LA-based "Formspring.me" service to reveal identities of anonymous users
(AP) – 2 days ago
LOS ANGELES — Twelve administrators of the website Formspring.me, including CEO Mark Baxter were arrested on Monday for data phishing and misleading the public, when the site was revealed to be a "social experiment," which will culminate in the automatic revealing of users' private data on April 1, 2010.
Baxter, 28, was sentenced in Van Nuys Superior Court for the creation of said website, which allows users to "send and receive anonymous questions, and learn more about people you find interesting by following their answers."
Over 2 million people have used the site to communicate anonymously with other users since its creation in 2009.
"We allow users to sign up for an account and ask questions anonymously, but we still store their data next to the question. For legal purposes," said Baxter, in a January interview.
However, it was revealed, in a leaked personal email from Baxter to Anne Gralley, a friend, that the data was being stored for another reason.
"In less than a month, " Baxter wrote, "we'll be adding the name, email, and facebook account of each user next to all of their anonymous posts."
Gregory Deacon, a friend of Baxter's from college, remembers Baxter mentioning his idea for the this elaborate April Fool's Day prank.
"He was using that Facebook application, Honesty Box, and he got some real nasty stuff over it. So he said to me, 'Wouldn't it be great if someone made something like this, then showed everyone's names one day?"
More troubling still, it's almost perfectly legal.
The Terms of Service that all users, by their participation with the site, legally agree to
includes the following:
"formspring.me reserves the right to change these Terms and Conditions at any time without notice, and your continued use of formspring.me constitutes your consent to such changes."
Because of this disclaimer, the automatic revealing of registered users' names and information on April 1st will be completely legal.
However, it was discovered by investigators that the site also records the name and information of any anonymous users who are logged into Facebook.com at the time of their post.
"If they don't register for an account, the site can still grab their name and facbook URL from
a file that facebok [sic] stores on their computer," the email message reads.
It is because of this feature that the additional charges of data phishing have been added.
Although Baxter and several programmers have been apprehended, any data that had been stored before yesterday will still
be published automatically by the formspring server at 12:00 AM (GMT) on April 1.
The public is advised to delete their formspring.me accounts and to warn others not to give away any private information on the website.
The company that funded formspring.me has set up a support line for users who want to have their names removed from the site as soon as they appear.
Posts
anything
and everyone
not even just the internet or those who populate it
why am I always so concerned with what he thinks
what is happening to me
(sorry bongi)
b) sounds scary, I'd never do it
but I do!
possibly because it's very hard to know what you stand on stuff
that might be it
I don't like not knowing
in which case that is 100% my problem not yours
You should tweet something, because I clicked it out of morbid curiosity and all I see is stuff like "if ya diggin for shit, ya gonna get dirty"
think of the dumbest, most pedantic and whiney position you possibly could about the issue
that is probably moderate compared to what i think about it
Interpret that as you will.
kinship
I don't know how trend stuff on Twitter!
Quick link to my blog and trend it for me so I can see how to do it.
All my blog posts get automatically linked to on Twitter so I don't have anything to do with actually tweeting about it.
all that does is make me want to hug you and I don't think you want me to do that
Done!
i think i like it when people don't tell me they don't like me because then i get to feel sorry for myself
cheers dude!
but in a jovial manner
what
noob
i want some threatening!
steam | Dokkan: 868846562
Guess you'll get some soon!
they're not really questions
they're more... remarks
original content:
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
same, just ignore them
I didn't get anything.
I cried a little when you were asked about how hot you were and you didn't even pretend to mention me. I NEED CONSTANT VALIDATION
I had to edit it like five times to get it to fit :P
i am drowning in my own tears over here
http://www.formspring.me/willeth
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
that's what i do
you have the thick skin of someone who's been beaten down by life at every turn