Why does Hotmail feel the need to hijack all URLs that are listed in emails?

[BillGates]

I use a Hotmail account for forum/website registrations and sometimes for web purchases as these all seem to produce spam on down the road. Many times you have to click on activation links or order status links or similar and for some reason Hotmail seems to route the sites through the Hotmail site by opening the URL in a new window with a Hotmail top frame. This seems like behavior similar to what spyware will sometimes do. Does anybody know anything more about this or why the site does it?

 

[arcenite]

Originally posted by: BillGates
I use a Hotmail account for forum/website registrations and sometimes for web purchases as these all seem to produce spam on down the road. Many times you have to click on activation links or order status links or similar and for some reason Hotmail seems to route the sites through the Hotmail site by opening the URL in a new window with a Hotmail top frame. This seems like behavior similar to what spyware will sometimes do. Does anybody know anything more about this or why the site does it?

SO THEY CAN TRACK YOUR EVERY FOOTSTEP BAHAHHAHAHAHAHAA

 

[EyeMWing]

This is so n00bs can get back to their email. Deal with it.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
This is so n00bs can get back to their email. Deal with it.

Yep. Get a real webmail.

- M4H

 

[Nitemare]

Does anyone other than Spammers use hotmail nowadays?

 

[Dragnov]

Shouldn't you be able to answer that yourself BillGates

 

[BillGates]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
This is so n00bs can get back to their email. Deal with it.

As I noted, it opens the links in a new window which is fine. However, it seems to be routing all traffic (including HTTPS) through their servers instead of just opening the link in the new window which is simple enough to code.

 

[DeRusto]

They have to put a frame at the top that lets idiots know their email didn't disappear to cut down on the tech support calls

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: BillGates

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
This is so n00bs can get back to their email. Deal with it.

As I noted, it opens the links in a new window which is fine. However, it seems to be routing all traffic (including HTTPS) through their servers instead of just opening the link in the new window which is simple enough to code.

Microsoft uses this as a tracking mechanism to see what to buy next.