[sf-lug] automatic credit card billing and ...

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Michael Paoli (Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu):

> What I think tends to be especially hazardous, is when folks basically
> just set up automatic payments/renewals ... and mostly just "forget"
> about it after that ... don't think to update them when card is
> lost/stolen/replaced - or even updated/replaced with a new
> expiration date or such ... or similarly when folks don't keep an eye
> on regular processing ... as occasionally things do/can go wrong - and
> if not watched/caught, that can cascade into more problematic/critical
> issue/situation.

Expiration date is the most common problem.

You get your replacement card with the further-out expiration date.
Now, are you going to somehow remember _everywhere_ you've entered it
for automatic usage?  Some people are organised enough to do that; most
are not.

Humans in any event tend to be bad at managing the automation that helps
us compensate for being at bad at things without automation.  ;->

And I can't tell you how many hilariously inept SPOFs I spot in
management of domains and Internet services, like domains whose domain
contacts all require the domain's DNS, registration, and e-mail services
to all be in good order, which doesn't seem like a problem to people
until they cannot be reached to inform them of domain problems.