Correction: MarkMonitor is NOT involved in the MSPLinks MySpace filter
A while back I posted a blog entry on MySpace about the new MSPLinks link filtering solution they have been haphazardly rolling out. In it, I said: “MySpace took a huge step in the right direction by hiring an outside company [MarkMonitor] to implement a system to screen outgoing links added to your pages, comments, etc”. Everything in that entry is correct besides the assumption that MarkMonitor was providing the solution.
Correction: MarkMonitor is not involved in the MSPLinks service, but is the domain registrar used by MySpace for domains including msplinks.com.
MarkMonitor does in fact offer anti phishing solutions and whatnot. I just didn’t bother digging deep enough to see that they are also a domain registrar. I’d blame my buddy Sean over at SocialHam since he was the first to post that info, but I made the same assumption before I even read his blog entry about it.
Whoops. :P
Besides posting that assumption in my own blog, I posted it as a comment on Google’s security blog about the massive phishing problems on MySpace. Just like in my original blog entry, the only bit of incorrect info I posted over there was the assumption that MarkMonitor was more than just the domain register of MSPLinks.com. So, the Almighty Google still has some info on their blog that they should correct.
Well, at least now I see why this thing has been such a train wreck so far. MySpace is in the captain’s seat. Every link on MySpace is a blind link now since they haven’t taken my advice and added title tags with the original url in them to prevent drive-by adware installs, Goatse links, etc. You can still slip links into profiles without them getting passed through the new filter. And, tons of legit urls are getting filtered as if they are spam or spoof login page links…
Example:
Try posting a link to Google’s blog entry about them reaching out to help MySpace with their phishing problems. As of right now, it’s on the filter list so when clicking the MSPLinks version of the link you get sent to MySpace’s homepage. I’m sure they’ll fix that after they see this blog entry. Other innocent urls won’t be as lucky. It’s major LOLz for the time being though.
Thanks for the help Google. P.S. We just inadvertently filtered your ass since competence isn’t a prerequisite for employment here.
In other news, I’m still waiting to hear back from them to see if I’ll be getting that security gig.
“If they want a kiss-ass who’s going to act like [MySpace] isn’t in the toilet in its current state and that the management is on the ball: I wouldn’t be a good fit anyway.”
^^^ Quoted for truth. ;-)
Update:
“I’m sure they’ll fix that after they see this blog entry.”
They fixed it.
“Other innocent urls won’t be as lucky.”
wow, I thought the msplinks correction was only on myspace.com domain links. What a stupid “update”, as far as Im concerned that makes things much more treacherous because now you don’t know if a link is taking you off site.
I’m clicking on a lot of links that don’t go anywhere at all. I have to right click and open them in a new tab. That’s what I had to do in order to get here, actually.
Thanks for keeping us informed and full of burnt pickles.
I agree with Dave. Unless MySpace is able to filter ALL bad url’s using this msplinks crap (not possible), it will be hurting us more than helping us. Oh goodie, now people can post links to nasty websites and nobody will have any clue where the link goes until they actually click on it. It’s like using TinyURL, except that it’s automated, so now spammers don’t even have to go through the trouble of using that pesky website to mask their URL’s.
What I would like to know, is how this affects privacy.
Previously, clicking a link took your browser directly to the new location, leaving any page you were currently on out of the process.
Now suppose that you are logged into myspace and a link you click forces you to ask myspace servers to decode the link and point you in the right direction. No matter what computer you are sitting at, they can track where you go if you are logged in. Furthermore, with a list of your friends, they can combine this information with how many of your friends visit the same sites you do.
To go to the extreme, if someone posts a link that points to pro-taliban news articles, we know who is interested in what information and who they are associated with.
I’m not really a big privacy nit, but I do have a tendency to play devil’s advocate sometimes. I mean nothing prevents you from NOT clicking a link in the first place… it sounds like msplinks will still give you a link that appears valid until you click it and go nowhere. Then, you are on a list of people who tried accessing a blocked website? I don’t see what problem this really solves.
It seems to me that MySpace seems to have a particular problem with any Blogger links… All of my other links work. Do they want to force us to use their crappy blog system??
Yeah it looks as if they’re pretty anti-blogger.com. Thanks for messing with my ish myspace. Design yourself better, and I might use you more.
I spent many hours over the course of a year designing two random quote generators on my private AOL (paid account). They are two simple pages each with only one link back to MySpace! But the new msplinks have rendered the paths inaccessible from my MySpace page. What is it that’s so threatening? My AOL acct. or the quote generator from Lycos HTML Gear? I’ve emailed their Help Desk 3 times and received the same generic non-answer to my problem. (Their troubled Goth msg. boards are no help either) If they are suggesting that I’m a phisher that’s laughable! I don’t even have “friends” or contact people via MySpace–It’s just a design hobby in my lonely life. But I get the last laugh… MySpace and its paranoid geeks are more pathetic!
Myspace sucks. I was ok with it till this crap. I am deleting my account.
Wow! These stupid msplinks are annoying the crap out of me. i keep trying to update our radio website and i can’t cause every link I put on there gets sabotaged. So annoying!