The Shady Business Practices of Classmates.com

eldavojohn writes ""Some of your classmates are trying to contact you!" reads one e-mail. Attempts to remove yourself from the mailing list may only result in more mailings from the site of ill repute. Well, Ars Techica brings us news of a suit against Classmates.com. You don't need to look far for anti-classmates.com sentiment spreading like wild fire across the tubes." Good next target: ads that say "you've already won" some expensive toy.

Comments

Social networking, web 2.0 - all crap.

[zerofoo]

If you need a website to keep in touch with your "friends" you may need to seriously re-evaluate your friendships.

Nothing can replace real-life dating or drinking a beer and watching a game with your friends. It's also nice to get your kids and your friend's kids playing together in real life.

Myspace, facebook, classmates, twitter - they are all crap and can not replace face to face interactions with humans.

And to those that say "but, but, but....they are great for keeping in touch with distant friends" - ever heard of email? And while you are at it - try meeting some new friends close to you - it isn't hard.

The web is making all of us lazy when it comes to personal relationships. I don't care if you are the CEO of a multinational firm or a mother of 10; make time - it's worth it.

-ted

Re:Already illegal

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds like you don't understand the meanings of the words "may" or "might".

All the contact information I want to keep.

[zerofoo]

I don't care to keep in touch with everyone I've ever met in my life.

I do, however, have contact information on everyone I choose to keep in touch with.

It's an amazingly simple process.....but I'm sure some PHP/Ruby/MySQL jockey will tell me there is a better way. All I have to do is sign-up, pay some money, and endure some flash ads.

No thanks.

-ted

Re:Already illegal

[ZekoMal]

Your user base? Sad thing is, a large portion of people have an ego when they have no reason to have one.

Re:Ok, I will admit it...

[cheros]

Maybe not *that* nice..

Any idea how many times they resold your email address as live and equipped with a user who can be fooled? You're smarter now (at least, I'd hope) but you have flagged yourself as someone willing to follow through on spam. You do that with the wrong people (that is, the ones that haven't been arrested yet) and you'll earn someone cash by showing you don't just reply, you actually part with money..

I'd hold back on the Songs of Praise for now - remember that it started with them spamming you. That data has to come from somewhere.