Is Flixster Using Deceptive Viral Practices?

Talaria writes "The social networking movie review site Flixster is requesting their users' AOL, Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail passwords, and then using them to access users' address books and send 'invitations' to join Flixster, making them appear to come from the user. The password prompt screen includes the ISP's logo right next to the password prompt. Rather than hiding this little 'feature,' Flixster brags about it in an interview after receiving $2 million in venture funding earlier this year." American Venture Magazine notes: "...such practices are becoming increasingly... common as new and even established web sites look to attract visitors without expensive marketing campaigns and a hefty advertising budget."

Re:My Gmail password?!

[joshier]

If any company does this to me, I shit in a bag and send it to them.
If they want to send me some of their shit, I send them some of fucking mine.

Re:blogspam

[Anonymous Coward]

That's pretty tragic when you can't figure out how to create a tinyurl for goatse, mate.

Marketing IS deception

[Joebert]

Name any marketing campaign ever done by any company & I bet at least one person here at Slashdot can come up with at least one thing deceptive about each of them.

How about their TOS?

[punterjoe]

When I clicked on the link, I got a picture of a Monkey with the comment "We can't believe you clicked this"! That pretty much sealed the deal for me. :D

Re:My Gmail password?!

[Stewie241]

Go to:
Edit->Preferences
Select the Security Tab
Click the Show Passwords button
Click the Show Passwords button on the window that comes up
Click the Yes button.
Copy your list of usernames and passwords
Paste the list here so I can make sure for you that the username and passwords are valid.