Buddylinks Stinks

Omie TheNull writes "After recieving several messages over AIM with the content: "check this out... http://www.wgutv.com/osama_capture.php?HlvU", I went to the page and discovered that it is sponsored by a site called "BuddyLinks." Their website is at http://www.buddylinks.net and they claim that they are NOT a virus. However, when you visit their links and install their "player" it seems that you are also installing software that takes control of your AIM buddy list and sends advertisments to those on your buddy list. The advertisements are obviously designed to look like innocent messages from your buddies asking you to check out certain links. Very scummy, indeed."

PLZ FWD!! Your friends will love you for this.

[Channard]

"3. Open the prize - your friends will love the prize they receive in their funny news message. it might be a game or a funny flash cartoon"

So basically Buddylinks is doing what real people have been doing for ages. Specifically, an aquaintance or friend decides to add your email to their address book, and forwards every piece of crap - virus hoaxes/jokes etc to everyone in their book. Yes, why, thank you vague aquaintance - I really did enjoy that list of hugely stupid jokes you sent me. The repeated quote arrows really made it work. At least with Buddylinks you have to actually install it...