Lenny, I want everyone including you to understand that yupdater really only handles updates. It can update itself to add additional functionality, and it also checks for updates available to the client software. It doesn't "phone home" or do anything outside of the general task of keeping your software up-to-date. It runs every time you sign-in, and it does so out of necessity. In the extremely unlikely case that a sever security vulnerability is found and exploited in a version of Messenger, there has to be a way to get a new version with a fix out to everyone before they sign in and open themselves up to the risk.
FWIW, Yahoo! Messenger application itself handles all of the non-update transmissions – status updates from people on your friends' list, incoming IMs, alerts… Of course this is all covered in the Privacy Policy that you agreed to when you installed the software: http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/messenger/details.html FWIW, I recommend you simply leave the updater alone. Then you won't have to worry about changing names back and forth, and you won't be stuck if a truly critical update is released. ·Dave ----- Original Message ---- From: LNVTM1 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 9:35:55 AM Subject: [Y!M] How to keep your YM from automatically upgrading to a new version Many people who are security conscious would routinely block this yupdater.exe file, using their firewalls to prevent YM from "phoning home". Some people consider any program that stays in constant contact with the manufacturer to be some sort of spyware. If you have a decent firewall, you will routinely see yupdater.exe using your internet connect to contact Yahoo... and I mean every time you use your YM program. Most other "updater" features on other programs only "phone home" to check for updates on a weekly or monthly basis. Since YM updater does it every time, this is what leads many to be suspicious of the function. . _
