Account Security

[BlackOak2]

We, as an internet-capable society, have become accustomed to account security. So this is just a reminder first.

Do not share your password.
Do not share your home address, work address or school address.
Do not share your real name.
Do not post your email address (there is some handy 'hide-it' script that admin has in place to aid in this, however, it doesn't catch all of them across the game).


There is some additional security measures on our game to aid us in keeping our accounts secure. We have the ability to change both our email that's attached to our accounts as well as changing the password we use to log in.

To change either your email or your password:
User Control Panel (easy access through your notifications mail, choose 'see all'.)
Choose the Profile Tab
And click Edit Account Settings

Don't forget that if you choose to change any of this information, you will need to authorize it by using your existing password. If you change your email, be aware that you will need to re-activate your account (a new activation email will be forwarded to your new email address you put in).


Also, this game has some additional securities in place for our younger-aged players.
This snippet is from another post by our admin Tom:

We are forced to place players who are under 13 years old in a COPPA group due to child privacy law. If you are under 13 and wish to have the COPPA restrictions removed we must have permission from your parents. Email support using the Help Me button at the bottom of the page for more information.

COPPA is the US version of the child protection act and there are other countries with similar laws in place.
The following is an excerpt from the ftc.gov website:

Rule requires that operators provide notice to parents and obtain verifiable parental consent prior to collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13 years of age. The Rule also requires operators to keep secure the information they collect from children, and prohibits them from conditioning children’s participation in activities on the collection of more personal information than is reasonably necessary to participate in such activities.

These restrictions deny certain accesses in areas of the site including, but not limited to, the forums and chat room. Editing horse notes, names and even posting ads on the sales and studs pages may also be included in this. There may be ways of changing these restrictions (COPPA allows for this by consent of the parents), please learn and understand the laws in the country you live in to find out if and how to lift these security provisions.

Find yourself aged out of COPPA regulations? Admin has offered us a direct link to print, sign and fax in the form. Find the topic here and the direct link to the form is here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fF6Bmf ... g5Bg7/view
*This release may also fulfill legalities for other countries with similar laws to COPPA. This DOES NOT mean that it does cover other countries. Please remember to check into it with HWO admin or also your local laws. Protect yourself, your children and your family.



Lastly, account security also involves what to do if you decide this game might not be for you. Previously, you would have been required to send an email to our admins to help delete your account. This is no longer necessary. Thanks to another update, we can disable our account ourselves. See this link for more information.

A new ruling was applied in November of 2020 that admin will apply COPPA-style restrictions on any account that offers a 'school email' in any of our forums.
Don't! Share! Your! Email! It's best to not offer it anywhere across the site. If somebody asks you for your email, Be Suspicious! Or even just report them to admin. There is NO REASON anybody needs or requires emails of another player on a game. It is NOT acceptable to ask for an email, real name or Any Other Private Information!
If you see an email anywhere in our forums, hit the report button so admin can immediately attend to it.

*Edited to correct 'online predators' statement to a direct quote from the COPPA law.
**Edited to add update to COPPA and internet safety changes by admin.

[BlackOak2]

A warning to the general community about sharing accounts or transferring accounts.

It is best to NOT share an account. If shared with a player under potential COPPA regulations, the shared account will also be subject to COPPA regulations. Or those laws or regulations similar to COPPA in your region or country of residency. Also be advised that once a shared account falls under COPPA, all other connected accounts may suddenly share the same fate.

It is also best NOT to transfer an account. It is easy enough to start an account and make it into what's wanted, rather than taking over another account.

Understand that under either of these occurrences, ownership is at best a gray area and one problem that might occur with one owner can so easily be also attributed to the other. There is little in the way of proof that can be offered to a wholly online only (or mostly online only) community.

Find the link to this discussion here: http://www.horseworldonline.net/forum/v ... 88#p130088

[PeacefulOreo]

A warning to the general community about sharing accounts or transferring accounts.

It is best to NOT share an account. If shared with a player under potential COPPA regulations, the shared account will also be subject to COPPA regulations. Or those laws or regulations similar to COPPA in your region or country of residency. Also be advised that once a shared account falls under COPPA, all other connected accounts may suddenly share the same fate.

It is also best NOT to transfer an account. It is easy enough to start an account and make it into what's wanted, rather than taking over another account.

Understand that under either of these occurrences, ownership is at best a gray area and one problem that might occur with one owner can so easily be also attributed to the other. There is little in the way of proof that can be offered to a wholly online only (or mostly online only) community.

Find the link to this discussion here: http://www.horseworldonline.net/forum/v ... 88#p130088

Another thing to add because of some recent events: Make sure that you DO NOT share your account password with a random player from this game. They can steal your account (they can change the password and/or changing the email account that the account was associated with so that you can't log back into it. If you were training, boarding, and/or champing horses and someone takes over your account and either rehoming, selling, and/or studding out any horses can hurt not just you but a bunch of other players). The only other person(people) that should know your password is(are) your legal guardian(s)/parent(s). No one else should know your password. If you do, change the password immediately! http://www.horseworldonline.net/forum/v ... =8&t=19729

Giving this out as a warning for the future. I know it is listed in the 1st post of this forum but I'm reminding everyone of this again. If you don't want anyone to mess around on your account (rehoming horses, selling horses, aging out horses, studding out horses, breeding horses together, posting things on the forums, etc.), don't give your password out.

[BlackOak2]

...

Sometimes, it's worth being reminded.
Thank you for restating it, PeacefulOreo.

[PeacefulOreo]

...

Sometimes, it's worth being reminded.
Thank you for restating it, PeacefulOreo.

No problem!

[BlackOak2]

Bumping

[BlackOak2]

bump.