Something's changed - BlackBerryForums.com : Your Number One BlackBerry Community

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

I'm removing my pin from my sig. Had it there since I signed on to the forum. I'd get the request for help once in a while, "Can you help me with this problem with my blackberry?" and I was pleased to be asked. When noobs would ask about posting their # I'd say it's never been a problem for me. Well, something has changed. I'm sad to have to do it, but that's the way it goes.

kathrynhr · **OS:** 5.0.0.230

Are we to take it, then, that someone is abusing your PIN?

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

No. I'm getting messenger requests, I accept, and then it's Where do you live? Are you a boy or a girl? . . . Never used to happen; and only now since I started posting again after being away for a while. I delete the contact and that's it.

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

I've also been sent a few direct messages asking me to participate in this or that venture (file sharing operation of some sort was one of them). Something's changed . . . Maybe it just comes with the popularity and/or size of the forum.

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

Make's me wonder what those who invite messenger buddies are experiencing.

juwaack68 · 05-15-2009, 04:24 PM

I removed my PIN when I became a moderator...and have no plans to put it back.

The forum is too big and I've seen too many nut jobs 'out there' to want anyone I don't know to have it.

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

Yeah, I understand why you mod's don't do it..... You have to enforce the rules and inevitably make someone unhappy with you.

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

BTW, I still don't see any real harm in my pin being public. It's just I don't want to bother dealing with what I'm receiving now.

I've left private messages enabled, for now. That may be next.

zerog46 · 05-15-2009, 07:15 PM

If someone here is bothering you let us know.

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

Wirelessly posted (8820)

Quote:

Originally Posted by zerog46

If someone here is bothering you let us know.

No, it's like spam. And the PIN #'s have been different. But I'm not getting hammered with these. I've just gone from never getting pin's like these to getting several since I started posting again. Just weird.

SteveO86 · **OS:** 5.0.0.320

Yea... I had a one BBM person that lasted about 5 minutes...
for every sane person there 5 insane people to accompany him.

People just ask/talk about the worst things....

daphne · **OS:** 4.7.1.40

Maybe it's partially because the membership of the forum has changed somewhat with RIM getting more and more into the consumer market. Whereas this forum used to have primarily business users, now there are a lot more non-business consumers here.

CoDudette · **OS:** 4.6.0.282

i couldn't ever put my pin. i'm really careful about who i get add requests from. I get a lot of PM's saying they want my pin, or they give me their pin. i'm not keen on just talking to anyone. like i said, if i know you, i have no issues giving you my pin. it's just how it works.

aiharkness · 05:41 AM

Wirelessly posted (8820)

It was fun. You know how it is when the language barrier is really bad. I'd often get a pin or private message from someone who was really having trouble making themselves understood. I didn't mind helping. There also are people who, I guess, are too impatient to wait, and maybe even people who are too shy to post. But I don't mind helping with blackberry problems. I just don't care if you're 18, female and live in new york, and I don't want to invest in your start up.

ndub33 · 05-16-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daphne

Maybe it's partially because the membership of the forum has changed somewhat with RIM getting more and more into the consumer market. Whereas this forum used to have primarily business users, now there are a lot more non-business consumers here.

I think there is a lot of truth to this. If you read through the general posts here, you can see that the demographic has changed.

Ira, sorry to hear that this has become a negative experience. As was previously stated, if you get hassled too bad, let us Mods know...

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndub33

.... Ira, sorry to hear that this has become a negative experience. As was previously stated, if you get hassled too bad, let us Mods know...

Thanks. I'm a big boy. Getting a pin message from someone on the other side of the world to ask me a blackberry question has been a thrill every time. And some people have sent me a message to ask about my dog, or tell me about theirs. I recall a message a long time ago from someone, in New Jersey, I think, who was stationed down here back in the 60's. That's so cool. It's just a sad moment for me, taking my pin down.

djm2 · 05-16-2009, 03:07 PM

And how is that pup -- I'm sure not so much a pup anymore.

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

Wirelessly posted (8820)

Quote:

Originally Posted by djm2

And how is that pup -- I'm sure not so much a pup anymore.

He's 14 month's now. About 85 pounds (38-39 kg). Doing good. Not much of a doberman though--He's a big chicken. Had a scare with an oral tumor last month, turned out to be an epulis, benign.

Helmdawg · **OS:** 4.6.239

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoDudette

i couldn't ever put my pin. i'm really careful about who i get add requests from. I get a lot of PM's saying they want my pin, or they give me their pin. i'm not keen on just talking to anyone. like i said, if i know you, i have no issues giving you my pin. it's just how it works.

I agree with this.. I have never posted my pin.

CoDudette · **OS:** 4.6.0.282

i don't mind talking to people here.. however, when randomly, people say, "i'd like to talk to you since you live halfway across the world, and i've never had a buddy from there.." it kinda freaks me out. a couple of people have asked me cause i've helped them (or tried to) on the forum, but i'm just not ok with random add requests. you never know what kind of people will look at your post, and see your pin and add you.

am i wrong to feel that way?!

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoDudette

i don't mind talking to people here.. however, when randomly, people say, "i'd like to talk to you since you live halfway across the world, and i've never had a buddy from there.." it kinda freaks me out. a couple of people have asked me cause i've helped them (or tried to) on the forum, but i'm just not ok with random add requests. you never know what kind of people will look at your post, and see your pin and add you.

am i wrong to feel that way?!

You're not wrong. Different strokes. There are friendly people who want penpals. Anyone remember that term? I'm not into chat, either, and I don't want penpals. I've had to tell a few people I don't do chat.

But it's the crooks and the weirdos. I'm going to have to tell the noobs who ask about posting their pin that they will get some interesting, fun messages if they do, but they are going to get some they didn't want and didn't invite. As I say, I used to say I've never had a problem. Can't say that anymore.

I'm getting them on yahoo messenger, as well, and I'm going to take that off my profile, too, now that I've remembered.

The spammers and scammers have moved into instant messengers.

CoDudette · **OS:** 4.6.0.282

i know what you mean. i used to absolutely love chatting to people from across the world, but after 2-3 really really bad experiences, i got really apprehensive of doing that. like i said before, i don't mind giving my pin to people, i'm just freaked out by random adds :S

SteveO86 · **OS:** 5.0.0.320

Yea, I really don't add new BBM ppl too often.. Really only those I've chatted with on a normal base..

Of course with my twitter use, it has cut down on my BBM use, since a good portion of BBM buddies are on twitter also.

I had one guy add... and it just went so good I haven't posted my pin anywhere in months.. but as long as I got the time, I'm always up for a good chat.

dc/dc · **OS:** 4.6.0.266

I don't post my PIN so I don't have to endure hate mail.

djm2 · 05-17-2009, 11:32 PM

That's what happens if you don't tolerate BS!

daphne · **OS:** 4.7.1.40

Quote:

Originally Posted by dc/dc

I don't post my PIN so I don't have to endure hate mail.

I don't post my PIN so I don't end up having to send hate mail to rid of people.

kathrynhr · **OS:** 5.0.0.230

Quote:

Originally Posted by daphne

I don't post my PIN so I don't end up having to send hate mail to rid of people.

LOL!

OT: Daphne, I love that new avatar.

CoDudette · **OS:** 4.6.0.282

who'd want to endure hatemail? :s

dc/dc · **OS:** 4.6.0.266

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoDudette

who'd want to endure hatemail? :s

I don't want to endure it, but I am dc/dc. :(

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

Wirelessly posted (8820)

Update. The pin spam stopped soon as I removed my pin from my signature. Weird, huh?

I was sure it wasn't someone stalking me or anything like that. It was spam. Could someone really have been scanning the forum for pins? A bot? I know I couldn't be the only one getting 'em given the many who have posted their pins in the looking for bbm buddies threads.

djm2 · 06-10-2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aiharkness

Wirelessly posted (8820)

Update. The pin spam stopped soon as I removed my pin from my signature. Weird, huh?

I was sure it wasn't someone stalking me or anything like that. It was spam. Could someone really have been scanning the forum for pins? A bot? I know I couldn't be the only one getting 'em given the many who have posted their pins in the looking for bbm buddies threads.

It may have been that someone saw this thread and realized that they had "crossed a line."

aiharkness · **OS:** 4.5.0.139

Wirelessly posted (8820)

Then in that case I want to call this the first rant that did any good. At least until someone points out an earlier one.

ndub33 · 06-10-2009, 02:29 PM

LOL...actually most of them make me feel better, for whatever that is worth...

djm2 · 06-10-2009, 08:52 PM

Hey, psychic gratification is important -- especially when so many of us work in a fashion that forces us to repress ourselves.