Grouply

[Kyrosan]

Has anyone else been getting a lot of messages about joining something called Grouply? If so, does anyone know if it's worthwhile, or is it just trash?

[BBMikeNJ]

Funny you should ask. I've been getting those messages too, so today I checked into it. I'm not sure I understand the point of it, exactly.

[Geek2Jock]

From all I've heard it's spam / spyware. I understand that it will rifle through your address book and email box, harvest all the email addresses, and begin sending out invites to everyone you know. Chances are the person who's 'sending' you the invite isn't even aware that it's going on. A lot of the Yahoo groups I'm in ban anyone who posts a Grouply invitation to stop the cycle.

[Gene]

One more level of safety for some people who have the ability, is to change your mail reader to not display anything in HTML mode. Those messages sent with all those pretty borders and colors and fancy or multi-sized fonts, are created like a web page using HTML language and once you open an HTML mail message you've invited the devil into your home. He just might burn you.

If you're using Outlook Express to read your mail you can do this from the Outlook Express menu bar by setting Tools>Options...>Read>ReadAllMessagesInPlainText

Most HTML messages also have enough plain text in them that you can get the gist of what they're hawking without opening the door for the devil. Images will be presented as attachements and you can still click on the image (*.gif, *.jpg, *.bmp) but don't click on any *.htm attachment because that is HTML and you're opening the door again. 99% of the stuff we get in e-mail is junk anyway.

For those people who read their e-mail with a web browser by going to Netscape or Earthlink or AOL or Yahoo website I don't know what you can do. I don't use them. Somebody let us know.

Your machine is like your mind. Don't let people mess with your mind.

[Garfield11]

If it is'nt grouply then its ruffkin.

Thats when good groups don't just die and become hijacked by porn spammers.

[mlbjock]

Grouply is something to be avoided. In fact pretty much any "service" that asks for login credentials to another site is likely a scam or at the very least a security risk. Remember by giving out your password you are authorizing the account's use by someone else, so if they do something illegal you could be on the hook for it.

[Mad Dog]

I don't even know how to get Outlook working on a personal computer. :V

[Kyrosan]

Thanks for all of the replies. I thought it seemed a little fishy myself and wanted a second (or third, or 4th, etc.) opinion.

Thanks again.

[Minotaur]

I am glad to know now that it's indeed junk. I've been sending them to spam folder anyway. Thanks for the heads-up.