I haven't even finished the article when I checked if had uninstalled the Path app!
The problem was the guy's address book got spammed AFTER uninstalling, yikes!
Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
91–100 of 430 posts
Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
This comment is a great example of how people are so quick to rush to judgement with emotional reactions. Let's look at the facts: 1. Path was fined, not for anything involving address books, but for allowing 12 year olds to sign up for the service. 2. Yes... it is proof that Path uploads your phone book. Of course, they ask you. The OS won't even give you access to the phone book without prompting the user. So somew…
>Does Path actually say "We're going to invite all your friends via SMS", even in fine print? Should it? More importantly, will anyone download the app in the first place if it did? No one -- in their right minds -- would suddenly want to share (non-existent) photos with all their contacts. Seems like an odd way to say "We're going to invite all your friends via SMS". Your address book doesn't consist primarily of yo…
Without addressing the opt-in point, which I agree with...
You're also assuming there is no "continue without doing this" button, which of course, I was assuming there would be...
Many users just mash on the "next" button on app intro screens. Again, it's all just speculation until someone takes the time to start researching and documenting the facts instead of just yelling "KILL IT"! :/
Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
This comment is a great example of how people are so quick to rush to judgement with emotional reactions. Let's look at the facts: 1. Path was fined, not for anything involving address books, but for allowing 12 year olds to sign up for the service. 2. Yes... it is proof that Path uploads your phone book. Of course, they ask you. The OS won't even give you access to the phone book without prompting the user. So somew…
Android doesn't ask for user's permission before accessing the address book, is it?
It tells you the permissions requested by an app before you install it. For Path, see the "permissions" tab on this Play Store page https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.path&h...
Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#94I think the HN traffic may have destroyed another WordPress install. So, google cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%...
For those with WordPress installs who want to survive an HN frontpage: 1. if you don't have sudo, use the W3 Total Cache plugin http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/w3-total-cache/ 2. if you have sudo: 2a. the easy way: apt-get install memcached, add the pecl memcache extension, and use object-cache.php http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/memcached/trunk/object-cache.php and batcache http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/b…
Using CloudFlare or Google Page Speed Service is also a good idea to further optimize!
Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#95[deleted]
Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#96I'm sure this will be downvoted to hell and back, but still: http://jesuschristsiliconvalley.tumblr.com/post/46539276780/...
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Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#97Why do people use these horrible services? Is having an online social presence so important? I understand if you do it for business, but if bad news like this keeps coming out of a company, I simply stop using their products.
Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#98I think the moral of this story is to do a little Googling about a company or product before trusting them with all the contact information (at least) in your phone. You know, to find out first if they're criminal scumbuckets. For all you know their app keylogs your transactions with your bank.
Well we know they don't keylog, they can't act outside of their sandbox. Curious if they'd try if they could though.
Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
How could this possibly be a programming bug?
Of course it was a bug. It seems clear to me they were experimenting with some texting functionality where Path would notify users of things, it made it to production with bugs, and some subset of users got this terrible behaviour. Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.
It would need to be about three bugs. First, there's the bug where users who say that Path can't have their address books get their address books sent to Path. Second, there's the bug where their servers think the user has photos that he does not have. Third, there's the bug where their servers think the user wants to share these photos with Path's list of phone-number contacts for that user.
This does not seem like the most likely scenario to me.
Re: Path texts my entire phonebook at 6 AM
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
This comment is a great example of how people are so quick to rush to judgement with emotional reactions. Let's look at the facts: 1. Path was fined, not for anything involving address books, but for allowing 12 year olds to sign up for the service. 2. Yes... it is proof that Path uploads your phone book. Of course, they ask you. The OS won't even give you access to the phone book without prompting the user. So somew…
1. Path was fined, not for anything involving address books, but for allowing 12 year olds to sign up for the service. That's not true, is it? According to the FTC[1], they were fined for "collecting personal information from their mobile device address books without their knowledge and consent." 2. Yes... it is proof that Path uploads your phone book. Of course, they ask you. The OS won't even give you access to the…
1. The sub title: "Company also Will Pay $800,000 for Allegedly Collecting Kids' Personal Information without their Parents’ Consent" The fine was only with regard to the violation of CIPA.