On 2024-01-15 09:32, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
| From: o1bigtenor via talk <talk@gtalug.org>
| > I have never used a cellphone to access https://chat.openai.com -- this is where I signed up for free and later where I upgraded to Plus. The process to register is quite easy, I don't quite understand the issues you and Kevin are having.
| One doesn't use a cell phone (well I wouldn't) but a cellphone number
| is demanded to
| verify one's identity. Without a working cellphone connection one is
| today - - - a NON-person.
This is "two-factor authentication" (often called 2FA).
Also known as MFA for Multi Factor Authentication.
Where factors are >1 but I have never seen it >2.
Lots and lots of things require it. And then assume that that number
is a good way to contact you. Grrr.
SMS is not a great second factor. Especially in the cases where there
is no first factor.
Well at that point SMS would be the first factor.
A related issue: places that ask my phone number and then assume it
works for SMS. My phone number dates back more than forty years and
it is a landline (no SMS).
When we first got VOIP and SMS on our home line it was supprising to
see the services that were doing things like appointment
notifications using that number.
SMS does have a way to provide delivery notifications but nobody
would make use of that because of all the non-SMS landlines out
there.
The thing is that the world has changed faster than some of us have
adjusted. I feel that way about many things; at least Flash is gone.
The level of technical knowledge required to protect yourself now
days has gone way up.
It use to be that your bank tellers knew you and if you did not want
to get robbed you locked your doors.
Either you had cash in your pocket or were in a position to write a
cheque and living beyond your means ware hard to do.
Now we have multiple credit cards, bank cards, crypto accounts all
of which can be scammed/hacked/stolen.
If your not careful someone can sell your house and you won't know
about it till the new owners show up.
Generally life is much better but it has come at a cost.
--
Alvin Starr || land: (647)478-6285
Netvel Inc. || Cell: (416)806-0133
alvin@netvel.net ||