Public Service Announcement

[candyland]

Apologies for spamming your f-lists, but this has been going on since I installed the program, and I'm getting sick of it. It's gone from being a couple of isolated, forgettable incidents to being outright ridiculous.

I've been getting a LOT of weird IMs on Skype. I mean a LOT. And it's gotten to the point where I've actually gone in and changed my settings. I can't be messaged on there unless you're on my buddy list. I have NEVER done that with an IM service before. But when I ask a person who they are (figuring that they're from ff-dot-net or LJ or something), and the response I get is "somebody" before they start asking personal questions, I'm not going to continue the conversation.

And adding someone who then immediately tries to call me twice times without any other conversation or identifying comments...yeah. And it's only on Skype, for some reason. Not on MSN or AIM...and well, not on Yahoo, but I'm almost never on Yahoo anyway.

And I've decided that I'm done with it. So I'm saying this now, especially for Skype--identify yourself, please. Or I'm not going to talk to you. There's a place to type a message when you add someone. Because I'm getting weirded out by the seemingly random people adding me and asking questions without giving me any sort of name or where they found me, and outright refusing to answer when I ask directly.

Yes, I'm probably overreacting. But I've gotten more of these IMs in the couple of months I've been on Skype then in all the time I've been on all my other messengers combined.

Comments

[gracie-musica.livejournal.com]

That's... sorta stalker-y.

Sounds like another reason not to get Skype.

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

Skype itself isn't a bad messenger. I got it because of the Layton chatroom, which is where half the fandom hangs out. And that's a fun place. It just makes me feel kind of bad that I've had to sort of...shut down my BL.

This last one was the straw that broke the camel's back, though, and prompted the post.

[quandtuniverse.livejournal.com]

That happened to me too! It really sucks :( I just ignore everyone I haven't added myself, or whose username I don't recognize. It's getting on my nerves! I wonder where they're all coming from?

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

It's actually sort of a relief to find that I'm not the only one getting odd messages, since it doesn't seem like anyone else is *clingsu*

The only two places I have my Skype address posted are my LJ and my ff-dot-net account (but I only recently added it there), but I have all my messengers listed on my LJ profile, and I don't get these kinds of IMs on any of the others.

...where are they coming from?

[quandtuniverse.livejournal.com]

I have no idea! I haven't even posted mine anywhere o_O

[chakrus.livejournal.com]

Who really uses yahoo anyway. seriously.

but yeah, I was having that thing on MSN too, but then some asshole signed my MSN for all these spam services >>

but yeah creepy people are creepy, and virus sending people are mean.

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

I have an account--I just rarely sign on ^^;;

Oh geez, that bites D: I think someone put my AIM on something like that once, 'cause I got a few weird IMs that were all the same message from different names. I got well-acquainted with the "Report Spam" button, and it hasn't happened again.

Agreed on both counts~

[articulation.livejournal.com]

That happens all the time on Skype. I mean, it happens once in a blue moon normally but if you put your status to "Skype Me!" you'll get a boat load. It kind of shows to every single person on the entire program your name so you get a bunch. It's easily solved, though: don't use that status. Now I only get the weird skypes like ... once every three weeks or so.

I've gotten used to it. I just reject the calls and close the texts. If they were actually my friends, they would have said something.

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

Except I've never set my status to Skype Me, so that isn't it D: But yeah, I've just started rejecting the texts and calls. I like to know who I'm talking to >_>

[articulation.livejournal.com]

How long ago did you get Skype? Cause I've noticed that it's usually the worst in like ... the first two months or so and then it calms way down.

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

Hmm...end of November, beginning of December-ish?

[articulation.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got mine in August and towards the end of November, the weird calls and texts and stuff had pretty much calmed down to once in a great while. Give it a little more time, I would say.

[randomaicoholic.livejournal.com]

Hmm...Haunted by stalkers? Not a very comfortable situation.^^;
Stay firm, you're not overreacting, and you don't have to justify yourself on this area. People who are suffering from such a lack of courtesy deserves nothing but a slap on the head before a definitive ignorance.^_-

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

If it were just one or two IMs, I'd ignore it. It's just happening a LOT as of late, and it's making me antsy. I'm just sort of paranoid like that ^^;;

Thank you~ I guess I like to introduce myself if I talk to new people, so I don't get why people don't ^^;;

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

It's definitely not over-reacting! Those people are either coming off as creeps/jerks, or they really are. XD;

I used to get bizarre spam IMs on older versions of MSN, but I haven't for several years now. **assumes it was a glitch in the system they remedied?**

[pleonasm]

I've been getting a lot of salmons on Yahoo!, but I think if I ever got a strange Skype call-- even one-- I'd do what you did. D:

[kaitodoushi.livejournal.com]

I've been getting similar spambots/weird things on Skype. I mean, not similar to yours, it's different names with the same message. I had no idea you could block things like that, though o.o *goes to do so*

[kuririnchan.livejournal.com]

I used to get these all the time. If I didn't know them I would just say "I don't chat with people I don't know," then if they kept trying to make conversation I would start swearing a blue streak. :P