MySpace Tutorial: How to Block MySpace Trackers

MySpace stalking is one of those joys that MySpace has given us. I mean who doesn't love the ability to go in and anonymously peek at your new co-worker's MySpace profile, maybe view your new boyfriend's ex-girlfriends pictures or read the blog of that girl from school that you can't stand? Curiosity compels us all to be MySpace stalkers from time to time.

However, your MySpace stalking might not be so anonymous anymore thanks to the ever-growing number of MySpace trackers that have popped up recently. In fact, the joke just might be on you because it's quite likely that whoever you are stalking on MySpace (no matter how innocently) not only knows how many times their Myspace profile has been viewed, but they also might know just WHO is doing the viewing. That's right... you could be BUSTED.

So what does this mean for all of us curious, yet harmless MySpace stalkers out there? Is there a way for us to have our cake and eat it too? That's a great question that has more than one right answer.

First of all, you have to understand something about all MySpace trackers. See, if you've ever signed up for a MySpace tracker and added it to your MySpace profile you may have only been thinking about the fact that you could now know exactly who viewed your MySpace profile. What you might not have realized is that by signing up for a MySpace tracker you were essentially adding yourself to that MySpace trackers database and now any other MySpace user who uses that MySpace tracker would know exactly who you were when you visited their profile too. Hmm, kind of changes things now doesn't it?

And that's just the thing - Myspace users want to be anonymous when it comes to their MySpace stalking, er, I mean MySpace viewing, but we don't want other MySpace users to be anonymous too. So what's the solution then?

Well, a great rule of thumb is this: Don't sign up for any MySpace trackers... period. If you keep yourself and your IP address out of any MySpace trackers database then you don't really have to worry too much about being spotted on a MySpace tracker. But what if you've already signed up for one or two or three MySpace trackers? Are you just totally out of luck? Not quite.

I stumbled across a very interesting post on Grown Up Geek called, "How To Block MySpace Trackers", that laid out the whole MySpace tracker blocking process pretty simply. On Grown Up Geek they have a running list of all MySpace trackers - the big names like ProfileSnitch, MixMap and Trakzor are on there along with all the little-known MySpace trackers too.

The guys on Grown Up Geek claim that by adding the URLs of all MySpace trackers to AdBlock Plus on Mozilla you can block any MySpace tracker from picking up any information about you - including all those late night visits you make to your ex's MySpace profile. Mmm-hmm, you know who you are.

The Grown Up Geek list of blocked MySpace trackers is updated regularly so you do have to check back in every so often to get any new updates and import the new list into AdBlock Plus, but it seriously takes about 10 seconds. Pretty cool, huh? Now if you'll excuse me, I have a little MySpace stalking to do.