On crushes and privacy

[yendi]

You know, I'm damned glad I never took that crush meme. Because now, the person who wrote it is violating the privacy of everyone who took it. And although his "Boo Fucking Hoo" response may be accurate (why give out information to someone you can't trust), it doesn't make him any less of an asshole.

And no, I'm not paying him $4 for the results. He doesn't deserve the money. You shouldn't pay him, either.

As for the totals:

Who has a crush on yendi? The below numbers indicate what sorta crushes yendi's friends have on him, as taken from the results of the original LJ Secret Crush Meme. Questions? Please read the FAQ.

6 people have a Secret Crush on yendi. 3 people have a Public Crush on yendi. 2 people have an Ex-Crush on yendi.

How many people have a crush on you?

Comments

[storme]

This never dominated my friends page, and I never took it, but even I got a positive result. Woo, I guess.

Selling the results is ridiculously cynical. If he was trying to make a point, there are better ways to do so. If he's in it for the money, there are likewise better ways. Feh.

[auryn29a.livejournal.com]

Holy crap. Even _I_ get a positive result. I'm utterly gobsmacked.

I don't remember if I took the original crush meme or not. But yeah, that's pretty damn harsh that he's turning around and charging people for results. I wonder if anyone can sue.

[rhiannonstone.livejournal.com]

This would be why I don't do those memes--I'm not super-paranoid about giving my information out, and being used as marketing data doesn't bother me a bit, but popular journal memes (is "popular meme" redundant?) are such a perfect way to do stuff like this, or to get adware or malware installed (as happened with a few of the first major waves of memes on LJ a couple years ago) on browsers, that I generally assume any quiz or meme that doesn't come from someone I know and trust is potentially malicious, and I don't put any code in my LJ that I don't understand completely. This is a pretty low and dirty trick, but I don't really feel bad for anyone who's getting burned by it--I learned way back in elementary school that if you don't want anyone to know it, don't write it down. :)

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Didn't participate. Damned glad.

On another note: how the hell did I end up with 3.5 secret crushes. anyway?

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I hadn't read this before I posted my mini-rant, but I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was pissed off by it.

[sibylla.livejournal.com]

I don't recall participating in the original meme (which isn't to say that I didn't; only that we don't seem to recall having done so). I think that the idea is a fun and neat one, and I really wish that it had been done by someone who isn't a jackass. If I have a sekrit crush on someone, then it should remain a secret until or if I choose to come clean about it. It makes me angry that this one-suited ninny is offering to break confidences for any amount of money.

I wish that someone else would do a similar meme, one that's updated regularly and that respects the privacy of the participants. Jackass.

[hookncrook.livejournal.com]

You know who has public crushes on you anyway... But the guy is an ass to sell off the information like that.

[trillian42.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that seemed really dick. I'm very glad I never did that meme. Basically, I didn't have the patience for it. Too many names to scroll thru :P

Also, only two people like me anyway. *pouts*

[murnkay.livejournal.com]

it doesn't make him any less of an asshole.

Actually did he ever SAY the information would be kept private? Cause frankly if he didn't? It is no one's fault but the people who put info in there to assume it WOULD be private. He is under no obligation to keep it that way.

Frankly I think it's hysterical he's doing this. Maybe it'll stop people from spreading every "ohhh shiny click this!" they find. If so? He has done a public service.

[yendi]

Oh, he never made any promise, and I agree that folks need to be more careful (it's only common sense). But that doesn't make him any less of an asshole. Not having a legal obligation doesn't mean he doesn't have a moral obligation.

[murnkay.livejournal.com]

I don't know that he had a moral obligation. Like I said, maybe this will help teach people to not assume this stuff - at which point he has done the community a service.

[yendi]

Honestly, if he wanted to caution folks, then just doing part two of the quiz (which makes it clear that the results have been saved) and posting a snippy note with it would suffice. It comes down to how any of us treat information that others give us. If anyone -- co-worker, friend, stranger -- tells me that they have a crush on someone, I generally don't tell that person. It's not a legal obligation, but a social nicety. And violating it (especially if I deliberately asked the person who they had a crush on) would, indeed, make me an asshole.

[amokk]

or to get adware or malware installed (as happened with a few of the first major waves of memes on LJ a couple years ago)

Glad I use an OS where that sort of thing is impossible. :)

[amokk]

Read his target="_blank">FAQ, some people took the original test multiple times and their feelings changed. If Person A listed you once as a crush and then the next time didn't list you again, that's 1/2 =.5 crushes.

[amokk]

I'd be more insulted that he's only selling it for $4. What the hell kind of price is that? That barely buys a combo meal at McDonald's.

What would be interesting to see is how many people actually pay for it...

[amokk]

You know what happens when people make assumptions...

They make an ass out of u and... mptions.

Hrm...

[amokk]

Ah, no one loves me. I got three big zeros. Ah well, maybe next time.

[rhiannonstone.livejournal.com]

Eh, these days it's not at all uncommon for jerks like that to make sure their crap runs under Netscape and Mozilla (I assume you're a fellow linux user).

[amokk]

Yep, using mozilla. However the "automatic install" still has to be run by root. I went and got "LiveLizard", a Mozilla plugin client for LJ, and had to run as root to get it to do that "install software" thing. Still no way to uninstall the damned thing since it doesn't work, because they changed the way some code works in posting from 0.x mozilla to 1.x mozilla.

Just because things run doesn't mean they get installed. ;)