MySpace is financed by advertisers the ones who are inside and they disrupt anybody who will allow other advertisers trough the cracks, this is what I think. Does it make sens? I don’t know. Am I ok with it? Haven’t made up my mind.

Not sure I understand David. Isn’t the link automatically changed by MySpace for security reasons, i.e. to avoid phishing scams?

@Daniel. I’ve seen this and believe that is so.

humm?? not sure. i can post a link in facebook status and it remains clickable. myspace actually changes my link so its unclickable and unreadable.

Completely removing an external link to stop phishing scams seems a bit excessive.

Yes, myspace does this link-change thing for security. Typically the external link is not removed altogether - its converted into a “myspace” link which (in theory) remains active, but also makes it harder for phishing scams. Sometimes (especially with the tiny url) the link just dies.

Their reason for this has been addressed by “Tom” and in the myspace tech forum, there’s a bounty of articles online but, anymore, just the word “myspace” gives me a headache.

I know phishing was a huge problem before, but Tom and the folks over there seem to have secured themselves into oblivion - making myspace impossible to use as the social “network” it was meant to be.

an article about the phishing thing:
http://www.bestsecuritytips.com/news+article.storyid+486.htm

I noticed this too! So frustrating! Converting the links and asking for confirmation to go elsewhere is one thing but disabling the link altogether and disabling html in bulletins etc does seem excessive. Especially considering that i still get much more spam and messages from phished accounts on Myspace than I do on the comparably “insecure” facebook!

@Shannon. It is very frustrating! I thought links were supposed to make it easier to go places quicker.
I agree that there is too much spam now on myspace.
@David. Have you thought of an alternative?

If you retype your link by hand, you can just enter “space” btw http: and // (like this: http: //…)
It wouldn’t be clickable, but the link will saved.

I think it’s incompetence, more than it’s any real attempt to create a walled garden.

The intent is security. If you click a link to an external site, first you have to click through some stupid page warning you that you’re going to an external site. So, MySpace tries (and obviously fails sometimes — no big surprise there) to convert all external links you enter to something that will be routed through it’s “are you sure, moron?” page first.

Why does MySpace feel it necessary to do this when no one else does?

I think they’re just incompetent, and they’re treating their users like idiots.

The more opinions I read the more my theory makes sens in my own mind

YA MYPSCAE SUCKS..I AGREE WITH BLAISE. I ALMSOT HAVE GIVEN UP ON IT FINALLY..

its really painful that we have to confirm that we want to leave myspace.com
i understand well why though, after seeing so many account spammed in a fake myspace log in window. it was, personally a bit frustrating as i was working on making a myspace an official website, linked to external html pages. whatever, its less views for them. (as if i ddnt knew im a water drop in a huge sea)

myspace is full of restrictions in what you can do, and its probably the most spammed website. and to my opinion, they’re trying to become “facebook” as they should had focused on their “musical” vocation.

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