Free Tibet…Well Not With A Hotmail Address

David F. Gallagher of the NY Times just wrote up an article about using the word “tibet” in a hotmail email address. At first glance, one may think it was to do with the Chinese government and their ever increasing ambition for total word domination, however, after a little research, we see that it actually doesn’t have to do with the Chinese OVERLORD government at all. Microsoft actually blocks the us of the letters “TIB” in response to phishing scams. There happens to be a bank in Florida, TIB Bank whose clients fell victim to these scams. So if your last name is Tibbs, or if you plan on trying to free Tibet, you are out of luck if you want a Hotmail address. In fact, this rule also applies to Yahoo.

Photo Courtesy of the NY Times

Rumor Control: Why I Can’t Put ‘Tibet’ in My Hotmail Address