This is a Public Service Announcement:
If you lose your password, DO NOT USE THE SECRET QUESTION TO RECOVER THE ACCOUNT. It will result in your account being locked. Please use the email recovery option to recover the account.
The reason that the accounts are locked is because the May 2015 hack leaked Bitcointalk's database which did not securely secure the Secret Question and Answer. To prevent people from guessing the answers, theymos made it so that accounts that are recovered using the secret question are automatically locked when the option is attempted. This is to prevent hackers who may be able to guess the answers from the leaked database.
Thanks for the information Op. With regards of how crucial the information maybe which I see to be necessary for every user's in the platform for both new and old members, I'd had suggested this thread to be pinned so as to keep the update more visible for user's.
Who knows if I'd had fallen victim to use the so called secret questions on my account recovery at when need arises because, anyone that haven't come across this information can vulnerable to fall victim.
How smart decision Theymos made there though because, there's also tendencies that a third party MIGHT rightly guess the user's secret questions and could gain access to the accounts.
Indeed using the email for the recovery process feel very safe because you've to be confirmed through the address you applied for your recovery backups.
