hi5:are these sites doing something else

[Saharika]

well
i have seen many sites like hi5 which asks for username and password of email account(and users enter its easily) ..so is it legal...
we donot see any encryption being done ...or any secure layer..
so the password is known to site...

so are these sites legal...

who gurantees that these sites will not misuse the email address and even use the content of the email...

so whats latest status of this..
any legal things..

we have seen other sites like meebo..which also does similar to that..

[NucleusKore]

While you enter your email as your login name, I suppose you can enter a DIFFERENT password. Have you tried?
For example, you can sign up for Google services without having a gmail account or use your existing email id for Microsoft's Passport. In both cases you do not have to use the same password as your email. Actually if you did you'd be real daft

[Saharika]

Originally Posted by NucleusKore

While you enter your email as your login name, I suppose you can enter a DIFFERENT password. Have you tried?
For example, you can sign up for Google services without having a gmail account or use your existing email id for Microsoft's Passport. In both cases you do not have to use the same password as your email. Actually if you did you'd be real daft

i think using diff password doesnt work in hi5 itself...
i have tried as well...
and by the way they import the address book of the email address that means the uses the real password...

and meebo itself ..login is done to as they say to use instant messenger so there is noway other password can work...

well to some extent big sites like google can be trusted..but these sites....some agree that they sell email address(address only) to big email senders for marketing...

[ThinkFree]

They ask the password of your email account for checking if some of your friends are there on their network already or not . If one is there he is added to your friend list. They don't ask you to create the account on their site with the same password as that of your email account. If you don't want to disclose your email account password to them, you can skip this step as well, which I always do.

[ahref]

You need to enter actual password of your email id, they import address book and sent email to your contact.

You should read their privacy policy before doing that, but It is not good idea to give your password to third party.

[cool_techie_tvm]

^^ True, thats how the system works. After accessing the contacts in an account they send mass emails like "your friend has joined our network, dont u wanna join them"

[NucleusKore]

Really, I will never sign up for such a site. Thanks I learnt something new

[Saharika]

yes ..actually emotions gets higher than brain...

somebody sends ivitation in mail with some ..photos and then the user is gradually attracted towards it and dont bother reputation of site before entering any thing...

these kind of issue is not outraised as the person who doesnt think for second time..before enetering email address ..has nothing big in his/her email ...(so nothing to lose...i have not seen paypal user entering his/her email address so easily) ...

but any way there is some game going around there...beside intention to earn something from adsense....

i suggest user to open a new account...(somemight say it is misuse..but in reality it works..) and use that account..to get into the social network enviroment...(i am not talking about faking ...real but different add than ..you use for common work...)

that seems to be only safe way ..if things cannot be avoided...

thanks for replies