I see both sides of the argument, one is going to have to back down...
Fraid there is no backing down on our side, its a rule, we enforce it, people obey it. Like I said, I have no issue with adding NOSPAM, or DIESPAM or SPAM to email addies. That will remove any threat of harvesters, whilst still being easy enough to contact.
However, for the detractors over privacy:
Once you connect to the internet your privacy is gone anyway. Anyone can tell your IP, your OS, your service pack, browser, and a whole heap of information - alot more than people know - from you just by arriving at any place on the internet. Any site you go to can log all this information, as well as geographical location.
Email address is nothing compared to knowing all that and more.
I find it rather amusing that mr kai ping fu is arguing over his privacy, when above all the information anyone can log about him, he is concerned about his non linking email address. Yes - Mr Fu has a @hotmail.com address - which contain....no personal information linking to individuals at all. I have one, it has nothing there that can identify me (apart from the fact that its my name as my email address!) - but nothing is stored there, nothing is 'private' there - because hotmail list your email address in their yellow/white pages!!!!!!!!
If he were like me, then maybe, just maybe - he could be worried, because my email address is AOL - which links me to:
My REAL address
My phone number
My age
My bank account details
My gender
My job
and even my favourite places/saved emails and more!
So exaclty how is his privacy going to be intruded upon? The chances are his account is on the yellow/white pages anyway - it automatically is!
They sell that you know.........
Edited by - Chips on 11/14/2004 4:07:09 PM