formspring

Formspring disables user passwords in security breach

Formspring has suffered a security intrusion in which some of its user passwords may have been breached, the question-and-answer site warned today.

Formspring, which said it only learned of the network intrusion this morning, responded by disabling all users' passwords.

"We apologize for the inconvenience but prefer to play it safe and have asked all members to reset their passwords," Formspring founder and CEO Ade Olonoh said in a company blog post. "Users will be prompted to change their passwords when they log back into Formspring. "

A Formspring spokesperson told CNET that the company was tipped … Read more

Formspring forges out of awkward adolescence

It's been a volatile year for Formspring, a question-and-answer service that saw lightning-fast growth in the wake of its November 2009 launch but also controversy and scorn as it was criticized for harboring high levels of spam and nasty anonymous bullying. Slightly over a year later, it was unclear whether Formspring would be able to turn this traffic and interest into something positive, sustainable, and eventually profitable.

The company, predictably, says that it can. On Tuesday night, Formspring made a set of announcements that collectively spell out a desire to grow up: the company has raised $11.5 million … Read more

Teens abuse, find comfort in anonymity on Formspring.me

Teenagers are flocking to Formspring.me, a social media tool that allows users to anonymously ask questions for others to publicly answer. Users get a unique URL that points their friends (or foes) to a simple form that reads, "Ask me anything." But, of course, the simplest things can sometimes be the most problematic.

A police department in Suffolk County, N.Y., investigating the suicide of Alexis Pilkington, 17, might consider Formspring.me as a factor in her death. According to the Associated Press, Alexis was receiving harassing messages before her death last March 21. Her family insists … Read more