http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/apples_ping_overrun_with_spam.php
Only 24 hours after the launch of Apple’s new social network, Ping, the service has been overrun by spammers. The fraudsters have created iTunes profiles and are posting links to a number of online scams, including ones that promises “free iPhones” or “free iPads” in exchange for filling out online surveys. For the most part, these suspicious links are being posted in the comments sections of the most popular artists on Ping, like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, U2 and others, all of whom are among the recommended accounts linked to from the Ping homepage.
As security expert Chester Wisniewski points out, Apple doesn’t require a credit card or any other positive identification in order to establish an account on Ping, which itself is a part of newly launched iTunes 10. Doing so wouldn’t be advisable, either, as it would lock out a lot of “credit card-less” kids, teens and young adults from using iTunes. There’s actually quite a bit of free content available from the iTunes Store, from apps to music to video, allowing parents to feel comfortable in letting their children manage their own iTunes accounts without close supervision.
Given those lax sign-up requirements, however, it’s somewhat surprising that Apple didn’t build in a good spam filtration system into its social network, too. The types of links being posted now are what any halfway decent blog commenting system like Disqus or Echo would pick up automatically, or at least flag for review, especially since the posts contain links.
rastard 7:23 pm on September 3, 2010 520 days ago Reply
Before anyone jumps all over me for posting something seemingly anti-Apple…
Since Apple doesn’t really have any previous expertise in social networking, this isn’t all that surprising, and I wish Apple’s engineers the best of luck in addressing this. Fighting spammers actually doesn’t seem trivial (as most all of us who use (or have used) the Google Finance message boards have seen firsthand). Even when one does hit spam head-on — as soon as you invent a better mousetrap, someone will invent a smarter mouse.
JPWatkins 10:28 pm on September 3, 2010 520 days ago Reply
Social networking is nothing new for Apple. They’ve been running all kinds of bulletin boards, and feedback systems for many years, most recently Apple Support discussions and iTunes music reviews. What makes something “Social Networking?” It seems to me “social networking” is just a buzzword for “It’s ours but we don’t administer it, we just benefit from the user created content and the information we can mine from it.” It’s basically traditional stuff monetized and allowed to run feral. Indeed, look at GoogleFinance.
This could have been avoided and is an oversight on Apple’s part, probably resulting from a fast rollout and a desire to avoid the “control freak” label people love to hang on Apple when they pay attention to the user experience. I imagine it will improve, although I for one, don’t care. (Damn Kids!)
rastard 11:15 pm on September 3, 2010 520 days ago Reply
@jpwatkins
You damn kids! Get offa my lawn!
RattyUK 1:16 am on September 5, 2010 519 days ago Reply
I can only add that so far I have not encountered any spam. I am now following around 30 people but some of those are quite high up in the tech space and not seen any spam through any of those. But then again I am not following the initial batch of bands coz they’re not really my scene. They are only just starting to add some bands that I am interested. Will keep a look out and report on spam over the next couple of days…
sworoc 10:14 am on September 7, 2010 517 days ago Reply
That’s cute.
I guess everybody makes their mistakes, but I wonder what it will do to user perception.
JPWatkins 6:47 pm on September 7, 2010 516 days ago Reply
@rastard
“You damn kids! Get offa my lawn!”
Exactly.
I was also thinking of the denouement of nearly every”Scoobie Doo” episode‚Äî”And I would have gotten away with it too! If it hadn’t've been for those darn kids!
JPWatkins 6:52 pm on September 7, 2010 516 days ago Reply
Ratty, I couldn’t find a page without spam! Perhaps Apple did a better job in the UK?
Anyway, it’s not my cup of tea. I find listening to good radio shows the most pleasant way to discover interesting new music. Unlike “social media” requires little effort and can be done in the background while doing other productive things.
RattyUK 10:27 pm on September 7, 2010 516 days ago Reply
I’m here in the States and I’m following mostly hi-tech people who are posting mostly stuff they are buying. Only following one band – most of the people I am interested in don’t have pages yet. Perhaps if I were following the big acts then maybe spam would abound.
JPWatkins 12:15 am on September 8, 2010 516 days ago Reply
I suppose so. Spamming Lady GaGa followers is probably a bigger bang for the effort than would be the bands I would tend to follow.