Spim

Russ · 22-08-2004, 20:32

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3581148.stm

So 'spim' is the new spam - but surely this can be dealt with by disabling (or preferably, uninstalling) Microsoft Messenger? Unless this affects other IM programmes too, but I've not heard of any problems from AOL IM or Trillian etc users.

greencreeper · 22-08-2004, 21:03

I'm confused. Do they mean the dodgy messenger thing built into XP, or do they mean MSN, Yahoo and ICQ? If it's the latter, I don't see how it can work - I would have to agree to someone being added to my contacts list, and I can always block them if they start misbehaving.

22-08-2004, 21:29

What the hell is this world coming to

**Chris** · 22-08-2004, 21:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I'm confused. Do they mean the dodgy messenger thing built into XP, or do they mean MSN, Yahoo and ICQ? If it's the latter, I don't see how it can work - I would have to agree to someone being added to my contacts list, and I can always block them if they start misbehaving.

From that BBC article, it is clearly the MSNs, AIMs and Yahoo IMs of this world that are 'at risk'. As for how anyone's going to fall for it, there are millions of computer-illiterate computer users out there who would just click 'OK' to the 'do you want this person to have you on their contacts list' dialogue box, rather than worry about understainding what the message actually means. Of the quite vast number of spim attempts made, they will find a worthwhile number of muppets who will just click OK. As for how they guess addresses ... well, seeing as almost everyone I know uses a Hotmail addy as their MSN ID, that's a no-brainer.

nffc · 22-08-2004, 21:35

This is silly. But I can see most people falling for it tbh.

Shaun · 22-08-2004, 21:42

It's all well and good getting their messages displayed but the people have to buy something to make it worth while. Who would?

Stupid question really!

greencreeper · 22-08-2004, 21:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

From that BBC article, it is clearly the MSNs, AIMs and Yahoo IMs of this world that are 'at risk'

Hmmmm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

As for how anyone's going to fall for it, there are millions of computer-illiterate computer users out there who would just click 'OK' to the 'do you want this person to have you on their contacts list' dialogue box, rather than worry about understainding what the message actually means. Of the quite vast number of spim attempts made, they will find a worthwhile number of muppets who will just click OK

I always click "Ok" because you never know when it might be some legit - my contact details are public. Only the other day someone called Russ added me and I thought, "Here we go - someone else who wants pictures of my genitalia" and it was our Russ. How wrong can you be?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

As for how they guess addresses ... well, seeing as almost everyone I know uses a Hotmail addy as their MSN ID, that's a no-brainer

Blame Microsoft. If you download Messenger and then choose the option within it to sign up for a passport, you have to use a Hotmail address - no choice. If you go to the MSN website you can use any email address to sign up for a passport.

Russ · 22-08-2004, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I always click "Ok" because you never know when it might be some legit - my contact details are public. Only the other day someone called Russ added me and I thought, "Here we go - someone else who wants pictures of my genitalia" and it was our Russ. How wrong can you be?

greencreeper · 22-08-2004, 22:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ D

It's a gay thing - we swap pictures. Well I don't because I have standards, but a lot of gay men do, such as those that use the sleazy "dating" sites such as Gaydar and Faceparty. Sometimes I'm ashamed of my fellow puffs

Shaun · 22-08-2004, 22:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

It's a gay thing - we swap pictures. Well I don't because I have standards, but a lot of gay men do, such as those that use the sleazy "dating" sites such as Gaydar and Faceparty. Sometimes I'm ashamed of my fellow puffs

You and me both mate, someone wants to tell them all to go out and have a life.

They must do it because they cant get a bloke of their own, sick puppy's.

Just glad people that know me don't tar me with the same brush.

**Paul** · 22-08-2004, 22:50

Can we get this back on topic please.

Stuartbe · 22-08-2004, 22:55

Oh fantastic

Now they are going to bug the hell out of us with messenger chats

They say that if only a few reply its very lucrative... Who the hell buys things from spam or spim ??? I know I would not - Even if I was interested in the product I would not buy it. I would purchase elsewhare just for the principle of the thing..

greencreeper · 23-08-2004, 00:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

Can we get this back on topic please.

Keen as mustard

We only went 3 posts off topic.

Richard M · 23-08-2004, 08:05

Actually it's very difficult to do this on MSN because the system they use is quite complicated, you usually need to accept an "add contact" request too.
AOL is dead easy though, I have a Perl script which I wrote which can send any message to anyone as many times as I like.

Mr_love_monkey · 23-08-2004, 08:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard M

AOL is dead easy though, I have a Perl script which I wrote which can send any message to anyone as many times as I like.

Yeah, my brother who spends a lot of time on there, get a lot of these messages, mostly for p0rn - because with the AOL system you don't need to 'accept' the message it just arrives.
Funny really when you think about it, AOL keeps saying how safe they are making things for kids, but they have a messaging system that allows anyone to send any message completely unannounced...