Yahoo Messenger censorship

[Narei Mooncatt]

Heads up folks, but looks like Yahoo Messenger (YIM) is censoring links. It's not all links, and the article I read is kinda dated and only listed one site. I guess I just didn't realize it until today when I noticed people weren't getting messages I sent with a link in them that I had sent before, so seems the list is expanding. They don't just block viewing of the subject link, but the entire message is blocked from going to the other person, I see it on my end, but it will not be saved to the archive. I do know that it has censored both plain jane sites and adult sites. Yes, there are ways around it, but you have to use spam bot tactics to do so. Which makes absolutely no sense at all. I guess the people at yahoo have nothing better to do than be my moral police. Well... considering one block I found, I could hardly call it a moral issue, unless they have something against software given freely by the developer.

I'm also wondering if that's why I wasn't getting an email I was expecting from that aforementioned software company. Not even in my spam box.

Original article HERE

[Alsek]

This is the benefit of a total lack of monopolies.  It's one more reason not to use YIM any longer.  There's plenty of messengers that won't censor you.  If you leave Yim as a result,  you may want to email yahoo and let them know why. 

[WhiteStorm]

I used to know a few that didn't show up on MSN messenger... not sure if they still do that. At the moment I only use Skype and I don't IM enough to notice any being blocked. I don't think I even know anyone who uses Y!M anymore. I only know one person who still uses Yahoo! in general, and I'm not really sure why, but we don't question it. She's the sort of person who could start a house fire pouring milk into cereal.

[MoonlightSerenity]

I've never heard of this censorship before but in my mind it seems silly for them to do it.
Although I don't use y!m anymore, and probably a good thing.

[Acton]

I thinking you are making Mountains out of mole hills.  I bet all that happens is Yahoo is taking  precautionary action against malicious links and spam.   Better to use email for sending links.

[Narei Mooncatt]

Acton, we are talking about instant messages.

[Acton]

Acton, we are talking about instant messages.

Yes I am very much aware of this .  I'M is the new vector for ,malicious viruses and malware, knowing Yahoo security, it is a conceivable for IM to be hijacked and send malicious links.

[Narei Mooncatt]

Ok, I think I get what you meant now. I think I misunderstood what you meant saying it's better to use instant messengers. All I have to go on (and apparently the rest of the net as well) is the one article everyone is linking to that indicates they are doing this mainly to stop piracy and not virus/hacking.

[Alsek]

I thinking you are making Mountains out of mole hills.  I bet all that happens is Yahoo is taking  precautionary action against malicious links and spam.   Better to use instant messages for sending links.

Yes I am very much aware of this .  I'M is the new vector for ,malicious viruses and malware, knowing Yahoo security, it is a conceivable for IM to be hijacked and send malicious links.

    I'm perfectly capable of deciding whether or not i want to click a link sent to me by someone else.  Also,  it's only thing to warn someone,  it's something else entirely to completely remove the link.  There's not an option to disable this, "safety feature," which makes it even worse.  Even with email suspicious links go to a spam folder that you can still check and access if you really want to...

Yahoo imposing it's standards on me is incredibly arrogant and irritating.  It may be their right to write their instant messengers however they want,  but it's also my right to No-longer use YIM and completely switch over to less invasive messengers.  There are plenty of competitors that don't pull this nonsense such as AIM,  Skype,  GTalk, MSN, and plenty more.

Capitalism at work.   

[Acton]

Ok, I think I get what you meant now. I think I misunderstood what you meant saying it's better to use instant messengers. All I have to go on (and apparently the rest of the net as well) is the one article everyone is linking to that indicates they are doing this mainly to stop piracy and not virus/hacking.

I  made a mistake I meat it was better to use email.