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New Messenger Has Same Old, Gaping Privacy Holes

Posted by kdawson on from the not-that-kind-of-friends dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft released the beta of the new 'Wave 4' Windows Live Essentials last week. The new beta of Windows Live Messenger 2011, while plugging some privacy holes and shoring up the user interface, fails to tackle the one biggest privacy-buster of all. Say you use Messenger to IM your wife. You also use Messenger to IM your old girlfriend. The next time your wife logs on to her Hotmail account — not Messenger, Hotmail — she will see that you and your old girlfriend 'are now friends.' It all happens without your knowledge or permission, and it happens even if you tell Messenger you want your personal information to be 'Private.'"

19 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. Thanks for providing a real world example.. by Niobe · · Score: 5, Funny

    ..we can all relate to

    1. Re:Thanks for providing a real world example.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Sorry, replace wife with mother, and girlfriend with the goatse guy.

    2. Re:Thanks for providing a real world example.. by larry+bagina · · Score: 5, Funny

      ahh, now I see the gaping hole.

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    3. Re:Thanks for providing a real world example.. by garcia · · Score: 4, Funny

      My wife would make the goatse guy look like a virgin if I ever did what the blurb suggested.

    4. Re:Thanks for providing a real world example.. by noidentity · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think most of us are adept enough to look up things like this pretty quickly. I found lots of useful links explaining what these things are (wife, girlfriend) and was able to follow along.

    5. Re:Thanks for providing a real world example.. by interkin3tic · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why not use one where a person is friends with both a fundamentalist christian and a well-known atheist, or a homosexual and a homophobe?

      One potential reason: that sounds like the start of poorly-written sitcom, not a serious privacy problem. Not only would that have convinced fewer people it's a problem, but then some network would be premiering a horrible new show this season.

      Were the WB still around, it would probably be starting right about now in fact.

    6. Re:Thanks for providing a real world example.. by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 2, Funny

      In Illinois, it's legal to fuck your congressman's wife so long as you don't pay her for it.

      ... but if you did, would you be charged for prostitution or for illegal campaign funding?

  2. Open communication? by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I understand the privacy implications, but maybe they could have chosen a better example.

    If your Wife has some huge issue with you talking to your Ex-girlfriend, there are probably other underlying things.

    Communication should be open, like this:
    "Oo, she has a nice ass"
    [girlfriend turns]
    "yeah, you're right"

    1. Re:Open communication? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      You're living in a fantasy world

      Or maybe you're living in relationship-hell. Why date someone so insecure that you have to lie to them?

      I'm guessing that you've never dated any real women.

    2. Re:Open communication? by sharkey · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Not a blowup doll"? You mean a Real Doll, Right?

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    3. Re:Open communication? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      [citation needed]

    4. Re:Open communication? by Bottles · · Score: 2, Funny

      What the FU-

      That's why Tom from MySpace is auto-added to everyone who signs up.

      And that explains the grin in his avatar picture.

      Son of a bitch.

    5. Re:Open communication? by PrecambrianRabbit · · Score: 2, Funny

      Oh false antecedents, is there anything you can't imply? :-D

    6. Re:Open communication? by Tom · · Score: 4, Funny

      Uh, no. At least not that I could remember.

      --
      Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  3. Goatse Security by cosm · · Score: 3, Funny
    ...must still be fresh in people's minds...

    Gaping Privacy Holes

    while plugging some privacy holes

    your wife

    your old girlfriend....... your wife's logs

    she will see that you and your old girlfriend 'are now friends.

    you want your...... 'Private.'"

    ...or maybe just mine. Sounds like a bad 2girls1cup scene played out over IM's!

    --
    'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
    1. Re:Goatse Security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      That is probably because you are a sick fuck.

  4. Re:so it's like,, by cosm · · Score: 2, Funny

    +1 Like

    --
    'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
  5. Re:Privacy Setting Windows Live by bloodhawk · · Score: 5, Funny

    yes you can, but lets not confuse a MS bashing with facts.

  6. Re:i suggest flowers by Renraku · · Score: 2, Funny

    Here's how it would go.
    "Do you still talk to your old girlfriends?"
    "No, not really. Why do you ask?"
    "LIAR! I saw that MSN notification. Why are you still talking to them?"
    "I'm not 'talking to them.' My ex added me to her friend's list."
    "So you ARE 'talking to them.'"
    "I haven't talked to her in over a year."
    "But it says you're friends with her! You have to talk to someone to be friends with them!"
    "No you don't..all they have to do is add you!"
    "If you think I'm stupid, you're WRONG."

    --
    Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?