials ordeals, whereupon she sent me the following email:

"A comment has been added to your Case..

Case: 01587329
Avatar: Bock McMillan
Type: Other Inworld Issues
Status: Information Requested

Hey Bock,

It is a pleasure helping you. You are so cooperative and understanding! I have logged in your account again today and it was also cooperating well. Just to make sure the issue causing the problems was not something on your avatar, I have detached everything from him, and also turned you into a test male.

What I would like you to try is seeing if you encounter the same issues when you are in this test avatar status. If you do right away, let me know and feel free to attach as normal. If you do not, slowly start attaching things one at a time starting with skin, shape, so on and so fourth, while testing your issues. Please let me know how this experiment goes!

Thanks so much for your time,

Theresa Linden

To reply to this case, either Reply to this email, or visit : https://secondlife.com/my/support/?caseID=01587329

(To view the Case online, you will need to log into Secondlife.com with this Avatar: Bock McMillan)"

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The coming weekend I will do as Theresa has asked me and then report back to her. Please, keep your fingers crossed!

...but to night I am going out in first life to celebrate an 80th anniversary. Take care my darlings and we will meet tomorrow!