Why did my compuserve email account die?

[gristy]

Yesterday evening a couple weeks of emails disappeared from my compuserve mailbox. And I discovered tonight that if I try sending myself an email, nothing shows up in my inbox. I know my bill is paid because they automatically bill my charge card every month. I can still dial up compuserve (that's how I'm posting this).

I've been using the account for quite a bit of activism lately, including an email sent to every SOS in the country.

wtf is going on? Can anybody give me a guess?

[gristy]

1. Hey, I'm feeling awfully alone here.

Anybody there???

[SaddenedDem]

2. Did you contact CompuServe to ask them?

Customer support maybe?

We would just be serving up tinfoil guesses without having some feedback from them.

[Philostopher]

3. I wonder if that 'every SOS in the country' mail

Might have got you tagged as a spammer? This does sometimes happen. Also, someone may have spoofed your e-mail address on a spam mailing and they may have shut down your box -- I know I complained to AOL (I have a couple of old accounts I haven't talked myself out of letting go of yet, even though I hardly use them) when somebody did this with one of my e-mail addresses, and they deleted all the junk out of my box without my permission. Which, of course, is why I don't really use AOL anymore ... but that's another rant entirely, and one others are much more willing to undertake than I.

[ikojo]

4. Could it be because it's owned by the

Internet equivalent of the evil empire (though a bit tarnished)...AOL?

Evil, evil ISP!

[gristy]

5. OK, I reached compuserve tech support

after a few tries. My cell phone kept dropping out, so had to get off line. They are going to look into it. I have no clue what their rules are about sending emails to multiple addresses. Would an email regarding electronic voting to each state's SOS be considered spam? Would they have a rule against that? I don't know. I hope to find out soon.

[SaddenedDem]

6. That shouldn't be considered spam

Depending on how many you sent. Typically, all of the ISPs only pay attention to what you are sending if they get a complaint - especially true of AOL/CompuServe.

I would guess it's more likely a snafu, but could be something more sinister. Let us know if you hear anything back.