Protect Your Privacy With BugMeNot.com
Not all web sites allow the public to view everything. Some, like the New York Times, require that you register and log in before they allow you access. I am always hesitant to give out my personal information to even well known companies, especially when all I want to do is simply read something on their web site. Thankfully there is a solution:
BugMeNot.com
BugMeNot lets you type in a web site address, and it will list any public usernames and passwords in its database. You can then use this public username/password instead of giving out your own personal information. Why not just register on these sites that ask for it? This is what BugMeNot says about the matter:
I recommend that you read their FAQ if you have any further questions.
BugMeNot.com
BugMeNot lets you type in a web site address, and it will list any public usernames and passwords in its database. You can then use this public username/password instead of giving out your own personal information. Why not just register on these sites that ask for it? This is what BugMeNot says about the matter:
The best example is nytimes.com, where you have to register and enter personal information in order to view news stories. Enter "www.nytimes.com" into BugMeNot and it will list a username/password combination that will get you in, no personal information required!
- It's a breach of privacy.
- Sites don't have a great track record with the whole spam thing.
- It's contrary to the fundamental spirit of the net. Just ask Google.
- It's pointless due to the significant percentage of users who enter fake demographic details anyway.
- It's a waste of time.
- It's annoying as hell.
- Imagine if every site required registration to access content.
I recommend that you read their FAQ if you have any further questions.
The main reason that I wrote about BugMeNot was that in my next article, I will be showing you some resources on a site that requires registration! BugMeNot is a good service for quick access, but if you plan to contribute comments or any material to a site, it is a good idea to register.QUICK DEFINITION OF "FAQ" - FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions" and is typically used to mean a web page with answers to people's most frequently asked questions about the web site or its function.
posted by Peter at
1:00 PM
3 Comments:
These are really good tips for all, not just the technologically challenged...
By
Chyrene Pendleton, at 3:06 AM
As a forum administrator I find this kind of sites immensely irritating. Nice that there's 5 people in the world who care enough about their privacy not to tell us the one thing we need (their mailaddress) and that 500 other people only use this service to abuse anonymously.
Before you advertise sites like this again, think whether you would like 10 trusted accounts to your blog up there...
By
Niels, at 11:45 PM
As a forum administrator myself, I don't see much abuse with this. Accounts and IPs can be banned. Yes this can be abused, but then again so can pretty much anything. Thanks for providing an alternative view on BugMeNot. I do recommend that people only use the service if they want to read something one time. If people participate on a site that requires registration then by all means register an account!
By
Peter, at 12:57 AM
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