Forum Announcement - Launch Date

MSE_Marcus

Hi everyone,

After months of work surveying and talking to Forumites, analysing data, designing and redesigning, and building, we can finally announce that your new Forum will open its doors on Friday 7th February 2020.

It’s a big job and the to make it happen, we will need to temporarily close the Forum at 3pm on Thursday 6th February. The team will then work through the night to migrate all 1.9 million accounts and 47 million posts across to their new home and will re-open the Forum as early as possible the next day.

We’ve posted a sneak peek of what we’ve been working on, so go and take a look now.

The first time you log in to the new Forum you will be asked to reset your password using your email address, so it is critical that the email address registered to your account is one where you can still receive emails. You have to check this before 3rd February to ensure you’ll be able to access your account after the move. For data protection reasons we can only help users who have emailed using the address they have registered on their account (otherwise we can’t be certain it’s you).

We’re looking forward to showing you what we’ve been working on and all the goodies we’ve managed to add in, bring back or improve. We know there’ll be some things we’ve accidentally left behind so keep an eye out for the ‘New Forum snagging’ post we’ll publish in the ‘Site Feedback’ board after the move where you can tell us about anything that’s not working or you think is missing.

We can’t wait to welcome you to the new Forum - see you there!

Marcus Herbert
Editor-in-Chief, MoneySavingExpert.com

Plasticfreemama

Great! Can't wait!

UKTigerlily

So hope it looks like this to read!

fire**fly

good luck & fingers crossed all goes well.

3secondmemory

This does not bode well for me!

webjaved

Embrace the change - exciting times! :T

jamesd

MSE_Marcus wrote: »

For data protection reasons we can only help users who have emailed using the address they have registered on their account (otherwise we can’t be certain it’s you).

Marcus, it should be entirely obvious that an organisation can't refuse the GDPR right of rectification on the grounds that you've outlined: its incorrect information not matching the accurate information, and it breaches the requirement that you consider each individual request on it's merits, instead substituting the prohibited blanket policy approach.

Anyone rejected for that reason should complain first to MSE about the GDPR breach and then to the Information Commissioner.

If you need more information to satisfy yourselves of someone's identity, you're required to ask for it, not just refuse to comply. While the level of protection appropriate will vary on a case by case basis, supporting information to demonstrate identity can include:

1. ability to use recently used IP addresses, perhaps sufficient on its own for low risk cases
2. knowledge of and maybe demonstrable access to previously used email addresses
3. testimony of another member who is in a position to verify, say an IFA about their customer
4. knowledge of sent and received private message content
5. use of a committed identity, which can be as simple as someone sending themselves a private message containing a passphrase, knowledge of which then demonstrates that they had access to the account.

Regular and respected posters here might like to place the encrypted version of a committed identity in their profile, since such posters will be towards the higher end of the confidence level required.

This one will enable MSE to confirm my identity using explicit contact instructions:

cf9c38c71d168feaec7b5af455b50c3c675e6f77191d54742400c517e69cb2f89fff24388bc5dfd2b09452366f720fdfbbc4bd3342a9

(the final 20 characters removed)

With that now in MSE's hands only obstinacy could lead to MSE refusing to accept my identity regardless of whether I can use a particular email address. All I need do is provide the contact instructions and that will prove their accuracy.

jamesd

3secondmemory wrote: »

This does not bode well for me!

If you're having email troubles just:

1. visit https://tools.wmflabs.org/text2hash/ and type a passphrase and/or contact details in the first box and save the contents of this box exactly
2. copy and paste the contents of the hash box into your profile but delete the final 20 characters
3. optionally but recommended, PM yourself here a copy of both boxes

At that point you can prove your identity to MSE abundantly well by telling them the contents of the first box if it's a passphrase or by them using any contact details provided in it. And they can just check the PM themselves and use contact instructions.

Far simpler for everyone if you can get email working but this provides a possible safety net.