[Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Has anyone successfully renewed their Quanta subscription online using Internet Explorer? I was unsuccessful today but was able to renew without problems using Opera. With IE I got through to Paypal, but then with a Paypal error message that did not allow you to go further. I suspect this might have something to do with the security level on your computer. I have a fairly high level of security on my machine, but I would be a little surprised if Paypal expects users to have a low level of security on their machine. Fortunately, if my website is any indication, about half of QL-ers are non-IE users, but we should be prepared to offer advice to any IE user hoping to renew online, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Thanks for bringing this to our attention Geoff. If anyone else has any problems, please pass on specific details either to myself or to Dan Abbott (Web Master of QUANTA) directly so that we can attempt to provide a smooth running facility. In answer to Geoff's question "Has anyone successfully renewed their Subscription on line" the answer is "YES - only a handful but no problems have been reported to me so far. Regards and Happy 2009 to all, John Gilpin. - Original Message - From: "Geoff Wicks" To: "ql-users" Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2009 6:09 PM Subject: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions Has anyone successfully renewed their Quanta subscription online using Internet Explorer? I was unsuccessful today but was able to renew without problems using Opera. With IE I got through to Paypal, but then with a Paypal error message that did not allow you to go further. I suspect this might have something to do with the security level on your computer. I have a fairly high level of security on my machine, but I would be a little surprised if Paypal expects users to have a low level of security on their machine. Fortunately, if my website is any indication, about half of QL-ers are non-IE users, but we should be prepared to offer advice to any IE user hoping to renew online, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Thanks John, I'll send you and Dan a screen shot of the paypal error page privately. Just one error in your email. I asked specifically about problems with IE. I have successfully resubscribed online via Opera and it is easily and quickly done. A bit off topic but I also resubscribed to another organisation yesterday and had a completely different experience. There was a warning to remember to fill in the membership number in the box, but there was no box on the page. It came two or three pages later. Then there was a message that payment must be by credit card only although debit cards were also accepted. Finally when asked to give the type of card you were offered a choice of Visa, Mastercard or Switch. Have they not heard that Switch is now Maestro. Fortunately no such problems with Quanta, Best wishes, Geoff - Original Message - From: "John Gilpin" To: Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 7:57 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions Thanks for bringing this to our attention Geoff. If anyone else has any problems, please pass on specific details either to myself or to Dan Abbott (Web Master of QUANTA) directly so that we can attempt to provide a smooth running facility. In answer to Geoff's question "Has anyone successfully renewed their Subscription on line" the answer is "YES - only a handful but no problems have been reported to me so far. Regards and Happy 2009 to all, John Gilpin. - Original Message - From: "Geoff Wicks" To: "ql-users" Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2009 6:09 PM Subject: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions Has anyone successfully renewed their Quanta subscription online using Internet Explorer? I was unsuccessful today but was able to renew without problems using Opera. With IE I got through to Paypal, but then with a Paypal error message that did not allow you to go further. I suspect this might have something to do with the security level on your computer. I have a fairly high level of security on my machine, but I would be a little surprised if Paypal expects users to have a low level of security on their machine. Fortunately, if my website is any indication, about half of QL-ers are non-IE users, but we should be prepared to offer advice to any IE user hoping to renew online, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Further to my recent emails to the group I have done some experimenting with Quanta. If you are having problems paying online using Internet Explorer, then you should check your security level. If your system is blocking a Paypal cookie then you will get the error message. I must say that I take a dim view of a major financial site that expects you to have a low level of security on your machine. That is a criticism of Paypal and not Quanta. Don't be put off! Paying your subscription online is very simple, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Further to my recent emails to the group I have done some experimenting with Quanta. If you are having problems paying online using Internet Explorer, then you should check your security level. If your system is blocking a Paypal cookie then you will get the error message. I must say that I take a dim view of a major financial site that expects you to have a low level of security on your machine. That is a criticism of Paypal and not Quanta. Don't be put off! Paying your subscription online is very simple, Paying online will hopefully be especially useful for overseas members. I had a similar experience with IE when trying to download QL software updates from Jochen's website. As you suggest, lowering the security level and IIRC enabling cookies allowed the process to work (it was Bruce who suggested that to me at the time) It doesn't do much for people's confidence in internet security when a system is seemingly so secure that the only way to make it work is to make it less secure. I know that anyone who knows about the internal workings of these things will tell you it's just a simple case of this and that, but users don't always know that. And as with this system, I'm pretty sure it wasn't any fault of Jochen's site, althouth the site did want to place a cookie on my computer that IE was blocking because I had opted for strict security settings at the time. -- Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
I had a similar experience with IE when trying to download QL software updates from Jochen's website. As you suggest, lowering the security level and IIRC enabling cookies allowed the process to work (it was Bruce who suggested that to me at the time) It doesn't do much for people's confidence in internet security when a system is seemingly so secure that the only way to make it work is to make it less secure. I know that anyone who knows about the internal workings of these things will tell you it's just a simple case of this and that, but users don't always know that. And as with this system, I'm pretty sure it wasn't any fault of Jochen's site, althouth the site did want to place a cookie on my computer that IE was blocking because I had opted for strict security settings at the time. Well, it's not my site anyway - the update site is hosted on Bruce's server :-) You will see that updates.j-m-s.com forwards immediately to blocktoris.com/jms/ Thanks to Bruce for his help and support! Jochen ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
- Original Message - From: "Dilwyn Jones" To: Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 4:13 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions Further to my recent emails to the group I have done some experimenting with Quanta. If you are having problems paying online using Internet Explorer, then you should check your security level. If your system is blocking a Paypal cookie then you will get the error message. I had a similar experience with IE when trying to download QL software updates from Jochen's website. As you suggest, lowering the security level and IIRC enabling cookies allowed the process to work (it was Bruce who suggested that to me at the time) I only knew about this because I have a similar problem with the Stena Line website, but there they warn you that your system has to be able to accept their cookie. The Paypal error message is not helpful as it just tells you to try again. I think, as John Gilpin says, this is a teething problem and it is good at an early stage to know the solution, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
pretty sure it wasn't any fault of Jochen's site, althouth the site did want to place a cookie on my computer that IE was blocking because I had opted for strict security settings at the time. Sorry, IE wouldn't know strict security if it leapt up and bit it on the backside! ;-) OK, British-Rail style "wrong type of security" then. The answer to most things going wrong with IE is (1) accept cookies, (2) lower security settings which defeats the object (3) use different browser. Not got as far as option 3 yet ;-) IE is 'part of' Windows (or so we are led to think by Bill) and as such, suffers from Windows own security problems. There is no security on a Ah, so NOT the fault of IE itself then! Back to square one, round and round the infinite loop. Dilwyn Jones. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Op Sat, 03 Jan 2009 13:03:46 +0100 schreef Geoff Wicks : If you are having problems paying online using Internet Explorer, then you should check your security level. If your system is blocking a Paypal cookie then you will get the error message. When starting with internet banking, I was also advised to lower the IE security level to make it work. I now use Firefox or SeaMonkey for this. I also used SeaMonkey to succesfully update my Quanta subscription. In my limited experience Opera is the most critical in correctly displaying sites with input options. This may be an Opera bug but it's more likely that the sitebuilders only look at IE or Firefox. Happy QLing in 2009 Bob -- Gemaakt met Opera's revolutionaire e-mailprogramma: http://www.opera.com/mail/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
In message <4960c5ed.3020...@dunbar-it.co.uk>, Norman Dunbar writes Dilwyn Jones wrote: pretty sure it wasn't any fault of Jochen's site, althouth the site did want to place a cookie on my computer that IE was blocking because I had opted for strict security settings at the time. Sorry, IE wouldn't know strict security if it leapt up and bit it on the backside! ;-) IE is 'part of' Windows (or so we are led to think by Bill) and as such, suffers from Windows own security problems. There is no security on a system which, since XP at least, has defaulted the one user with full admin rights to have no password and doesn't actually mention this fact in the user 'manual'. I have no experience of Vista, but my boss does and he says that it is still passwordless. Duh! Hi Norman, Happy New Year everyone. Happy New Year too ... Is it really "not secure" to have no password entrance to use a computer that is for personal use ? It is only with the advance of networked systems that password entrance have become the norm. Yet, it is not necessary for a single user home computer - even though I have configured Win XP on my personal PC with a password entrance. Even though no one else ever uses it ! -- Malcolm Cadman ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
If your home computer is on the network, a password on your account can help decrease the possibility of a remote user/virus program from changing critical parts of your system. It all depends on the OS and how it is set up of coarse. In other words, the password doesn't only protect you from other nefarious people in your own house :) but more importantly from remote unauthorized users who can hack into your system by various methods. jim On 4-Jan-09, at 12:16 PM, Malcolm Cadman wrote: In message <4960c5ed.3020...@dunbar-it.co.uk>, Norman Dunbar > writes Dilwyn Jones wrote: pretty sure it wasn't any fault of Jochen's site, althouth the site did want to place a cookie on my computer that IE was blocking because I had opted for strict security settings at the time. Sorry, IE wouldn't know strict security if it leapt up and bit it on the backside! ;-) IE is 'part of' Windows (or so we are led to think by Bill) and as such, suffers from Windows own security problems. There is no security on a system which, since XP at least, has defaulted the one user with full admin rights to have no password and doesn't actually mention this fact in the user 'manual'. I have no experience of Vista, but my boss does and he says that it is still passwordless. Duh! Hi Norman, Happy New Year everyone. Happy New Year too ... Is it really "not secure" to have no password entrance to use a computer that is for personal use ? It is only with the advance of networked systems that password entrance have become the norm. Yet, it is not necessary for a single user home computer - even though I have configured Win XP on my personal PC with a password entrance. Even though no one else ever uses it ! -- Malcolm Cadman ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Dilwyn Jones wrote: > pretty sure it wasn't any fault of Jochen's site, althouth the site did > want to place a cookie on my computer that IE was blocking because I had > opted for strict security settings at the time. Sorry, IE wouldn't know strict security if it leapt up and bit it on the backside! ;-) IE is 'part of' Windows (or so we are led to think by Bill) and as such, suffers from Windows own security problems. There is no security on a system which, since XP at least, has defaulted the one user with full admin rights to have no password and doesn't actually mention this fact in the user 'manual'. I have no experience of Vista, but my boss does and he says that it is still passwordless. Duh! Happy New Year everyone. Cheers, Norman. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
In message <08288672-59e3-469a-ad80-e6f0babb5...@jdh-stech.com>, James Hunkins writes Hi Jim, Yes ... but only after you have logged yourself in, if connected to the internet in some way or other. Nice to hear from you again though ... :-) Any work taking place on QDT recently ? PS - I guess that Norman has fell asleep after the New Year festivities and forgotten his password ... :-) If your home computer is on the network, a password on your account can help decrease the possibility of a remote user/virus program from changing critical parts of your system. It all depends on the OS and how it is set up of coarse. In other words, the password doesn't only protect you from other nefarious people in your own house :) but more importantly from remote unauthorized users who can hack into your system by various methods. jim On 4-Jan-09, at 12:16 PM, Malcolm Cadman wrote: In message <4960c5ed.3020...@dunbar-it.co.uk>, Norman Dunbar writes Dilwyn Jones wrote: pretty sure it wasn't any fault of Jochen's site, althouth the site did want to place a cookie on my computer that IE was blocking because I had opted for strict security settings at the time. Sorry, IE wouldn't know strict security if it leapt up and bit it on the backside! ;-) IE is 'part of' Windows (or so we are led to think by Bill) and as such, suffers from Windows own security problems. There is no security on a system which, since XP at least, has defaulted the one user with full admin rights to have no password and doesn't actually mention this fact in the user 'manual'. I have no experience of Vista, but my boss does and he says that it is still passwordless. Duh! Hi Norman, Happy New Year everyone. Happy New Year too ... Is it really "not secure" to have no password entrance to use a computer that is for personal use ? It is only with the advance of networked systems that password entrance have become the norm. Yet, it is not necessary for a single user home computer - even though I have configured Win XP on my personal PC with a password entrance. Even though no one else ever uses it ! -- Malcolm Cadman ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Evening Malcolm, > Is it really "not secure" to have no password entrance to use a computer > that is for personal use ? Possibly not, however, are you in total control of your computer at all times? If "yes" are you 100% sure? > It is only with the advance of networked systems that password entrance > have become the norm. And what is the biggest network currently around? The Internet. And you are on it. Hopefully not on the computer that has no password and hopefully not on XP or Vista where you have not secured the system by setting a secure password on the admin user. There have been many documented accounts of exactly how long it takes a brand new Windows PC to be "zombied" or worse when connected unprotected (ie in default state) to the Internet. Most magazines I have read which carried out their own "honey pot" trap reported less than 15 minutes. So, your unprotected PC attached to the Internet will (possibly) have it's admin user compromised within 15 minutes of you dialing up. Now think about what could be done with that PC : - a denial of service attack on some company or other? - Mail spam - no doubt there will be porn of some sort! - and so on. > Yet, it is not necessary for a single user home computer - even though I > have configured Win XP on my personal PC with a password entrance. Even > though no one else ever uses it ! Ok, your 'malcolm' user is secure (or is the password weak?) but is the administrator user secure or still defaulting to a non-password to get access? Cheers, Norman. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Evening Dilwyn, > OK, British-Rail style "wrong type of security" then. :-) We had the wrong snow today! > Ah, so NOT the fault of IE itself then! Yes and no. Windows is insecure. IE is insecure. Outlook [express or otherwise] is insecure. All are set up with defaults that allow your PC to be taken over without you knowing and used for nefarious purposes. Outlook defaults to HTML emails. These can introduce trojans etc from an email you haven't even read! Windows is insecure because anyone can, just about, do almost anything with all the files on the system. So if some virus or trojan gets in, your system is basically stuffed. Roy Wood wrote a long time ago about his "hatred" of the Linux/Unix system whereby there was a root user and a separate 'you' user and root was only ever used to maintain the system. A Linux virus cannot destroy a system (unless you manage to run everything as root!) only your own personal user account. (Contrary to Roy's blast that Linux doesn't have viruses because it isn't common. It doesn't have them (or many) because it is inherently secure.) > Back to square one, round and round the infinite loop. Hmmm. Infinite loop tends to imply that there is no get out! Make sure you are firewalled to buggery, everything closed down unless absolutely necessary, run a decent anti-virus (AVG or Komodo), get rid of IE and Outlook (Opera, Firefox and Thunderbird) and pay a visit to www.grc.com and check out all the things you can do to protect yourself and also, use "Shields Up!" to find out exactly how secure your Windows system is when on the Internet. Alternatively, OpenSuse 11.1 is excellent! (I know you don't have leanings in that direction just yet though!) Cheers, Norman. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
- Original Message - From: "Norman Dunbar" To: Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 8:24 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions Yes and no. Windows is insecure. IE is insecure. Outlook [express or otherwise] is insecure. All are set up with defaults that allow your PC to be taken over without you knowing and used for nefarious purposes. To add oil to the fire I did my virus scan tonight. As I suspected the cookie that Paypal installs on your machine is a tracking cookie, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions
Geoff Wicks wrote: - Original Message - From: "Norman Dunbar" To: Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 8:24 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Online Quanta Subscriptions Yes and no. Windows is insecure. IE is insecure. Outlook [express or otherwise] is insecure. All are set up with defaults that allow your PC to be taken over without you knowing and used for nefarious purposes. To add oil to the fire I did my virus scan tonight. As I suspected the cookie that Paypal installs on your machine is a tracking cookie, Best Wishes, Geoff IF you are using Firefox, (and I suspect this also holds true for IE) you can set the options so that when you close your browser it will DELETE Cookies, and history files, AND the Cache folder content. USE IT, It can be Your Friend!! -- Paul Holmgren Mine: 2 57 300-C's in Indy Hers: 05 PT GT R/T HO Hoosier Corps L#6 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
