GEN: Mr. Smiley website

[Judy Gardner <jdagardner@NETSCAPE.NET>]

Dear LM_Netters,

I have recently had many students in our hs computer labs accessing this website:  
http://www.MrSmiley.com/  The site appears innocent enough.  You are asked to give 
the email addresses of at least 5 friends.  If those 5 friends then each give the 
email addresses of at least 5 of their friends, you will receive a free tee 
shirt..or so it says!  After you have entered the 5 email addresses you click to go 
to another page where you are asked to enter your name, address, and of course tee 
shirt size so that when you become eligible they have the address for sending your 
tee shirt!  However, on this page, even after entering all the required 
information, you get an error message that not all fields have been completed.  
There are no remaining fields to complete but you still get this message.  My 
concern is that you have already given out at least 5 email addresses before you 
realize this site is a sham! It's a rather "deceitful" way of either someone or 
some organization building an email address book for who knows what purpose.  I 
have no way of knowing how many students have done this or know what will happen to 
the emails this site has managed to gather.  I wrote to the email address given on 
the site but I have not received a reply.  Below is the email you receive if your 
address was given:

The subject of this email is:  Check this out :))

The message:

hey, go here and we both get a cool tshirt

   pretty pretty please :)

   -----Original Message-----
   From: Smiley@MrSmiley.com
   To:
   Subject: my friend?

   Will you be my friend? :)

   Come play with me and I'll give you a FREE T-Shirt!

   http://www.MrSmiley.com/?r=XXXXXXX  (I removed the number that was listed here)

   Thanks! :)

   Steve
   Smiley@MrSmiley.com

It all appears very innocent.  But you're hooked before you realize it!!
I warn my students about giving out email addresses!!  This site even gets through 
the filter we are using!
I am just curious if anyone else has encountered this website being accessed by 
students.  I guess the site doesn't quite break any rules except being rather 
deceitful!  I feel I want to do more...but not quite sure who to contact!  I am 
quite concerned why someone or an organization feels it must use a manner such as 
this to collect email addresses..and in such an innocent way!

Judy Gardner
--
Judy Gardner
Library/Media Specialist
Lebanon High School
Lebanon, PA
jdagardner@netscape.net
VRD Information Network Specialist



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