MetaChat - Buried in a list of 20 million Web search queries collected by AOL

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09 August 2006

Buried in a list of 20 million Web search queries collected by AOL and recently released on the Internet is user No. 4417749. name: brillemann pass: brillemann
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It did not take much investigating to follow that data trail to Thelma Arnold, a 62-year-old widow who lives in Lilburn, Ga.

Asked about Ms. Arnold, an AOL spokesman, Andrew Weinstein, reiterated the company’s position that the data release was a mistake. 'We apologize specifically to her, he said. There is not a whole lot we can do.'

Perhaps Seppuku Andrew, you scumbag?

post by: arse_hat at: 23:13 | 11 comments

Darned story's behind the login! Argh!

The clusterf*ck that is AOL is circling the bowl.

posted by fenriq 09 August | 23:55

name: brillemann pass: brillemann didn't work fen? I always try to give a working bugmenot login. Try biteback biteback.

posted by arse_hat 10 August | 00:01

Try this link if you're having difficulties.

posted by GeckoDundee 10 August | 00:01

And, of course, let's not forget about this: AIM owns you. Does AOL deliberately plan one massive PR disaster every year? Or maybe once a month?

Yet they still keep chugging along, and Google even bought in. I don't get it either.

Thelma Arnold seems like a sweet lady... I love the caption on her pic: "Thelma Arnold’s identity was betrayed by AOL records of her Web searches, like ones for her dog, Dudley, who clearly has a problem".

Anyway, what I don't get is why AOL did this to begin with. All I can find is "blah, blah, academic community, blah, blah, research tools". What were they doing that required search terms to be linked to any user, even "anonymous" ones?

posted by taz 10 August | 01:01

The log is available (via a search interface) here.

posted by GeckoDundee 10 August | 01:17

For the record, just because I'm petty this way: link.

posted by mudpuppie 10 August | 01:30

I want the NYT to interview this fellow. (NSFW)

posted by taz 10 August | 01:38

Like I said earlier, user 711391 is where the real drama is at.

posted by blag 10 August | 06:53

And of course, I see now that blag also earlier linked to the searchable log. (That'll teach me not to follow links).

posted by GeckoDundee 10 August | 07:39

Loquacious?

posted by agropyron 10 August | 09:18

User #582088 searched for 'can you hear me out there i can hear you i got you i can hear you over i really feel strange i wanna wish for something new this is the scariest thing ive ever done in my life who do we think we are angels and airwaves im gonna count down till 10 52 i can' at 2006-05-30 19:31:54

posted by agropyron 10 August | 11:31

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