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September 10, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Quechup.com -- online dating gone spammy
UPDATE: This item has been amended and corrected. Please see this post for the sordid details. - rxc
Frequent Cringe contributor D. F. draws our attention this morning to the curious saga of Quechup.com, a dating/social network based in the U.K. Pronounced 'ketchup', the site calls itself "The 'Sauce' For Meeting People - Socialise, Make Friends, Date."
Aside from the silly tagline, Quechup has drawn the ire of hundreds of lonely bloggers by surreptitiously squeezing email addresses out of them.
When you sign up for the site it prompts you to share your address book so you can find out which of your 10,000 close personal friends is also trolling for dates on Quechup. But instead of presenting you with a list of friends, Quechup sends an invite from you to everyone in your book -- making you look like a nasty purveyor of pork.
Since the outcry, Quechup has modified its 'viral' techniques somewhat. The 'Who do you know on Quechup?' page now warns you that "by inviting contacts you confirm you have consent from them to send an invitation," which isn't exactly the same as saying "We're about to ransack your email address book like frat boys after a kegger," but is better than nothing.
Glenn Finch, VP of parent company iDate Corp., won't say more on the record, though an official statement from them is pending. Moral of this story? Shopping for dating services is a lot like shopping for dates; if somebody looks, sounds, or acts like a creep, chances are they probably are one -- regardless of how much they swear they've changed. Quechup just doesn't cut the mustard.
Sent hot tips or cool condiments to me here, or post them below. Top tipsters will receive some tasty swag in return.
Posted by Robert X. Cringely on September 10, 2007 05:29 AM
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A similar site, Yaari.com (for young Indian nationals) does the same thing. I received a message asking me to join a former co-workers network, but did not after the registration process required the password to my hotmail (google and yahoo mail were also viable) account. I sent a message to my friend and was told the sad tale of everyone in his extensive address book got the same message!
Posted by: Bruce at September 10, 2007 10:50 AMAny site or anyone that ask for you password!?! that should a warning bell with blaring lights (or a warning light with blaring sirens).
Ask for my password, I don't give up the porsch keys to the valet, I don't give the house keys to nobody and I don't give the keys to my online account.
Ask for my password and I know who you are.
Posted by: Ajax 4Hire at September 10, 2007 11:06 AMSleazeoids abound...
They predate the internet, like so many other characteristically, characterless cretins who troll the sides of the main thoroughfares and populate the infamous sideshows, preying upon newbies and stupids, alike.
Think of it as an education.
If you don't want spam, don't give your email address to anyone who can't read spam backwards and then they won't even have it, to give to the Sleazeoids.
OR, get your own domain, hosted with email forwarding and issue others their own email address for you such as "TheirName@yourdomainname" and set it to forward to your own PRIVATE address that you NEVER give to anyone. When gullible enrolls you for spam, as they always do, you just delete their forward.
If they ever want your address again, acquaint them with the error of their ways and give them "TheirName2@yourdomainname"
It's an elegant, foolproof and simple solution that I've been using for years.
tc
yaari.com did the samething to me too. They got into my account, pulled addresses from my contact list and sent out invites. This is the first time (and probably last) I got screwed by such a scam.
Posted by: Jay at October 14, 2007 12:39 PM
