Project Upstream ([info]salmonmaster) wrote in [info]themissinghat,
@ 2008-08-15 23:02:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:salmon master

Opt-out support introduced
Greetings, hat missers. We are Project Upstream.

We have chosen to provide you with a new ability. You may now send a message such as "$optout" to any of our robotic fish. This will permanently prevent all Project Upstream communications from reaching your account.


Page 1 of 2
<<[1] [2] >>

(Post a new comment)


[info]your_swearword
2008-08-16 03:08 am UTC (link)
why would we want that?
we love talking to our fishies!

(Reply to this)


[info]vesleskjor
2008-08-16 03:09 am UTC (link)
Should be useful to tell the people who respond so rudely sometimes -_-

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(Anonymous)
2008-08-28 05:57 am UTC (link)
When two people are contacted with a strange phrase, each having the impression that the other started the conversation, and neither recognizing the incoming screenname... why would they respond pleasantly to this? I thought it was at best spam, at worst a phishing scheme. This little project isn't that well-known among all of the sites it culls screennames from, and most of the people who would love to opt out will not know it's possible, or how to do so.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]vesleskjor, 2008-08-28 06:05 am UTC
are you serious? - (Anonymous), 2008-09-05 02:26 pm UTC
Re: are you serious? - [info]vesleskjor, 2008-09-05 05:20 pm UTC
Re: are you serious? - [info]sarcasmosis, 2008-09-28 01:04 am UTC
Re: are you serious? - (Anonymous), 2008-12-24 06:33 pm UTC
Re: are you serious? - [info]sarcasmosis, 2008-12-25 01:33 am UTC
Re: are you serious? - [info]jinnigan, 2008-12-26 04:23 pm UTC
Re: are you serious? - [info]sarcasmosis, 2008-12-26 10:12 pm UTC
Re: are you serious? - [info]jinnigan, 2008-12-26 04:21 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]00goddess, 2009-04-02 05:42 pm UTC

[info]hoshi3
2008-08-16 03:14 am UTC (link)
Thank you. Consider it done.

(Reply to this)


[info]stardust_ballad
2008-08-16 03:18 am UTC (link)
such a sad sad thing if people actually use it ):

(Reply to this)


[info]sherl0k
2008-08-16 03:24 am UTC (link)
Honestly this should've been implemented from the start, but that's just me.

(Reply to this)


[info]seanlaurence
2008-08-16 03:41 am UTC (link)
How to opt in?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]sherl0k
2008-08-16 04:02 am UTC (link)
Just make a new public post, I suppose?

or http://project-upstream.awardspace.com

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]anjel_kitty
2008-08-16 04:27 am UTC (link)
The salmonmaster speaks!

(Reply to this)


[info]rizumcbutt
2008-08-16 04:52 am UTC (link)
Awwww, no, that's tragic! I would never use that!!

(Reply to this)


[info]aj_hyena
2008-08-16 05:00 am UTC (link)
More information for the fishies, they can see how popular they really are by the amount of people who Opt Out.

(Reply to this)


[info]sanguinar_y
2008-08-16 07:17 am UTC (link)
Finally something to tell the people who bitch.

(Reply to this)


[info]karnak
2008-08-16 07:55 am UTC (link)
good thing to add

is there an $optin ability as well?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]deathboy
2008-08-16 11:23 am UTC (link)
quite - it would be nice to be able to toggle it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]unkickablekitty, 2008-08-16 08:04 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]deathboy, 2008-08-16 08:44 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]unkickablekitty, 2008-08-16 08:49 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ciaran_h, 2008-08-20 09:49 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]unkickablekitty, 2008-08-16 08:04 pm UTC

[info]dark_twinge
2008-08-16 04:42 pm UTC (link)
Now here's a question - if you tell someone through a fish that they can type "$optout", for example, dose that trigger it for you as well? Or does it only work if it's the only thing sent?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]unkickablekitty
2008-08-16 08:03 pm UTC (link)
I have absolutely no clue, but what I plan on doing is telling them to combine "$" and "optout" and type that. Or something.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]skadus_x, 2008-08-27 12:52 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]unkickablekitty, 2008-08-30 02:51 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sometimesdee, 2009-01-15 04:02 am UTC

[info]sylvri2k
2008-08-20 07:22 pm UTC (link)
Reposted to fix a typo, but as I said: The person that created this bot should be dragged to the backyard and kicked a good few times in the head. Unsolicited spam to IMs is in bad taste, no matter what the reason.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]lochoko
2008-08-21 01:14 am UTC (link)
I'd be inclined to agree if it was like some of the other bots who have IMed with what I constitute as actual spam. I quite enjoy the trout IMs, 'cause even if I don't reply, what they send is at least normally amusing. :D

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]spazure, 2009-03-14 06:00 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]bart_calendar, 2008-08-23 11:35 am UTC

(Anonymous)
2008-08-21 05:44 pm UTC (link)
This shouldn't even have to be necessary. Just cause some people think they are fun doesn't mean everyone does. Trout bots are an invasion of privacy, and they are spam. People should only be connected to a trout bot if they request it. I got messaged today, and I don't have time to be playing with things like this. I work full time, and my aim account is really busy with important clients. I do NOT want to be entered into some random almost-spam community without my consent. It should be illegal.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]ladykurama215
2008-08-22 12:32 am UTC (link)
Amen

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]bart_calendar, 2008-08-23 11:34 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]primethian, 2008-09-02 07:58 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2008-10-01 09:43 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2008-12-23 08:35 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiinabambi, 2008-10-13 12:21 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bart_calendar, 2008-10-13 12:29 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiinabambi, 2008-10-13 12:55 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bart_calendar, 2008-10-13 01:06 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiinabambi, 2008-10-13 02:11 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]silver48dragon, 2008-10-19 10:49 am UTC
So many truths - [info]blog.irreality.eu, 2009-02-03 10:00 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2009-01-19 08:47 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiinabambi, 2009-01-19 04:53 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2009-05-01 01:26 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiinabambi, 2009-05-01 03:47 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2009-05-01 04:04 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiinabambi, 2009-05-01 06:05 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2009-05-01 08:35 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2009-05-01 08:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiinabambi, 2009-05-01 02:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2009-05-01 09:00 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiinabambi, 2009-05-01 02:59 pm UTC
the two sides are pretty clear.
(Anonymous)
2008-08-27 11:50 am UTC (link)
First, as a social experiment with cute conversation starting snippets sent between strangers, it has a sort of gorilla art appeal.
However, IM has as many uses as their are people using it, and as many of these posts show, not everyone is having fun with what they use as a business tool.
The other point I read with interest (on another site) is that of all the hacking losers like Mitnick did to get into computer systems, social hacking worked best, and was by far the easiest. Trying out an alicebot type script, or even having a human sitting between the two IM unwitting participants as a sort of old fashioned telephone operator listening in has the growth potential to be used for extreme evil. (keystroke recording, social engineering, paypal passwords? Virus delivery?) And as we have seen time and again, the old internet, of unlocked doors and people respecting one another based on etiquette and following rules and guidelines has gone away, and like all ruined things, will never return.

(Reply to this)


(Anonymous)
2008-08-28 05:59 am UTC (link)
Opt out should be the default - let those who actually want to participate opt in, and leave the rest of us (who have no idea where the stupid fish spam is coming from) alone.

(Reply to this)


[info]fimion
2008-09-01 01:15 am UTC (link)
i don't know who thought this was a good idea, but it's not. i think it could be counted as a spamming technique. seriously? needs to be an opt in service. not a random "let's fuck with people" service. seriously, not cool.

(Reply to this) (Thread)
absolutely
(Anonymous)
2008-09-02 02:38 pm UTC (link)
These things have NOT been polite to me. The first one that contacted me called me a bastard. I am going to report this activity to AOL to stop it. It is not legal. It IS spam.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: absolutely - (Anonymous), 2008-09-02 02:39 pm UTC
Re: absolutely - [info]unkickablekitty, 2008-09-02 06:02 pm UTC
Re: absolutely - [info]ciaran_h, 2008-09-04 02:38 pm UTC
Re: absolutely - [info]vesleskjor, 2008-09-05 05:22 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]trywhy, 2008-09-08 09:57 pm UTC
opt in only - (Anonymous), 2008-10-19 04:02 pm UTC

[info]elle_de_musique
2008-11-16 11:16 pm UTC (link)
I'm very irritated by these "trout bots". It's taken me months to track down where they've been coming from, and in that time I've been pestered and harassed by these damn bots. Even once I figured out that it was a bot I couldn't figure out how to opt out until tonight... but now it says the bot is offline, so who knows if the optout message worked or whether I'll continue getting threatening messages and people telling me to fuck off.

Whoever made this is just dumb. If you want to be hooked up talking to random people, then find this and opt in, don't just farm peoples screen names. I'm shocked that mine was even found since I don't list it anywhere.

(Reply to this)


[info]jordanzgrl17
2008-11-17 02:10 am UTC (link)
How do you go about the 'opt out' option?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]gwillen
2008-12-25 08:40 pm UTC (link)
just say $optout when the bot contacts you. Or just pick one of the bots and IM it $optout. (You can use idealcoho as one such bot.) It will send you a reply with instructions and an "are you sure?" so you're know it worked.)

I just opted out -- I find this to be a cute idea, but I only get connected to two kinds of people: the kind who are very irritated and don't understand the concept, and the kind who are fucking obsessed with it. Neither makes for good conversation.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]talianthala, 2009-01-09 04:37 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]salmonmaster, 2009-01-09 04:44 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]talianthala, 2009-01-09 04:56 am UTC

(Anonymous)
2009-01-05 11:47 pm UTC (link)
why sign up for SPAM? This is called "Black Hat" - it's also illegal. Do some research. This is all getting reported and yes, people go to jail for this kind of stuff.

(Reply to this)


[info]earthdotprime
2009-01-08 08:34 am UTC (link)
how long does this take to take effect? I'm receiving XXX versions of the cohobots that are currently going around (to an address that is permanently connected to my cellphone, ugh), and $optout doesn't seem to care.

Edited at 2009-01-08 08:35 am UTC

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]sketchglitch
2009-01-12 07:23 am UTC (link)
Those ones aren't affiliated with Project Upstream - they're a different group that is deliberately being obscene, unfortunately. So the optout won't work.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]zinco
2009-01-09 09:11 pm UTC (link)
What shit this all is. I've been pestered by these bots for years and only now learned that apparently the obligation was on me to research them and figure out how to opt out. I hope the bots are shut down forever.

(Reply to this)


[info]ally525
2009-01-11 09:17 pm UTC (link)
some people have massive tree limbs up their butts, huh?

chill the fuck out, people! it's just the internet!!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]sketchglitch
2009-01-12 07:24 am UTC (link)
So completely agreed. If you're that precious that you need your AIM account completely secure, DON'T POST YOUR SCREENNAME ON THE INTERNET. God.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]zombiebunny, 2009-01-19 06:42 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2009-05-01 03:04 am UTC

[info]lishd
2009-01-13 05:37 pm UTC (link)
$outopt didn't work. i did it about two weeks ago & it was accepted by TerrifiedCoho. MatchedCoho msg'd me again this morning. doing $optout again didn't result in anything except MatchedCoho saying "niggers are niggers", which was lovely.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]unkickablekitty
2009-01-13 08:31 pm UTC (link)
You probably received an IM from a different group of bots that sometimes copies the coho names. They're called Project Terdstream, and we don't know how to stop them yet. Feel free to look through the past few weeks of the community for more information.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]lishd, 2009-01-13 08:33 pm UTC
Oh dear god, thank you.
(Anonymous)
2009-01-19 08:25 am UTC (link)
I keep having random-ass people who I don't know talking to me who, somehow, know details about me using this. Likely it's someone I sort-of-but-don't-really-know but... hey, if it is I DON'T want to talk to that person online.

There's a *reason* I used to block ALL incoming IMs from people who weren't on my buddy list in high school... I DON'T like talking to people unless they are, and this little "service" has shown me that I *still* don't.

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: Oh dear god, thank you.
[info]lynneelf
2009-03-05 02:06 am UTC (link)
Yeah. I got a blank message just a few minutes ago. I thought it was some kind of virus.
Can we opt out here too?

Edited at 2009-03-05 02:06 am UTC

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Page 1 of 2
<<[1] [2] >>

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…