[Icom] You've been Invited to use PalTalk as a FREE Video Phone

[Douglas J. Koehler]

At 07:07 PM 1/1/2003, Howard W3CQH keyed:

>Is this legitimate software or SPAM?
>
>73's
>
>Howard W3CQH

The site SaferSite.com

http://www.safersite.com/PestInfo/P/PalTalk.asp

has this to say about PalTalk:

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PalTalk

Summary:
PalTalk is an Internet audio/video chat client offering a wide range of 
features including free voice chat and videoconferencing. Users can 
communicate with other users anywhere in the world, at any time and in any 
mode. Up to 500 users can connect simultaneously for a group conference 
call. You can also create your own group and bring together other PalTalk 
users with similar interests. Use PalTalk to see up to three friends 
simultaneously with the group videoconferencing feature, or send a voice 
email to your buddies if they aren't online.

Category:
Adware. Brings targeted ads to your computer, after you provide initial 
consent for this task. May track your browsing habits and report this info 
to a central ad server.

Risk:
Threatens privacy and confidentiality. Does not fully uninstall when so 
requested, and continues to run at each boot.
----------------

So I'm filing it under SPAM.

Personally I'm suspicious of any site that uses a numeric address 
(199.106.234.148), a non-standard port (8080) and a script file with a code 
to tell where the user got this address from (join.jsp?source=2) just for a 
"free" piece of software. Sounds like a way to collect email addresses for 
a mailing (SPAM) list to me, but that's just my opinion.