Damus
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Recent Notes

VessOnSecurity profile picture
Health (or lack thereof) update.

The old single web page has become too large and unwieldly. People have trouble reading the newest entries without cleaning their browser cache. So, a friend and a colleague of mine helped me create a more professionally-looking blog. The link will show only the latest entry; an archive of previous entries can be found in a column to the right, if you're using a desktop browser, or at the bottom, if you're using a mobile one.

I'll continue maintaining the old web page for a while but you're strongly recommended to switch to the new one. Eventually, I'll put a redirector from the old one to the new one.

The link of the new blog (with the latest entry from today) is

https://blog.bontchev.nlcv.bas.bg/en

(No, there isn't a Bulgarian version of the texts.)
VessOnSecurity profile picture


The real reason, of course, is that governments of all stripes want more control over their citizens' thoughts and actions. Hiding behind anonymity to post stuff we don't approve of? Can't have that.

Coming soon to a country near you, too.
VessOnSecurity · 2d
So, I returned to the bank to complain that, evidently, the card registering procedure had failed. "Don't worry," said the clerk (although much less intelligibly), "the ATM is out of cash - that's why...
 VessOnSecurity profile picture
VessOnSecurity @VessOnSecurity
I long for the good old times when you just went to the bank branch to get your new card when the old one had expired and the new one had the same number and PIN and you didn't have to do anything else. Whoever came up with this new procedure needs to be shot, hanged, quartered, and then really hurt.
1
Epic Null · 2d
nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqlvv7n293zx576n3ay7xt47s7fu32l6np5wtp8a9d8jxk42hw4c4qftmex9 I would not be surprised if the teller you first talked to sounded like she was speaking nonsense because she simultaniously: did not have answers did not have anyone to turn to was exp...
VessOnSecurity · 2d
Long story short, she sent to her phone an SMS with the temporary PIN in plaintext. Then, my mother was required to go to an ATM, insert the new card, select "Register new card" as a service, enter th...
 VessOnSecurity profile picture
VessOnSecurity @VessOnSecurity
So, I returned to the bank to complain that, evidently, the card registering procedure had failed. "Don't worry," said the clerk (although much less intelligibly), "the ATM is out of cash - that's why it doesn't offer any cash withdrawal options." Just to be sure that I had understood correctly, I went to a different ATM - and, sure enough, the new card was working there just fine.

What remains to be done (and I was assured that it can be done from the bank's web site interface) is to set an additional password to the card, to be used when purchasing on-line.
1
VessOnSecurity · 2d
I long for the good old times when you just went to the bank branch to get your new card when the old one had expired and the new one had the same number and PIN and you didn't have to do anything else. Whoever came up with this new procedure needs to be shot, hanged, quartered, and then really hurt...
VessOnSecurity · 2d
Me: "Sorry, can't do that. No apps on her phone (or mine, for that matter)." Clerk (slightly bewildered): "OK, I'll send her an SMS. She just needs to click the link in it and..." Me: "Sorry, can't ...
 VessOnSecurity profile picture
VessOnSecurity @VessOnSecurity
Long story short, she sent to her phone an SMS with the temporary PIN in plaintext. Then, my mother was required to go to an ATM, insert the new card, select "Register new card" as a service, enter the new PIN of her choosing twice, then enter the PIN received via SMS. This was supposed to activate the new card. Except, after finishing the procedure, the only thing on the ATM's menu was "Register new card" and "Abort", so something must have gone wrong. I mean, no menu for withdrawing money or anything like that.
1
VessOnSecurity · 2d
So, I returned to the bank to complain that, evidently, the card registering procedure had failed. "Don't worry," said the clerk (although much less intelligibly), "the ATM is out of cash - that's why it doesn't offer any cash withdrawal options." Just to be sure that I had understood correctly, I w...
VessOnSecurity · 2d
The person at the bank giving her the card and in general processing the case was either autistic or at least had Asperger's syndrome. She wasn't mentally deficient but was totally incapable of speaki...
 VessOnSecurity profile picture
VessOnSecurity @VessOnSecurity
Me: "Sorry, can't do that. No apps on her phone (or mine, for that matter)."

Clerk (slightly bewildered): "OK, I'll send her an SMS. She just needs to click the link in it and..."

Me: "Sorry, can't click links on our phones."

Clerk: "Can she get SMS messages at all?!"

Me: "Yes, but no link clicking. No Internet access from her phone at all."

Clerk: "You mean... It's a phone with... knobs?!"

Me: "Yep. We even have one with a dial at home. We just don't use it any more."

Clerk: "What's a 'dial'?"

Me: "Nevermind."
1
VessOnSecurity · 2d
Long story short, she sent to her phone an SMS with the temporary PIN in plaintext. Then, my mother was required to go to an ATM, insert the new card, select "Register new card" as a service, enter the new PIN of her choosing twice, then enter the PIN received via SMS. This was supposed to activate ...