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Detailed Instructions Page Index About Usernames and Passwords What Is My SFF Username and Password? Is my username the same as my email address? About Passwords Resetting your password About Your SFF Net Membership What is My Membership Information Record? How do I review or update my Membership Information? How do I see my billing history? How do I upgrade my membership? Where do I find SFF Net official policies? About Usernames and Passwords What Is My SFF Username and Password? When you join SFF Net, you're assigned a unique username and an intial password that goes with it. You receive your username/password in the welcome email that's sent out when your account is processed. The email contains other important information about your account, so it is a good idea to save it (or print it out and file it for future reference). Usernames and passwords are linked - think of them as Siamese Twins joined at the hip. You can't use one without the other. Any place on SFF Net that asks for a password will also have a spot to enter your username, so be sure you always enter both. Usernames are not case-sensitive, but passwords are. In other words, BettyBoop, BETTYBOOP and bettyboop are all the same username, but RinTinTin rintintin and RINTINTIN are all different passwords. So you not only need to remember your password, but also exactly how you type it. Is my username the same as my email address? No, your username is used to grant access to SFF Net services (such as private areas on the news server) or to let you into your mailbox to read your mail. Think of it as a combination lock on your door that only accepts your username/password as the combination. Your email address is used by Internet mail servers to let others send you email - just like the post office uses your home mailing address. Don't confuse your username and email address - you can't very well open a combination lock with an envelope. About passwords Passwords are intended primarily for your protection - they are the primary barrier to someone else using your identity without your permission. It's always best if you don't tell anyone your password. You'll also want to be sure to pick passwords that can't be easily guessed or cracked by simply trying words from a dictionary. You'd be amazed at how many people have "password" or "123" as their password. For hackers, that's a bit like putting out $20 bills on your porch and leaving the door ajar. The best passwords are those that are at least 8 characters long, easy to remember, yet contain a mixture of words, capitalization letters, and/or numbers resulting in a really unusual combination, such as luceLipz or Sync4schipps. However, don't bother substituting 1's for L's or 3's for E's, most hackers try those combinations out these days too. Resetting your password You can reset your SFF Net password at any time - in fact we recommend you do this the first time as soon as possible after you receive it. Passwords are changed using your web browser. To do this, use the Change Your Password link on the WebNews or WebMail Options page (also available on the Member Services page). This will pull up the Change Password dialog box. Enter your esxisting username and password into the first two fields, then enter your new password twice. That's all there is to it. If you get an error message, read it carefully. You probably mistyped one of the fields. What if I forget my username or password? Your password information is encoded a one-way encryption scheme which prevents us from ever seeing or obtaining your password, so we are unable to tell you what your password is. However, we can reset it for you. There is a fee for resetting passwords. To request your password be reset, go to the Member Services section of the main SFF Net webpage and click the Forgot your password? link. If you've forgotten both your username and password, there is a link on the Forgot your password? page to allow you to tell us who you are (please include your email address!) and we'll send you updated information. About Your SFF Net Membership What is My Membership Information Record? Your Membership Information Record contains current information about you that we use to keep track of your account, including your current name, home address, billing address, phone and credit card information. You can update this information as it changes. A very convienient way to change your billing address in the case of a move, for example. How do I review or update my Membership Information? You use the SFF Net Account Wizard forms to modify your membership information. The membership information change screens are also available via the Member Services page. How do I see my billing history? Use the SFF Net Account Wizard to review your billing history, too. You can see your present account balance and your payment history at any time. The billing page link is also available on the Member Services page. How do I upgrade my membership? The SFF Net Account Wizard lets you see your current membership level, review all the possible membership levels, and request a change. We'll work out the best schedule with you for the change and credit your new account with any remaining balance on your old account. What are SFF Net Policies? SFF Net's official Policies and Procedures are posted online. Please take a moment to review them - they're mostly painless and common sense rules of order. They are subject to review and change without notice, so you may want to check them for updates.