1) As noted we’ve clarified our Address Book Import to be as clear as possible, including highlighting which of your contacts are on Spock and allowing users to select which of their contacts they would like to send an invitation to Spock.

2) A trust request is similar to an invitation in that it enables people on Spock to share each others contact information. A Trust Request will also enable a user to refine a search on Spock by enabling a user to search within his own network and extended network of people. Please note that these invitations are user generated and not from Spock. At no point do we make a user send an invitation, and while the term “Trust Request” may seem odd at first, the idea is not unlike receiving an invitation to another site.

3) Spock is primarily a people search. With the exception of sharing contact information, the same information is available to non-members. The advantage to being a user is the ability to claim your search result and contribute information. Because people can be searched by name, e-mail, or tag which is a personal piece of information such as an occupation, the more enriched your search result the better. By being notified of any changes to your search result you can be confident in being notified of any changes which enables you to be as active as you choose to be.

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me at patrick@corp.spock.com

Thanks for dropping by.

The issue is pretty black and white for me. Any time an application causes me to send mail to my (large) address book, it had better explicitly tell me that it’s doing so. You guys didn’t. Spock told me that there were people who “might” be on Spock. You told a white lie to deceptively entice me to mail everyone in my address book. That earns you a big thumbs down from me. None of the other social tools I’ve ever used did this.

Show me that the company has changed this behavior and I’ll look at it again. However, until I see otherwise I’ll continue to hold the opinion that you folks are deceptive spammers.

My two cents.

A.

My initial reaction to this post was to ask: Why is it that this leaves “a bad taste” in your mouth? Do you feel the same way (and did you blog about) any of the other networks that send invitations on your behalf? I get many more requests from people asking me to join xyz app on Facebook than I get requests from people asking for my trust in Spock.

After starting this comment, I see that you have blogged about a couple of FaceBook’s more obvious similarities to this situation. I wonder if you have removed yourself from FaceBook because of the complaints or if you continue to participate there because you see it as a different situation.

As I have said in another comment on your blog, I see a benefit to Spock. It lets me know if you are who you say you are. It lets you know that I am who I say I am.

My suggestion? Check out Spock in detail. See if what they say about you and those you know is correct. Remember that you can help to correct the information - which is not something FaceBook or other networks let you do. And remember, that unlike FaceBook, Spock doesn’t use your name and identity to make people believe you are supporting unrelated products without your knowledge.

Just my two cents.
Kathy Jacobs, Spock Evangelist

Once I looked at the site I refused to sign up. Perhaps there should be some litigation if these types of sites promulgate incorrect info. Hit ‘em in the not-so-fat wallet.

But then Abramson’s post sent me back to Saunder’s blog to learn about spock’s not so honest recruiting methods.
I was sad to read in comments of the latter post that only way you could make sure that information about you is correct by joining, be…

I certainly have no interest in joining at this point.