Zombie Account - Reactivating after dead email = Catch 22

Hi there Permie folks, it's "Douglas Alpenstock." Long time no see! I'm in a Catch 22 login limbo. So I created a new temporary account just to chat.

The deal: My login email went dormant (yahoo changed its policy, the account went dormant, and that's on me).

So, when trying to log in this week, I got the "you need to change your login email" notification. Sure, no problem.

So I clicked the link, tried several valid email addresses and hit Save, but always got the red banner "Something went wrong ... please try again." I tried both the password and email link options (the original login email is live again).

I thought it was my super-locked-down browers (happens all the time). So I started tweaking the settings to see what would work. A sequence of disabling ad blockers, enabling third party cookies, the whole nine yards, cookie dumps and restarts of browser and OS. I'm stumped.

To date, I have tried the above routine on different OS and different laptops:
- Linux - RaspPi Debian desktop with Chromium
- Linux Mint - 20.x with Chromium and Firefox
- Win10 - Firefox and Edge

Of course, I can't PM anyone until I can log in (Catch-22). I also wondered if I had made The Big Dog angry, having made a few posts whilst in my cups, but I'm still receiving apples so he's probably not super-angry ...? So I thought this might be a little bug worth reporting, and a chance to get back in the game and start tossing apples.

Note that the new account login routine was flawless even with my Chromium browser locked down and Ghostery and uBlock Origin in operation. I'm happy to provide more detail if it helps.

Cheers all,
-Doug

Of course, I can't PM anyone until I can log in (Catch-22). I also wondered if I had made The Big Dog angry, having made a few posts whilst in my cups, but I'm still receiving apples so he's probably not super-angry ...? So I thought this might be a little bug worth reporting, and a chance to get back in the game and start tossing apples.

I can verify that you did not make The Big Dog angry...or at least not that angry . It looks like Gir Bot marked your email as invalid because yahoo was bouncing the emails back, or something.

I pushed a button to tell Gir Bot that your email is fine. This probably won't last too long (because your email address probably isn't fine), but it will hopefully last long enough for you to log in, change your email address, and everything will be good.

If you can't change your email address, because it wants to send a verification to your old email address,send me a PM. If you can send it from your old account, I won't have to do any verification nonsense.If you can't get into your old account, send me a PM telling me your old email address and some sort of fact that only a staff person or yourself would know.

Many thanks, Nicole! I'm back online. My original email is verified active again, so all should be well. The Doppelganger account was disposable, so it can be deleted at your leisure.

Curiously, I note that I seem to have got more done in the real world when I didn't have this delightful distraction. Hmm.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:
Curiously, I note that I seem to have got more done in the real world when I didn't have this delightful distraction. Hmm.

I know the feeling.  But I get so much inspiration and troubleshooting done here.  It's also a great place for me to collect my thoughts before starting a project.  

Tricky.  

Glad you are back.  

Kind words. Thanks.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Many thanks, Nicole! I'm back online. My original email is verified active again, so all should be well. The Doppelganger account was disposable, so it can be deleted at your leisure.

I went above and beyond, and just merged it into your normal account. Now that email address is a secondary email address on your profile, and should hopefully allow you to get back in if yahoo plays it's tricks again.

And, anyway, if I remember my fairy tales right, terrible things are supposed to occur if you ever meet your doppelganger. Death usually follows, with one or both of you perishing. Therefore, to prevent certain disaster, I have vanquished this Douglas Doppleganger and he has been absorbed into thee. Nevermore shall he walk the face of permies.