They're watching us!!!!!!!

How much privacy do you think you have using day to day internet services like Hotmail???? You would think that if you keep to yourself, dont add your name to hotmail promoted email lists and don't enter any information into hotmail directory inquires that you wouldn't really be making hotmail any money or you wouldn't have your personel information open to third partys. Thats where you are wrong and I can prove it.

I am going to take Hotmail as an example. I was wondering where all my junk mail was coming out of. Most of it was from spyware on my computer but when I finally put an end to it I thought I wouldn't be bothered again by it.

I am going to take my afterdawn membership to show how you get junk mail. Afterdawn don't send junk mail your way but by visiting afterdawn whilst logged into your hotmail account can send junk mail with related topics to the ones on this web site.

You are all familiar with the "Thread has been updated" messages that you get from the forum. When you open them and click on the link a new window appears with a hotmail frame spread accross the top of the page + even if your login info is stored in your computer, you won't be automatically logged in like you usually are. I decided to investigate a bit.

With no spyware on my computer and no one knowing about a new email address I set up, I forwarded some afterdawn emails to from my normal account. I only visited a forum topic once and waited for one day.

The result I got didn't surprise me!! I was flooded by messages with subjects like Copy any dvd now and learn how to create amazing digital graphics. So you see, when that hotmail frame is open, Microsoft are recording info on the pages you view and getting some mail sent your way to make more profit.

Another thing I noticed is, your junk mail filter doesn't filter these mails out. Hmmm I wonder why!!!

This is worse than Kazaa spyware because you cant remove this and I would have to laugh at the idea of a hotmailite.

Its not just hotmail either, try the big searchers such as altavista. If you look closely at the address bar you will notice that the page you are visiting from altavista quite often encounters another blank page before you get there but you did see the url of your intended destination in the middle of the url.

You then notice that you might get a pop-up of a related topic. Of coarse this could be just counting visits so I wouldn't look too seriously on it.

Microsoft are the worst for it, especially with Windows XP. Since I installed it and setup my .net password in my login I have been joined to email lists against my wishes.

Anyway, I just wanted to point out what potentially is going on behind our backs in places we didn't think of. Also I only used afterdawn recieved messages on hotmail as an example, I know for a fact they wouldn't be into anything like that. It also happened to me after visiting korn.com I got info on cheap cd's.

Its terrible and about 4 years ago It didnt happen at all. Well I guess we live in a money driven world and at the end of the day, thats what this mess is all over!!!!!

I'd like to hear of other examples of this from anyone who noticed something strange going on somewhere you wouldn't expect it.