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Gmail Reveals the Names of All Users

ihatespam writes "Have you ever wanted to know the name of admin@gmail.com? Now you can. Through a bug in Google calendars the names of all registered Gmail accounts are now readily available. All you need to find out the names of any gmail address is a Google calendar account yourself. Depending on your view this ranges from a harmless "feature" to a rather serious privacy violation. According to some reports, spammers are already exploiting this "feature"/bug to send personalized spam messages."

52 of 438 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This only punishes the foolish by QuantumG · · Score: 4, Funny

    This bug really doesn't affect me as my email address is my real name.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
  2. Re:This only punishes the foolish by thedullroar · · Score: 4, Funny

    oh noes! they can figure out my real name just by using google calendar and my email address (first.last@gmail.com)!?

    --
    Didn't your mother teach you not to do things you would be ashamed to see on the evening news?
  3. D'Oh by Atari400 · · Score: 5, Funny

    chunkylover53 is going to be most displeased.

    --
    IBM doesn't play chess with the Universe.
    1. Re:D'Oh by ChowRiit · · Score: 5, Funny

      Fortunately for Homer Simpson, that's @aol.com

    2. Re:D'Oh by rice_web · · Score: 4, Funny

      Surely that's the first time it's been fortunate to be on AOL.

      --
      The Political Programmer
  4. Re:Ut Oh by Lazyrust · · Score: 2, Funny

    I always wondered who registered my email address. No wonder it seemed like so many people shared my name. - I.P. Freely

  5. Re:This only punishes the foolish by Shados · · Score: 4, Funny

    ahah! But now the spammers KNOW FOR SURE that there isn't an underscore/dash/whatever between your first and last name! You're so screwed!

  6. I can't believe Google would do this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Really, now everyone will know my name is John Smith? I am outraged and will see my lawyer immediately!

    -- john.smith@gmail.com

    1. Re:I can't believe Google would do this! by nexuspal · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm just sayin', you are right though, his name could be John Smith, but that would imply that his parents left a LOT to be desired. Nice retort huh ;-)

      --
      I've read Slashdot for the last 5 years, and now I start posting... Go figure :-P
    2. Re:I can't believe Google would do this! by kramerd · · Score: 2, Funny

      I believe google will have protection from lawsuit, since Gmail is still in Beta...

  7. Re:This only punishes the foolish by nbannerman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Someone should get an ass-kicking for this.

    Agreed. I'll certainly be asking for my money back...

  8. Re:This only punishes the foolish by ShiNoKaze · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have that same combination on my luggage!!

  9. Just how personal is this new spam by Pollardito · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does this mean they're only sending spam to people who really need Cialis?

    1. Re:Just how personal is this new spam by c_sd_m · · Score: 5, Funny

      Any chance they could just do a dumb filter and exclude women with obviously female names? I'm really tired of getting spam about enlarging my [non-existent] penis, especially the more explicit ones. It would not 'give my partner more pleasure'.
      At least change the 'your' to 'his'. That might even get you more sales than sending it to the men.

  10. Re:Ouf by game+kid · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...after which exercise balls (in lieu of the usual chair) will be thrown in a fit of unbridled anger (several tech websites will report a mysterious colorful stream of balls spilling out the Google offices).

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  11. Re:This only punishes the foolish by Shados · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then they'll know what part is your first and last name regardless of capitalization! THIS IS HUGE!

  12. Oh that tears it. by aztektum · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is horrible. This is an outrage! I'm writing Google a letter telling them how awful this is an how they need to work on the Q/A. I mean my GMail address *IS* my full name, but I'm not going to let that fact stop me from acting like an emotionally charged idiot!

    --
    :: aztek ::
    No sig for you!!
  13. Re:This only punishes the foolish by Nasajin · · Score: 4, Funny

    What, your parents named you Quantum G?

  14. Bugs are to be expected... by elnico · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's a good thing they caught this in beta, before it affects a large number of people!

  15. Finally Sean Penn will have justice by John+Meacham · · Score: 4, Funny
    --
    http://notanumber.net/
  16. Re:This only punishes the foolish by RevMike · · Score: 5, Funny

    So yeah, this is a pretty big deal -- not so much for spammers, but as a privacy violation. You can't do a name lookup for an arbitrary e-mail address, and you shouldn't be able to do it for a GMail address. Someone should get an ass-kicking for this.

    You know what else... Someone left a thick softcover book on my doorstep the other day that listed the names, addresses, and phone numbers of everyone in my region. Hundreds of thousands of people, maybe millions. I called the police about this, but they seemed unconcerned.

  17. Testing this by LM741N · · Score: 2, Funny

    So how do I go about testing this on myself? (as 100 posts reply with my real name.... Scrooge McDuck)

  18. Re:This only punishes the foolish by CorporateSuit · · Score: 3, Funny

    You mean Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, and Al Gore HAVEN'T come back from the dead and signed up for emails with Gmail thousands of times from thousands of different locations? -Registered Spammer

    --
    I am the richest astronaut ever to win the superbowl.
  19. Re:This only punishes the foolish by Arivia · · Score: 3, Funny

    Posting to clear moderation because I was brainless and didn't get the joke.

    --
    The role of the writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say. -Anais Nin
  20. Real info? by pyrote · · Score: 4, Funny

    Really, I wonder how many times people have used bugs like this to steal an identity, only to find that it's all fake info anyhow.

    Personally, every few years, I Re-invent someone... Use a fake(completely fake, not false) identity for everything from Cellphones to gmail.

    I google my real name, nothing, google my 'fake' like 20 pages. My 'fake' identity is WAY more famous than I am... I'm kinda jealous.

    --
    THE WORLD IS GOING TO END!!!! eventually.
  21. Re:This only punishes the foolish by 3vi1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, her parents named her Moon Unit. What kind of fucking name would "Quantum G" be?!?!

  22. How to cause spammers pain: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Enter your name as the following:

    '); DROP TABLE addresses --

  23. Re:This only punishes the foolish by ThePengwin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wait, the Rolexes are fake?!?!

  24. Re:This only punishes the foolish by 3vi1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Whooosh.

  25. Re:This only punishes the foolish by zamboni1138 · · Score: 4, Funny

    There are two X's in Rolexx.

  26. Re:This only punishes the foolish by zamboni1138 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Posting to say that I moderated you Funny, then realized that "[I've] already posted something in this discussion."

  27. Re:Is This Evil? by LandDolphin · · Score: 2, Funny

    So if it doesn't affect you, then it is ok?

    About time you caught on

    --
    Spelling and Grammar errors have been added to this post for your enjoyment
  28. Re:This only punishes the foolish by aldo.gs · · Score: 5, Funny

    Where 'firstname' and 'lastname' are my actual names.

    Damn! Some nasty name you got there! Perhaps I'll name my son 'firstname' too!

  29. Re:This only punishes the foolish by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh man! So email can be sent to me at the.rapist@gmail.com or therapist@gmail.com?

  30. Gaping security hole reveals same info I send out by pugugly · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was like, really concerned for a minute. I thought spammers had managed to access something *important* or something.

    So, this is about someone that already knows my email address accessing the "name" that I show on every email I send out?

    To quote "The Whole Nine Yards" -
    *Oh* *My* *Gawd*!

    Pug

    --
    An Invisible Entity of Vast Power whose existence must be taken on faith alone: Liberal Media
  31. Re:Spam doesn't worry me, it's privacy. by Zymergy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Good Point, Sir.
    But... What if were to tell you that my real Gmail address is "ToddDavis@gmail.com" AND I AM Protected With "LifeLock"!!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zuom4j3-dGY

  32. That's why my gmail address... by rivaldufus · · Score: 4, Funny

    is just my Social Security number.

  33. Re:This only punishes the foolish by antek9 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, and using the exploit referred to in the article, your real names will be revealed as Jekyll and Hyde, respectively.

    --
    A World in a Grain of Sand / Heaven in a Wild Flower,
    Infinity in the Palm of your Hand / And Eternity in an Hour.
  34. Hmmm... by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Funny

    However, there exists one and only one of me.

    I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've run into many people in my time who were "Motherfucking Shit"s.

  35. Re:This only punishes the foolish by brusk · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'll stick with my tiny, anonymized 3rd party free web based (and solar hosted) email provider, thanks.

    I'll stick to earth-based email providers, thank you very much. Though off-planet backups are helpful in case of catastrophe.

    --
    .sig withheld by request
  36. Re:Is This Evil? by brusk · · Score: 2, Funny

    A motto that, by its own grammar, violates itself? Brilliant!

    --
    .sig withheld by request
  37. Re:This only punishes the foolish by Minwee · · Score: 3, Funny

    And two O's in Roloxx. You know it's the real thing because the dial on the watch face goes up to eleven.

  38. Re:This only punishes the foolish by jacquesm · · Score: 4, Funny

    mine goes to thirteen...

  39. Re:Ouf by Thanshin · · Score: 2, Funny

    The person(s) responsible for this bug is going to have a nice and very uncomfy meeting with their supervisor very soon...

    But who was responsible? Let the Ginquisition begin!

    Google has persistently pursued innovation and pushed the limits of existing technology to provide a fast, accurate and easy-to-use torture room that can be accessed from anywhere.

  40. Re:Ut Oh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Enough with the TCP/IP jokes already!

  41. Re:Why would anyone give Google honest information by risk+one · · Score: 2, Funny

    [citation needed]

  42. Re:Ut Oh by whyloginwhysubscribe · · Score: 2, Funny

    Have you considered a career with NASA?

  43. Re:This only punishes the foolish by wembley+fraggle · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm going to name my kid 'lastname' instead.

  44. So's mine. by SatanicPuppy · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wondered why all the spam was suddenly titled, "Hey Satanic!" and "Dear Mr. Puppy"

    --
    ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
  45. Re:This only punishes the foolish by Real1tyCzech · · Score: 2, Funny

    ....

    The category is Therapists. Not The Rapists, Mr. Connery.

  46. Re:This only punishes the foolish by mrdoogee · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well then I'll take The Penis Mightier for 500!

  47. Re:This only punishes the foolish by mrdoogee · · Score: 2, Funny

    Posting because I like waffles.