9/6/2007
Quechup - Rat Bastard Disease of the Internet
Ok, I wrote this the other day about these bastards. See Social Networking VD
I immediately unsubscribed and sent them a screed demanding they not spam my address bok that they harvested. This is an elegant use of social networking to perform a pharming attack on an individual in a way. They don’t do anything but harvest email. The fuckers.
So I figure since they snookered a bunch of friends and me. so they are fair game. They’re a disease. So I’m sharing some intelligence here.
| Hostnames : | quechup.com |
| IP Addresses : | 83.138.155.212 |
Ok, so Quechup.com is part of iDate™ Ltd. whose privacy policy says:
Information Collection:iDate gathers two types of information about users:
1. Information that users provide through optional, voluntary submissions. These are voluntary submissions requesting information about our services and online C.V’s.
2. Information iDate gathers through log files and aggregated tracking information. These files contain absolutely no personal information.
Information Use:iDate Gathers User Information In The Following Processes:
1. Optional Voluntary Information:
1.1 Contact Form requesting information on iDate’s services. Gathers company name, address, contact person, e-mail, telephone number and information regarding their interest in iDate. This information is used to understand a visitors interest in iDate and enable us to provide additional information about our services.1.2 Online Curriculum Vitae. Gathers personal details and contact details, specifically: name; address; e-mail; telephone number; age and marital status. And educational qualifications, professional experience and employment details. This information is used to assess suitable candidates to work with iDate.
2. Log Files and Aggregated Tracking Information:
Like most web sites we use log files located on our servers. These include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses, etc. are not linked to personally identifiable information. We use a tracking utility called Webalizer that uses log files to analyze user movement.
SharingLegal Disclaimer
Though we make every effort to preserve user privacy, we may need to disclose personal information when required by law wherein we have a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a current judicial proceeding, a court order or legal process served on our Web site.Aggregate Information (non-personally identifiable)
We do not share any aggregated demographic information with any 3rd parties.
Ok, so they’re liars, address book harvesters, and generally vermin. They are pond scum or worse. They truly do represent the venereal disease of Web 2.0.And I will call them out by name:
- Mark Finch, President and Chief Executive Officer
- Glen Finch, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
- Chris Morley, Chief Communications Officer
- Audrey Ragg, Chief Financial Officer
- Paul Sugden PhD – Project Development Manager
- Mathew Graham PhD – Project Development Manager
- Justin Small - Marketing Manager
You fuckers better never show up at a conference I’m at. I can pretty much guarantee we’ll be pillorying your sorry asses until the end of time.
Think I’m unfair? One of you pick up the phone and call me at 360-545-4050. We’ll record the call as a podcast and the the whole net hear your side of misuse of trust and email harvesting. That, or rot in hell.
Does my irritation with this truly sociopathic behavior of theirs show through?
Technorati Tags: QUeshup, spammers, emali harvesters, malicious social network attack, social network disease
Filed by Ken at 10:27 pm under Technology
No, Ken, tell us how you *really* feel.
[...] I’ve looked through this service and I see absolutely no reason to join this place. It looks like a lame me-too service with no obvious value. The fact they want an address book is very irritating. Given the relative intelligence on the Internet with regard to these matters, I suspect I will see a lot of spam related to Quechup. Even people who do know better occasionally get sucked in. [...]
[...] from Jajah Jeff Pulver Moshe Maeir Ken Camp from whom I got a Quechup invite today Ewan Technorati Tags: Frederik, General, Jajah, jeff [...]
Ken, I am so glad you’ve written this. You’ve exercised the boldness to call the situation what it is. I received your invitation last night to join Quechup, and I confess that I deleted it - just didn’t have time to learn another app right now. But, within minutes - literally minutes, I received more than two dozen spam messages. The significance of what might seem a small number to some is that for the last three months at my new email address I hadn’t received more than five spam messages in total. So last night, I kept wondering where I had gone or what I had done that invited all that company. Your explanation this morning helps a lot!
Go get ‘em, Tiger!
Ken, I am so glad you’ve written this. You’ve exercised the boldness to call the situation what it is. I received your invitation last night to join Quechup, and I confess that I deleted it - just didn’t have time to learn another app right now. But, within minutes - literally minutes, I received more than two dozen spam messages. The significance of what might seem a small number to some is that for the last three months at my new email address I hadn’t received more than five spam messages in total. So last night, I kept wondering where I had gone or what I had done that invited all that company. I’d made no unusual moves nor visited any suspicious locations. Your explanation this morning helps a lot!
Go get ‘em, Tiger!
Ah, poor Quechup. It wants to see my address book. Too bad I don’t use Gmail. Or Yahoo mail. Or AOL. Or Hotmail.
What a bunch of buffoons.
Oh, speaking of buffoons, where the HELL did they get that stupid name? It looks too much like “ketchup” to me, so all I can think about is french fries. I don’t even like french fries all that much.
Glad you wrote this Ken - I got an invite “from you” and deleted it immediately
What a bunch of retards those assholes are.
Received an invite from you as well, but instead of one I got 3 invites from you… I immediately thought there was something wrong… and you confirm here that I was not wrong!
hehe so many comments from friends. Thank you all for being so kind as to not point out what a bonehead I was to get snookered. OTOH, some of the best and brightest people I know got snookered on this one too.
It’s clear from this post that I’m not pleased. I may have offended some with the vehement expression of anger and colorful language, but, well, I think it had to be said.
Doug - FYI - Rackspace is their hosting company.
Constance - I agree. Totally stupid name.
[...] called Quechup - Rat Bastard Disease of the Internet, and it’s a [...]
[...] idol (No Ratings Yet) Loading … If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for [...]
[...] it appears that we’re not the only ones this has happened to. Make sure you read that privacy policy when you sign up, or you could be giving away your [...]
Quechup: the DIY email virus…
Like a lot of people, I was a bit surprised to get several requests from people to join their Quechup network. Surprised because they were largely from one-off contacts who managed to not send out similar invitations for things like……
Nice one Ken, just found you via techmeme, very well said
[...] Ken Camp in two postings has absolutely lost it when it comes to talking about the group, even down to swear words, and general pointing out the TOS, and the owners of the company. While the TOS is public and the owners are public information, Ken has not controlled his own image by getting down and deep into the rant. Calling the Quechup web site “Social networking VD”. [...]
Oooh, taken to task by Techwag. So if anyone reading here has a problem with colorful metaphors and prefers kind handling with a prim and proper approach, feel free to read Techwag instead. My reputuation, as they call it, has a long history or saying precisely what I think. I don’t really concern myself with stepping on toes. And if I’m proving wrong, I’m every bit as open about apologizing.
If I offend, Technorati can offer you several million other places you can read. Oddly, I’ve been getting thank you messages all day long…
Thank you -twice!
First, because you are calling things the right name and giving advice to friends and readers.
Second, for you have taught me the correct usage of several words
[...] posts — such as Ken Camp’s “Rat bastard disease of the Internet” post — the folks at Quechup don’t seem to care that they have gotten a reputation as the [...]
^5 @Ken. How could I not come and commend my dearest friend on a writing job handled, I think, extremely well? You called them out, go Ken! Not everyone is willing to do that. Companies like that just piss me off, and worse are the ones too mealy mouthed to say things in course language for fear of sounding offensive. What they do is promote the exact behavior the rest of us want our lives free from!
Quechup, and companies like them, should be obliterated. With people like you pointing them out, maybe the rest of the ‘net will wise up.
Fantastic! Ya done good
Oh Camp Ken! (assume this is the correct way around considering the faggot tie you are wearing)
You are a disgrace. I don’t care what the subject or occasion you should NEVER, NEVER, EVER use language like that if you don’t want others to see you as just a loud mouthed shit stiring lonley old bastard. Scumbags like you bring the internet and REAL journalists into disrepute.
In eighteen months as a member I have NEVER suffered any of the things you are crying about from http://www.Quechup.com and can only say thanks to them for an interesting and useful service. If you were to read the tos and that which is written on the pages as you go through you would see that you have a choice to skip the address book part!
I suggest that you take your long ugly face and hide in a dark corner somewhere until you see the errors of your ways. By the way… is that a moustache or did you just eat a cat?
oh Bertie - how can you not see the irony in your own post?
Ken, keep on keeping on! I’ve read the arguments about “it’s in the TOS” and “we tell you what we’re going to do on the page” but any marketing or FTC lawyer can tell you, it’s not clear and adequate notice to the user. So sad really. Even if quechup didn’t have mal-intent, they seem to be completely defiant and unapologetic about their users’ anger. What kind of business is that?
I got an invite from a trusted friend, did not join or use the address book sign-up…and, yet several friends who are NOT in my email address book got the invite from me. The common denominator?..I sent them all an email through gmail on the same day at around the same time as I received/accessed the original friend invite. (who actually was a member of quechup)As far as I know, they are the only ones who received it. ALL I did was open the email, I repeat..I JUST opened the email!
Also, since that day(10 days ago) I have received more spam on a mac with gmail, than I have in 2 years. It all seems a little too convenient to be just co-incidental. If what I suspect is true, I know that’s illegal. I have notified quechup, g-mail and the fcc. There are people on blogs talking class-action lawsuits.
Whatever has to happen, these predators need to be stopped. As much I diss Rupert Murdoch over on myspace(member since 2003!)this kind of sh** has never happened and I have never felt compromised as a result of their service. One thing is sure..quechup is NOT interested in social networking; their bread and butter is most definitely in the illegal, at the very least improper harvesting and selling of, most likely demographics and contact info to market &/or political research or the like.
OK I was incenced, Yes I do see the irony
Sorry Ken
free web layouts myspace backgrounds graphics…
free web layouts myspace backgrounds graphics…
Nan - what a load of rubbish!
You can’t honestly believe that invites got sent to your contacts because you opened an email in your Gmail account? There isn’t any way to “read” your name, email address, address book etc. by you opening up an email. Don’t you think that Google have slightly better security than that? Anyway your comments based on your “gut feelings” (in other words no proof whatsover) that Quechup’s activity “is most definitely in the illegal” is out-and-out libel. A few more over enthusiastic bloggers like you and they could make their “bread and butter” our of suing people like you for libel.
Hi all, having read your comments on Quechup I wondered if any of you had heard the rumor of a merger/takeover between these two social networking sites? I heard it second-hand from a reliable source, and have to say that it does seem to make business sense in these times of expedited consolidation; particularly as the bulk of Facebook and Quechup traffic seems to come from the same countries, and given that the latter is already owned by a public company. Any info would be gratefully received. Rgds. Mark Smith
Hi all, having read your comments on Quechup I wondered if any of you had heard the rumor of a merger/takeover between Facebook and Quechup? I heard it second-hand from a reliable source, and have to say that it does seem to make business sense in these times of expedited consolidation; particularly as the bulk of Facebook and Quechup traffic seems to come from the same countries, and given that the latter is already owned by a public company. Any info would be gratefully received. Rgds. Mark Smith