bebo

[samsonite]

can anyone vouch for this bebo service that i keep getting emails from?

basically it asks people to add in their details and then sends all of their contacts an email to do the same and so on, the theory being that you can all keep in contact that way.

it seems to me that its a great way for someone to collect millions of peoples details and use it for spam, and im not that happy that my email address has been input to it so many times. it just seems a bit jobby.

does anyone who knows what they are talking about kknow anything about it. am i wrong to have ranted at my friends to stop them doing it, or not?

[helen]

I got this in an email recently and since have heard rumours about it being a nice little virus/program that targets you for spam. Ive not registered but I must be about the only one of my friends who hasn't, as I've had so many of the things!

Has anyone else noticed bebo.com circulating? It's probably a neat e-mail
harvester that is masquerading as a nice little on-line address book. It
raids the contents of your address book (with your consent) and sends
e-mails to all in it. They in turn, if sufficiently gullible, will go along
with it. It could spread quickly. Then - a little while later - the deluge
begins! The small print is carefully dressed but does suggest the
inevitable.
Have we seen this before and is it innocuous?

[PeterG]

Personally I'd threaten to rape their future children if they persist. A quick google shows that previously spam-free accounts have been swamped after a friend added them. One particularly amusing solution was to forward all spam to people who added you to their list. Its their spam, they can deal with it.

[distracted]

I was a bit dubious when I was sent this and have stayed clear of it. The email seemed a bit impersonal for that sort of thing - I would have thought the sender could have customised it and then it would have been a bit more believable and I would have been more tempted. But as it didn't seem the sort of thing this person would send I ignored it. Sounds like I've made the right choice...

[helen]

from a forum somewhere

It seems to be a fairly new thing going around the net, but I'd be cautious about it. The company is also known for data harvesting (i.e. - gathering your personal information to sell to marketing companies). Whether they state it or not in their Privacy Policy section, your info IS INDEED being sold off to third parties. It's easy for BeBo (or ANY company) to "claim" that their servers were hacked into. To me, Privacy Polices mean nothing these days on the net.

and also, off another random blog somewhere:

I looked at their Privacy Policy and their Terms of Use, and though I did sign up, I've since cancelled my membership. The more I think about it, the more it just seems too dicey.

It's not that I don't think Bebo is legitimate; maybe it is. However, Bebo can quickly become a huge pyramid that then becomes a terribly potent petri dish for viruses and spyware.

Here's the part of the privacy policy that is just too ridden with holes for me:
We may use third parties that we refer to as internal service providers to facilitate or outsource one or more aspects of the business, product and service operations that we provide to you (e.g., search technology, email support) and therefore we may provide some of your personal information directly to these internal service providers. These internal service providers' are subject to confidentiality agreements with us and other legal restrictions that prohibit their use of the information we provide them for any other purpose except to facilitate the specific outsourced Bebo related operation, unless you have explicitly agreed or given your prior permission to them for additional uses.
And we all know how trustworthy "confidentiality agreements" can be.

And, of course, this blanket statement:
Bebo reserves the right at any time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice. You agree that Bebo shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification to or discontinuance of the Service.
Dear Bebo user, We have changed our service. Please click here to read our new Terms of Use, to which you must agree.

You click, you scroll through a shitload of obfuscated legalese, and you accept the new terms, which now says everyone in your address book will now be added to several mailing lists.

Finally, Bebo has no advertising on the site. How are they making money?

Do the Internet a favor and avoid these sorts of viral internet pyramids. They're nothing but trouble.

think that sums it up!

[Jene]

im on bebo..got 20 / 30 ish friends..use the journal, got pictures on it so basically use all the features of it...yes it might be an easy was to spread a virus but i've had no spam what so ever...maybe i jus got a good spam blocker...i dunno...i dont normally get much tho

[samsonite]

im glad to hear i have made the right choice

note to anyone else who may sign up: if you let them into your address book, and i am in your address book, i will send peter g round, and he is a vicious little bastard.

the other thing i didnt mention in my first post - you are giv ing them password access to your address book and email and you have no idea who they are. have u actually stopped to think about that?

the internet is the unsafe place you hear about because of people like you

[badger]

I got around the whole thing by not having any friends...

[PeterG]

note to anyone else who may sign up: if you let them into your address book, and i am in your address book, i will send peter g round, and he is a vicious little bastard.

I can't promise physical violence but if you are doubting this man's words, ask Kyle why I'm not allowed in his room anymore

[Meat Market]

Why do you actually need it thats what i want to know???????

If i want to share photos ill put them on a website like peterg. if i want an address book ill use my hotmail one. it seems to me to be a waste of time and im not grateful to the 15 or so people who have willingly given my email address to this spamming company.