Can't log in due to username requiring an @domain.xyz ending

[netrogames]

I have an old online Atari age identity for back when I was in college and I've been using it consistently until Atari bought Atariage.com.  

 

In my college I use my original college email which I forgot and even if I did remember I don't know how to log in that was before dial-up was even available in most parts of the culture.

 

My Atariage name has pretty good reputation but I will be willing to start over if there's no physical way you could do it. 

 

Since it refers to the original email you got signed up under, and since it's from a university and I can't access my university email anymore It looks like my name has been frozen ever since The changes Atari made to require username@domain.xyz as the format of a username and just play no username is no longer and acceptable username format.

 

 

[netrogames]

Never mind.  I found an alternate email address which I use that I currently receive.  And it is the preferred email address for my video game identity.

[Albert]

Hello!

 

First, the change to use email addresses instead of usernames has nothing at all to do with Atari.  This was a change I made several years ago, as some accounts had been hacked, presumably due to poor passwords being used.  Because usernames are publicly visible, you already had half of the puzzle to hack someone's account.  But email addresses are not visible, so that's much better in terms of protecting accounts from being hacked.  Accounts will get frozen automatically by the forum if emails being sent to that email address start bouncing on a regular basis, which is what probably happened.

 

Please send me a private message and I can try to help you recover your old account.

 

Thanks!

 

 ..Al

[Albert]

Just now, netrogames said:

Never mind.  I found an alternate email address which I use that I currently receive.  And it is the preferred email address for my video game identity.

I can merge your accounts together if we're able to verify you are the owner of the old account.

 

 ..Al

[Albert]

Alternatively, we can delete this account and then I can rename your old account to "netrogames", again, as long as we can verify you own the old account.

 

 ..Al

[netrogames]

I don't know whether it's because your bot server has trouble with my email address ever since we've gone off DSL and gone on to home cellular and then later fiber optic internet, or whether it's because I originally registered under a variation of "my real name" first initial last name up to so many characters at Kent.edu.