Andy are you saying this sites want access to your email account/s in order to access you contacts lists? If that is the case it does not seem safe to me.
On the flip side are there good plugins such as "tell your friends about us" that will use existing APIs like those mentioned above?
AndyBeard
· 1 year ago
Michael I am sure you are a member of lots of the big ones that have used this tactic
Facebook Myspace YouTube
The problem is these scripts are available for less than $100, anyone can buy them - they are not programmers and many of the scripts call home because they can't keep up with the changes in the backend for scraping the data.
It is a disaster waiting to happen.
Michael D
· 1 year ago
Andy are you saying this sites want access to your email account/s in order to access you contacts lists? If that is the case it does not seem safe to me.
On the flip side are there good plugins such as "tell your friends about us" that will use existing APIs like those mentioned above?
AndyBeard
· 1 year ago
Michael I am sure you are a member of lots of the big ones that have used this tactic
Facebook Myspace YouTube
The problem is these scripts are available for less than $100, anyone can buy them - they are not programmers and many of the scripts call home because they can't keep up with the changes in the backend for scraping the data.
It is a disaster waiting to happen.
Melody
· 1 year ago
Thanks for another great article Andy. I've hesitated to use the find friend feature in social sites that asks for my email password as it seems like too much of a security risk.
Melody
· 1 year ago
Thanks for another great article Andy. I've hesitated to use the find friend feature in social sites that asks for my email password as it seems like too much of a security risk.
igorthetroll
· 1 year ago
Andy, you should make the invitation links clickable so you will get more friends! lol
igorthetroll
· 1 year ago
Andy, you should make the invitation links clickable so you will get more friends! lol
Rajaie AlKorani
· 1 year ago
"I have proven I can rank highly in the SERPs for any product." Damn, company managers must piss in their pants when they think of you.
Rajaie AlKorani
· 1 year ago
"I have proven I can rank highly in the SERPs for any product." Damn, company managers must piss in their pants when they think of you.
James - DigitalKeyToInfo
· 1 year ago
I have been alarmed to see social networks asking for access to email accounts to add friends. I have a hard time believing someone would give their email address and its password to anyone. I think it is a dumb idea to even ask for it. Even if they are trustworthy, just the fact that they ask for this stuff must make them a target for hackers and scammers. I would think they would think about the liability. Giving an email address and password is worse than leaving your wallet somewhere in public. To many financial sites will let you reset passwords if you give them the email for an account. Does Microsoft still use Hotmail accounts for the .net network?
James - DigitalKeyToInfo
· 1 year ago
I have been alarmed to see social networks asking for access to email accounts to add friends. I have a hard time believing someone would give their email address and its password to anyone. I think it is a dumb idea to even ask for it. Even if they are trustworthy, just the fact that they ask for this stuff must make them a target for hackers and scammers. I would think they would think about the liability. Giving an email address and password is worse than leaving your wallet somewhere in public. To many financial sites will let you reset passwords if you give them the email for an account. Does Microsoft still use Hotmail accounts for the .net network?
Recycling Mike
· 1 year ago
Hi Andy, Thanks for bringing this issue to the fore. I see it everyday in the many sites that I visit or try to join, but I haven't come across anyone speaking out against this practice. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.:)
When I see such prompts for my email credentials, I just instinctively click the back button. No site is worth putting up with that kind of security risk, I'd get a similar service elsewhere. Thankfully, none of the sites I really consider important use that kind of script, but if I do encounter one, I'd probably just take my business elsewhere again.
Recycling Mike
· 1 year ago
Hi Andy, Thanks for bringing this issue to the fore. I see it everyday in the many sites that I visit or try to join, but I haven't come across anyone speaking out against this practice. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.:)
When I see such prompts for my email credentials, I just instinctively click the back button. No site is worth putting up with that kind of security risk, I'd get a similar service elsewhere. Thankfully, none of the sites I really consider important use that kind of script, but if I do encounter one, I'd probably just take my business elsewhere again.
John W. Furst
· 1 year ago
Thanks for the "Security Alert!", Andy.
I'm not a fan of any sort of "Tell-A-Friend" promotion, but asking for account credentials to import contacts is even somewhat more intrusive, isn't it. A while ago I added a line to my personal email's signature "This is an unlisted, private email address. You must not share it with anybody!" Well, my friends are 'smart' and I never had problems,... but just in case.
My advice to programmers, marketers, and service providers:
* Give the user a choice of creating a login ID, which does not show up anywhere (different from screen name, different from email address). I say "choice" in reference to Guy Kawasaki who said on his Blog, "I don't use services that don't allow me to use my email address as login." Okay, if you want to (dear user, you can). I guess you could be proud, if someone like Guy uses your service ... no need to lock him out.
* Don't store passwords in plain text. Therefore you cannot send them via email as well! But don't forget to implement a password recovery procedure.
* Continuing with what you wrote, Andy. Don't ask for too much information anyway. At first earn the users trust and respect, then an kind of 'tell-a-friend' will work much better for you.
Yours John
P.S. I hope that was not too long Andy, but I think security (technical) and ethics (marketing,promotion) is very important for the Internet marketplace. As you do.
John W. Furst
· 1 year ago
Thanks for the "Security Alert!", Andy.
I'm not a fan of any sort of "Tell-A-Friend" promotion, but asking for account credentials to import contacts is even somewhat more intrusive, isn't it. A while ago I added a line to my personal email's signature "This is an unlisted, private email address. You must not share it with anybody!" Well, my friends are 'smart' and I never had problems,... but just in case.
My advice to programmers, marketers, and service providers:
* Give the user a choice of creating a login ID, which does not show up anywhere (different from screen name, different from email address). I say "choice" in reference to Guy Kawasaki who said on his Blog, "I don't use services that don't allow me to use my email address as login." Okay, if you want to (dear user, you can). I guess you could be proud, if someone like Guy uses your service ... no need to lock him out.
* Don't store passwords in plain text. Therefore you cannot send them via email as well! But don't forget to implement a password recovery procedure.
* Continuing with what you wrote, Andy. Don't ask for too much information anyway. At first earn the users trust and respect, then an kind of 'tell-a-friend' will work much better for you.
Yours John
P.S. I hope that was not too long Andy, but I think security (technical) and ethics (marketing,promotion) is very important for the Internet marketplace. As you do.
Kristel - Call Center Philippi
· 1 year ago
I've been brought up in a kind of internet environment that has the number one rule of "never give out your password" for anything or for anyone. I haven't encountered a website asking for my email credentials yet but I think that even if it is a social networking website, I wouldn't dare give away my password.
This is post is very helpful. Thank you for sharing this. I wasn't aware that certain websites practice this so I'll keep an eye out now.
Kristel - Call Center Philippi
· 1 year ago
I've been brought up in a kind of internet environment that has the number one rule of "never give out your password" for anything or for anyone. I haven't encountered a website asking for my email credentials yet but I think that even if it is a social networking website, I wouldn't dare give away my password.
This is post is very helpful. Thank you for sharing this. I wasn't aware that certain websites practice this so I'll keep an eye out now.
Guru Crusher
· 1 year ago
I had wondered about these "optin accelerators." I didn't promote them either for the simple fact that I hate getting emails for things I didn't sign up for in the first place.
But I would think that maybe the worst part would be that the creators might be able to spy on every email you add.
Maybe not, but then again, maybe so....
I guess it was just an attempt to make money...
Guru Crusher
· 1 year ago
I had wondered about these "optin accelerators." I didn't promote them either for the simple fact that I hate getting emails for things I didn't sign up for in the first place.
But I would think that maybe the worst part would be that the creators might be able to spy on every email you add.
Maybe not, but then again, maybe so....
I guess it was just an attempt to make money...
Suz
· 1 year ago
Andy- THanks for the great article on this, I hadn't been aware of the issues with the email access on many of these systems. THansk again. -Suz
Suz
· 1 year ago
Andy- THanks for the great article on this, I hadn't been aware of the issues with the email access on many of these systems. THansk again. -Suz
Adwido
· 6 months ago
Thanks Andy - I like this post. You are trying to create the awareness on not to let access them out inbox.
All Comments
On the flip side are there good plugins such as "tell your friends about us" that will use existing APIs like those mentioned above?
Facebook
Myspace
YouTube
The problem is these scripts are available for less than $100, anyone can buy them - they are not programmers and many of the scripts call home because they can't keep up with the changes in the backend for scraping the data.
It is a disaster waiting to happen.
On the flip side are there good plugins such as "tell your friends about us" that will use existing APIs like those mentioned above?
Facebook
Myspace
YouTube
The problem is these scripts are available for less than $100, anyone can buy them - they are not programmers and many of the scripts call home because they can't keep up with the changes in the backend for scraping the data.
It is a disaster waiting to happen.
I have a hard time believing someone would give their email address and its password to anyone. I think it is a dumb idea to even ask for it. Even if they are trustworthy, just the fact that they ask for this stuff must make them a target for hackers and scammers. I would think they would think about the liability.
Giving an email address and password is worse than leaving your wallet somewhere in public. To many financial sites will let you reset passwords if you give them the email for an account.
Does Microsoft still use Hotmail accounts for the .net network?
I have a hard time believing someone would give their email address and its password to anyone. I think it is a dumb idea to even ask for it. Even if they are trustworthy, just the fact that they ask for this stuff must make them a target for hackers and scammers. I would think they would think about the liability.
Giving an email address and password is worse than leaving your wallet somewhere in public. To many financial sites will let you reset passwords if you give them the email for an account.
Does Microsoft still use Hotmail accounts for the .net network?
Thanks for bringing this issue to the fore. I see it everyday in the many sites that I visit or try to join, but I haven't come across anyone speaking out against this practice. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.:)
When I see such prompts for my email credentials, I just instinctively click the back button. No site is worth putting up with that kind of security risk, I'd get a similar service elsewhere. Thankfully, none of the sites I really consider important use that kind of script, but if I do encounter one, I'd probably just take my business elsewhere again.
Thanks for bringing this issue to the fore. I see it everyday in the many sites that I visit or try to join, but I haven't come across anyone speaking out against this practice. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.:)
When I see such prompts for my email credentials, I just instinctively click the back button. No site is worth putting up with that kind of security risk, I'd get a similar service elsewhere. Thankfully, none of the sites I really consider important use that kind of script, but if I do encounter one, I'd probably just take my business elsewhere again.
I'm not a fan of any sort of "Tell-A-Friend" promotion, but asking for account credentials to import contacts is even somewhat more intrusive, isn't it. A while ago I added a line to my personal email's signature "This is an unlisted, private email address. You must not share it with anybody!" Well, my friends are 'smart' and I never had problems,... but just in case.
My advice to programmers, marketers, and service providers:
* Give the user a choice of creating a login ID, which does not show up anywhere (different from screen name, different from email address). I say "choice" in reference to Guy Kawasaki who said on his Blog, "I don't use services that don't allow me to use my email address as login." Okay, if you want to (dear user, you can). I guess you could be proud, if someone like Guy uses your service ... no need to lock him out.
* Don't store passwords in plain text. Therefore you cannot send them via email as well! But don't forget to implement a password recovery procedure.
* Continuing with what you wrote, Andy. Don't ask for too much information anyway. At first earn the users trust and respect, then an kind of 'tell-a-friend' will work much better for you.
Yours John
P.S. I hope that was not too long Andy, but I think security (technical) and ethics (marketing,promotion) is very important for the Internet marketplace. As you do.
I'm not a fan of any sort of "Tell-A-Friend" promotion, but asking for account credentials to import contacts is even somewhat more intrusive, isn't it. A while ago I added a line to my personal email's signature "This is an unlisted, private email address. You must not share it with anybody!" Well, my friends are 'smart' and I never had problems,... but just in case.
My advice to programmers, marketers, and service providers:
* Give the user a choice of creating a login ID, which does not show up anywhere (different from screen name, different from email address). I say "choice" in reference to Guy Kawasaki who said on his Blog, "I don't use services that don't allow me to use my email address as login." Okay, if you want to (dear user, you can). I guess you could be proud, if someone like Guy uses your service ... no need to lock him out.
* Don't store passwords in plain text. Therefore you cannot send them via email as well! But don't forget to implement a password recovery procedure.
* Continuing with what you wrote, Andy. Don't ask for too much information anyway. At first earn the users trust and respect, then an kind of 'tell-a-friend' will work much better for you.
Yours John
P.S. I hope that was not too long Andy, but I think security (technical) and ethics (marketing,promotion) is very important for the Internet marketplace. As you do.
This is post is very helpful. Thank you for sharing this. I wasn't aware that certain websites practice this so I'll keep an eye out now.
This is post is very helpful. Thank you for sharing this. I wasn't aware that certain websites practice this so I'll keep an eye out now.
But I would think that maybe the worst part would be that the creators might be able to spy on every email you add.
Maybe not, but then again, maybe so....
I guess it was just an attempt to make money...
But I would think that maybe the worst part would be that the creators might be able to spy on every email you add.
Maybe not, but then again, maybe so....
I guess it was just an attempt to make money...
THanks for the great article on this, I hadn't been aware of the issues with the email access on many of these systems. THansk again.
-Suz
THanks for the great article on this, I hadn't been aware of the issues with the email access on many of these systems. THansk again.
-Suz
You are trying to create the awareness on not to let access them out inbox.