Validation Code Problems Common

[+Iowa Tom]

I’m teaching a week long class about geocaching to 17 middle school age kids this summer (second year in a row). Both times I’ve encountered three big problems that can spoil much of the fun. They are (1) the student does not have or know of an email address he can use (2) he cannot access a known email address online and (3) he never gets the validation code that was “sent.”

 

The problem with getting the validation code is the worst. They say they cannot find it in their filtered mail either. If the student tries to modify their account they get a blurb about how they already have an account and so on and so forth. They cannot write to anyone on the forums because they need an account to do that and on it goes.

 

One main purpose of the class is to set up TBs to see them move before the end of the week. By the time they get an account, the class is over! I feel like placing their TBs under an alias I have and offer them the opportunity to “watch it” if they ever do get an account validated.

 

Anybody else resolve this issue consistently in a situation involving getting many accounts set up at once?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Iowa Tom

Edited June 20, 2006 by Iowa Tom

[+Prime Suspect]

I’m teaching a week long class about geocaching to 17 middle school age kids this summer (second year in a row). Both times I’ve encountered three big problems that can spoil much of the fun. They are (1) the student does not have or know of an email address he can use (2) he cannot access a known email address online and (3) he never gets the validation code that was “sent.”

 

The problem with getting the validation code is the worst. They say they cannot find it in their filtered mail either. If the student tries to modify their account they get a blurb about how they already have an account and so on and so forth. They cannot write to anyone on the forums because they need an account to do that and on it goes.

 

One main purpose of the class is to set up TBs to see them move before the end of the week. By the time they get an account, the class is over! I feel like placing their TBs under an alias I have and offer them the opportunity to “watch it” if they ever do get an account validated.

 

Anybody else resolve this issue consistently in a situation involving getting many accounts set up at once?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Iowa Tom

Do you want some gmail invites? I've got about a 100.

[+briansnat]

Yeah, set up a gmail, yahoo or hotmail account for them. gmail invites are a dime a dozen these days.

[+the hermit crabs]

One main purpose of the class is to set up TBs to see them move before the end of the week. By the time they get an account, the class is over! I feel like placing their TBs under an alias I have and offer them the opportunity to “watch it” if they ever do get an account validated.

If you do end up doing that, the students could later adopt the bugs from your alias account, once they finally get their own accounts validated. (This is done through the http://www.geocaching.com/adopt/ page.)

[+Iowa Tom]

If you do end up doing that, the students could later adopt the bugs from your alias account, once they finally get their own accounts validated. (This is done through the http://www.geocaching.com/adopt/ page.)

 

That is a GOOD thing to know.

 

Thanks! About the Gmail, I just made one of my own but one student said that they are no longer accepting new applications for the service. Anybody have any idea about that? I did recommend Gmail right at the beginning.

 

Thanks,

 

-it

[+Damenace]

If you do end up doing that, the students could later adopt the bugs from your alias account, once they finally get their own accounts validated. (This is done through the http://www.geocaching.com/adopt/ page.)

 

That is a GOOD thing to know.

 

Thanks! About the Gmail, I just made one of my own but one student said that they are no longer accepting new applications for the service. Anybody have any idea about that? I did recommend Gmail right at the beginning.

 

Thanks,

 

-it

 

Someone has to send you an invite. As mentioned almost anyone in these forums that has had a Gmail account for some time probably has at least 50 or so invites. I currently have 98 I would be willing to share.

Edited June 21, 2006 by Damenace

[+Prime Suspect]

Thanks! About the Gmail, I just made one of my own but one student said that they are no longer accepting new applications for the service. Anybody have any idea about that? I did recommend Gmail right at the beginning.

 

Thanks,

You have to get an invitation from someone who already has an established gmail account. Once you begin using gmail, you start accumulating invites that you can give to others. I've got 100 right now, which I think is where it maxes out.

[uber_bike_geek]

I'll add that I've got a couple hundred gmail invites... I've got 3 gmail accounts- 1 for geocaching, 1 for Boy scouts, and one for personal use... Let me know if you need an invite (or a hundred!)

 

Happy Caching!

Jeff

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

One you take the tiniest step toward giving any under-legal-age student an email account such as one at Gmail or Hotmail, which accounts are accessible by said students from any PC anywhere in the world so long as they remember their acount name and password, you have now opened the can of worms wherein you will likely need a permission letter from their parents to allow you to do so and to allow their child to have an unsupervised email account, and you might even get into liability issues. For example: What if one of the kids later uses their Gmail account to send a harrassing email to someone, or a bomb threat, or to hook up with a predator online? You may wish to take any such steps (i.e., providing kids who do not have email accounts with a free email account) very carefully.