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Chris Wayman

Q: Corrupted Buddy List full of Strangers' Names

I am experiencing a problem on my MacBook Pro, which doesn't happen on my iMac. My buddy list has become corrupted and contains a list of weird names with icons (not photos) and only one correct buddy (with photo). All my other buddies have disappeared. Does anyone have any idea what could have happened? I've rebooted but that didn't help.

2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac (24" screen)   Mac OS X (10.4.7)   MacBook Pro 2.16GHz, AirPort

2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac (24" screen), Mac OS X (10.4.9), AirPort

Posted on Jun 12, 2007 5:00 AM

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Q: Corrupted Buddy List full of Strangers' Names

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  • by Ron Wilson,

    Ron Wilson Ron Wilson Jun 12, 2007 10:44 AM in response to mattalex
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 12, 2007 10:44 AM in response to mattalex
    Me too. I'm in N. Texas. Not logged in anywhere else.

    Prof Gilzot
    sharethisdotcom
    Spleak
    WSJ
    (Moviefone and ShoppingBuddy have been added before)

    Adding these bots w/o permission is really not acceptable. Apple should consider dumping AIM for one of the other Instant Messengers.
  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jun 12, 2007 10:47 AM in response to mattalex
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Jun 12, 2007 10:47 AM in response to mattalex
    Everyone's Buddy List is held on the AIM servers.

    It would be fairly easy for them to add these screen names/bots to everyone's Buddy List.

    It would seem to be the most likely answer.



    6:47 PM Tuesday; June 12, 2007
  • by Ron Wilson,

    Ron Wilson Ron Wilson Jun 12, 2007 11:16 AM in response to Ron Wilson
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 12, 2007 11:16 AM in response to Ron Wilson
    Send your iChat feedback to Apple and let them know that you do not like the bots being automatically added to your buddy list:

    In iChat:
    iChat>Provide iChat Feedback

    or simply

    http://www.apple.com/feedback/ichat.html

    D'oh. I just realized that Apple may have nothing to do with this, if it's just affecting folks using AIM via iChat. So, I guess the complaints should be directed at AOL. :/
  • by CodLBi,

    CodLBi CodLBi Jun 12, 2007 11:20 AM in response to Clint P.
    Level 3 (720 points)
    Jun 12, 2007 11:20 AM in response to Clint P.
    Yep, what I just am thinking about is that we have an little but beautiful human nature character that might have slipped into code.
    Just something to ponder about, It that addressing repeatable.

    I notice there is a 3 behind your name. Now I think this could have been added by yourself, but if not: I might have an explanation.
    I like to think of it as a Boolean Rhapsody (courtesy columbia university)
    There is a way to get software to decide without human interference and it is called
    "resolving". I wonder wether there was a name conflict and the incremented "3"
    was added by means of a resolving a.i. to get on with the rdata conflict software (as apparently been mentioned in this forum by Ralph, J.V. and some others)
    might cause an issue with your iChat video capability. Situations have been observed when a host trying to find a unique name might have a result that immediately (wish it was true) sends back it's own name.
    There might be just that little delay that he did not expect since he send it on time.
    And a couple of "let's call it: echo's" result in the good host being confronted with a name he can't use cause it has been taken by himself.
    What would a chess computer do? Touch the clock, what would a "lexicographic" capable program do: resolve it like men.
    I think it might be time to think wether the "conflict resolving" algorithm might be better of by simply adding a stamp that will give a unique result cause two time "clicks" at one ticket is hard to repeat.
    Peace!

    Inspired by Lange3 (the number)

    MacBook Pro 2.33 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo   Mac OS X (10.4.9)   3 GB 667 Mhz 8R2205
  • by ShifterWatch,

    ShifterWatch ShifterWatch Jun 12, 2007 11:52 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 12, 2007 11:52 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Screw AIM, they didn't ask if I wanted this addition to my Buddy list. They are just looking for more ways to advertise... makes me want to obliterate them from my life is all it really does.
  • by John Lange3,

    John Lange3 John Lange3 Jun 12, 2007 1:24 PM in response to CodLBi
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 12, 2007 1:24 PM in response to CodLBi
    …fun stuff but alas no... well, make that a "soft-no". Good old Apple created it for me once upon a time when a former laptop of mine took a dump. I chalk it up to the "Genius" at the G-bar not even bothering to ask me if I had an account. He created a new one for me instead. This resulted in me having 2 accounts. A true genius indeed! When I tried to update my accounts for better iTunes use, well… I got good old #3 thanks to “account support” over the phone. I couldn’t tell you if I have more than one account these days. I just don’t care. I use this one and it fits me just fine even if the “3” is a little goofy.

    Also... for the tea drinker remark makers… yes, I typically am at room temperature myself (physically). Not so ironically, the tea I am drinking is often at room temperature also. I just prefer it that way. Although, a nice cold glass of iced tea can be nice too. The only constant is it must always come as plain tea no matter what flavor or form of tea it is. That means, no sugar, no milk, no honey… no nothing. The only exception is on occasion I’ll squeeze some lemon in there when the tea is awful.

    And back to the topic at hand… go ahead and delete the “bots”, notify Apple and pour another cup of tea. OS X & Wind-d’ohs! Have not become “one” just yet. Soon they will, but for now… drink up the OS X goodness.

    “#3”
    “ “


    … and another “ “ for good measure.




    1.5 Ghz PowerBook & 2Ghz Intel MacBook Pro
  • by CodLBi,

    CodLBi CodLBi Jun 12, 2007 1:42 PM in response to John Lange3
    Level 3 (720 points)
    Jun 12, 2007 1:42 PM in response to John Lange3
    Nothing wrong with the good old OS, neither with AIM.
    Just wanted to know wether you met the same...

    Anyway,

    Let's not discuss tea cause it is not my territory (and the programming I have no idea but it was something I can't solve). I am sometimes trying to hard and in doubt when I do not need to be, guess it's just me.

    (Earl Grey at the Raffles)

    MacBook Pro 2.33 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo   Mac OS X (10.4.9)   3 GB 667 Mhz 8R2205

    What amazes me about the British is that they wait if you're not on time,
    so their Tea will be like yours not to hot. (one cannot be late
  • by Josiah Gluck,

    Josiah Gluck Josiah Gluck Jun 12, 2007 6:42 PM in response to Chris Wayman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 12, 2007 6:42 PM in response to Chris Wayman
    I'm in NYC and I saw the exact same list of "who the F are these folks...??'

    My iChatAV was up and running all night [usually it's off; must've left it on]. So-- did everyone here who had this freak-out have the app. up and running last night??

    I asked two people I know who are on iChat a lot, and they reported no anomalies.

    G5 / Power Book G4 15"   Mac OS X (10.4.9)  

    G5   Mac OS X (10.4.9)  
  • by j.v.,

    j.v. j.v. Jun 12, 2007 9:29 PM in response to Ron Wilson
    Level 5 (4,155 points)
    Jun 12, 2007 9:29 PM in response to Ron Wilson
    who cares? if enough  iChat users voice their distaste to  for AIM/AOL doing this, I would like to think that they are responsible enough to pass the word along to AOL/AIM to knock it off or they'll make their own jabber server and quit paying AOL loads of money.
  • by jumplong1,

    jumplong1 jumplong1 Jun 13, 2007 3:49 PM in response to Chris Wayman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 13, 2007 3:49 PM in response to Chris Wayman
    This blog entry (and the articles it links to) explains where these AIM bots came from:
    http://buddyblog.aim.com/2007/06/12/bots-and-buddies-and-groups-oh-my/

    You can find out about those AIM bots and more at:
    http://aimpages.aol.com/aimbots/

    Mac Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.9)  
  • by icerabbit,

    icerabbit icerabbit Jun 14, 2007 7:50 AM in response to Josiah Gluck
    Level 3 (777 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 14, 2007 7:50 AM in response to Josiah Gluck
    My system had been off and I didn't use iChat in a few days.

    Started it this morning and suddenly my iChat list expanded vertically with 5 online buddies I've never heard of ... which all were online:

    - moviefone
    - prof gilzot
    - sharethisdotcom
    - spleak
    - wsj

    Of course I was surprised and thought somebody had hacked the system to force / spam their way into everybody's user list. (along the lines of spam messages and other exploits that exist/existed with other IM apps).

    I certainly do not like iChat to be open to this type of commercial stuff.

    It would be nice if there were a right-click option to remove these.
    Hopefully when removed via Buddies > Remove buddy ... they will never come back.
  • by Trufficulture,

    Trufficulture Trufficulture Jun 14, 2007 8:25 PM in response to jumplong1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 14, 2007 8:25 PM in response to jumplong1
    They do show up again, though. I deleted all five in a bit of a stupor this morning. Three were back when I started up my system this evening. That was more disconcerting than the original discovery, I think.
  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jun 15, 2007 4:55 AM in response to Chris Wayman
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Jun 15, 2007 4:55 AM in response to Chris Wayman
    Hi Everyone,

    Can I ask if any of you have used the AIM application on another machine or on the Mac you are using ?

    The AIM Servers gives everyone a group called Recent Buddies.
    iChat does not have a group for this and in normal use ignores it.

    However if you use ANY Aim application (PC or Mac) then the Recent Buddy group seems to become active.

    The effect you see is to have all recent contacts automatically added even if you did not ask then to be.

    The cure for this is to download the AIM for Mac application and move Buddies you want to keep out of this group and delete the group afterwards.

    If you don't have the group then Buddies do not seem to have been added to iChat.



    12:55 PM Friday; June 15, 2007
  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jun 15, 2007 11:48 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Jun 15, 2007 11:48 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Hi,

    You can try to put them in the Block list. (i have several people there).

    You can actually delete Buddies by highlighting them and then using the Backspace/Delete button and confirming that what you want to do.



    7:47 PM Friday; June 15, 2007
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