Philip Prindeville wrote: > I periodically get automated emails from people I mostly don't know > or know only remotely asking me to update some contact information > for them... and it's always from Plaxo. Looking at the headers, the > origin looks legit. > > This seems to be a service that maintains contact information for > its users. However, I don't wish to participate. > > Does anyone know much about this service, including any issues > they might have had with privacy, or if there are any known spoofs > or exploits that masquerade as Plaxo?
http://socialsoftware.weblogsinc.com/2004/03/23/why-do-really-smart-people-hate-plaxo-so-much-or-tim-koogle/ http://socialsoftware.weblogsinc.com/2004/03/24/plaxo-not-evil/ http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=14545 Based on the above it looks like a "social network for morons" service. It doesn't seem to have many privacy problems in and of itself, except for when someone you know gives them your email you get bombarded with update requests. The problem being that anyone who knows your email address can do this, then harvest any information you willingly submit and share back. For example, a spam marketer could submit your address in the hopes you'll blindly share-back and add the information you provide to his/her database. Fortunately, this involves YOU willingly submitting the extra information. So, unless you stupidly give out a ton of information, it's annoying but mostly harmless (nod to D. Adams). If you find it too annoying they have a permanent opt-out list which is linked in the update notices. Since this doesn't involve giving them anything but your email address, which they already have, the risks are low. Yes, you're confirming the address is valid to them, but Plaxo itself seems legit and relatively privacy concerned and aware. Its users on the other hand may not be. http://www.plaxo.com/privacy/policy/
