IM-Names (n00b with n00b question, sorry)

[dave_123]

Hi, I was wondering if you guys could help put my mind at ease over something. I've recently started getting advertisements in MSN whenever I talk to my contacts telling me to get this IM-Names thing you may have heard of.

From what I can tell, IM-Names is this program that claims to be able to tell you your friends' other msn addresses, like maybe the ones for other people who use the same computer, or ones used to talk to family or something. I think it might also be spyware, not that my friends would be bothered in the slightest by that... Anyway I'm a bit concerned about this. I don't particularly want my friends to know my other e-mail addresses, and if this program really does what it claims to do, is there anything I can do to prevent my friends from finding out my other msn e-mail addresses?

I presume it must work by using your IP address to work our what other msn addresses have been signed in on that IP perhaps. (I'm not too good on the technical side, so sorry if that makes no sense).

Anyway, any ideas if this IM-Names is a real threat to my privacy, and if so, what can I do about it?

Any help much appreciated.

[Kudo]

check this thread http://www.bigblueball.com/forums/ms...uninstall.html

[dave_123]

Originally Posted by Kudo

check this thread http://www.bigblueball.com/forums/ms...uninstall.html

Yeah that's definitely the program I'm talking about.

I haven't actually installed the program though, so I don't need to uninstall it. My question is, will friends who install IM-names themselves, be able to find out my other msn names? And if so, what can I do about it?

[Kudo]

will friends who install IM-names themselves, be able to find out my other msn names? And if so, what can I do about it?

I don't think they can.Anyway you should let your friends know about what they are using.