The Ashley Madison hacked ruined people's lives.

[theyarecomingforyou]

"Ana" is a highly educated business woman in her 40s who is finalizing a divorce with her husband.

She stayed up late Thursday rapidly texting eight married men with whom she had relationships after finding them on Ashley Madison.

She said the men are all worried their wives will use search tools now available online to find the email addresses they used to sign up for the cheating site.

Meanwhile, Ana is concerned about her job in finance. Her clients are couples and small businesses. These are highly personal relationships. If they plug in her email address into any of the available Ashley Madison searches, she'll be exposed. And maybe even fired.

"I would lose business, contracts... I'm not even sure if my contract with my employer has a morality clause," she told CNNMoney on Friday. "It could be very damaging."

Ana claims to have had more than 50 encounters -- everything ranging from "a benign flirtatious lunch" to "three days in a hotel room and ordering room service." To her, Ashley Madison was a playground.

"Honey, I devoured them," she said.

There are several things to note here.

1) She was in the process of a divorce, meaning it should not be considered cheating.
2) She should have used a disposable email address if she was concerned about her privacy.
3) She should know what's in the employment contract she signed.
4) Businesses shouldn't have morality clauses, as one's personal life should remain personal.
5) Her calling the website a 'playground' and saying she "devoured" encounters hardly makes her endearing.

As for the hackers exposing such information, while I have absolutely no respect for people who cheat on others I also have zero respect for any group that would make such information public. This information is not in the public interest.

[oldtimefighter]

Who cares?  Also, being a couple(s) and finalizing divorce(s) could be relevant.  No one can look at the list and completely understand the reasoning ... yet in eyes of the internet they are all guilty of being "cheaters".  

How does what they do in their private lives affect you in anyway shape or form?

I don't really care... Doing laundry so killing some time online and wanted to point out her finalizing a divorce is really irrelevant and not the "real" reason why she was on that site. Yes, what people do in their private lives is of no business to us. Why do you care so much you need to try to justify why this woman was on this site?

Oh yeah, If you don't have a  counter-argument never go with "Why do you care?". It's kinda a dumb thing to say when you are here commenting yourself.

[FloatingFatMan]

What about couples that used the website? What about people that made accounts out of curiosity? I'm all for exposing cheaters but posting people's personal information on the Internet isn't the right way to go about it because not everyone involved is "guilty". It's easy to have the "They deserved it because they're cheaters." mentality but it's more than that. Innocent people have been affected by this and that isn't fair.

 

The entire purpose of the site is to help people cheat on their partners. There are no innocent victims except those who were cheated on.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

I don't really care... Doing laundry so killing some time online and wanted to point out her finalizing a divorce is really irrelevant and not the "real" reason why she was on that site. Yes, what people do in their private lives is of no business to us. Why do you care so much you need to try to justify why this woman was on this site?

Oh yeah, If you don't have a  counter-argument never go with "Why do you care?". It's kinda a dumb thing to say when you are here commenting yourself.

You cared enough to quote my post hence the reason I asked.  Why do I care?  Because I do not think people's private lives should be scrutinized by the public.  Case in point, your comment of wanting to point out finalizing a divorce is irrelevant and not the "real" reason she used this site.  What is the real reason?  Do you know this lady or the consensual partners she had to understand or know what the "real" reason is?

 

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Being a "couple" or finalizing a divorce is totally irrelevant! The site is 99% made up of people who are cheaters. Why would "couples" and people finalizing a divorce need to be looking for people cheating on their partner? There are a number of mainstream dating sites you can join and many don't even require a credit card.

Saying that... Anyone using their personal email was really stupid! I don't feel sorry for the people who had their information exposed and hopefully the criminals who exposed it are caught.

Of course it's relevant. We don't know the details of everyone involved in the leak. You can't say that they all had it coming because there were people that used it for other reasons.

 

The entire purpose of the site is to help people cheat on their partners. There are no innocent victims except those who were cheated on.

Just because it was marketed to people in committed relationships doesn't mean the entire purpose of the site was for that purpose. I read about people in open relationships that met other people in open relationships through that site well before the leak. No one marketed Q-tips for cleaning the inside of your ear but the majority of people that buy it use it for that purpose. So no, there are other innocent victims in addition to those that were cheated on. I'm finding it hard to understand why you'd say something like that given your stance on religion. Be the logical person that I know, FloatingFatMan. Don't be emotional.

And don't mistake what I'm saying as an apology for the cheaters. I absolutely despise cheating. I think it's inexcusable and I'd never forgive anyone for it. With that said, I also despise invasion of privacy and it just so happens that a smaller group of innocent people were "caught in the crossfire". That doesn't sit well with me.

[Mockingbird]

Further proof that education and intelligence are mutually exclusive.

So you are using anecdotal evidences to make your case?

That's not a sign of being either very intelligent.

[RealDarrenCohen]

Your personal thoughts on cheating aside as I agree with what most have posted here, this is still f'd.  I know someone who already had been caught by their spouse cheating a few years ago, they dealt with it.....and have moved on with their lives.  That as between he two of them.  He was on the site, and now he has to go through the exercise in public.  It is not just the "######" cheater who is going to go through hell it is his innocent wife who already had to deal with this. It does ruin lives, and it ruins the innocent one in many situations. 

[oldtimefighter]

You cared enough to quote my post hence the reason I asked.  Why do I care?  Because I do not think people's private lives should be scrutinized by the public.  Case in point, your comment of wanting to point out finalizing a divorce is irrelevant and not the "real" reason she used this site.  What is the real reason?  Do you know this lady or the consensual partners she had to understand or know what the "real" reason is?

 

 

Of course it's relevant. We don't know the details of everyone involved in the leak. You can't say that they all had it coming because there were people that used it for other reasons.

 

Guys, take a look at the main graphic on the website --> https://www.ashleymadison.com/

Life is short. Have an affair.

 

What valid reason would a "couple" or someone finalizing a divorce be on this site? Yes, there is always THAT person that does things that make so sense. I am a single person who is looking for signal people but I signed up on Ashley Madison. LOL Just as worse is the single people who sign up to get with married people which is just as bad as the cheaters.

Look, cheaters are liars. I am suggesting maybe this woman is lying.

Do I care? No... I am not scrutinizing the private lives of anyone. This woman made public statements so that opens her up to people questioning them. Hey, you cheat on your partner and want to sign up to a site to do it? It's your life... When that site is hacked and your information is on the web? I am not going to feel sorry for you.

Edited August 22, 2015 by oldtimefighter

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Ironic.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Of course it has, but so has the choice to sign up for such a site behind your partners back.

[adrynalyne]

What about couples that used the website? What about people that made accounts out of curiosity? I'm all for exposing cheaters but posting people's personal information on the Internet isn't the right way to go about it because not everyone involved is "guilty". It's easy to have the "They deserved it because they're cheaters." mentality but it's more than that. Innocent people have been affected by this and that isn't fair.

Playing with fire can get you burned, regardless of how innocent and curious you are.

Curiosity killed the cat...

AS for couples using it, that goes back to lack of intelligence again. What kind of innocent person thinks it is a good idea to use a site that has a motto of "Life is Short, Have an Affair"? Someone who is borderline special needs, maybe.  There are no shortage of dating sites out there that aren't primarily for cheating.

 

 

So you are using anecdotal evidences to make your case?

That's not a sign of being either very intelligent.

You made my case for me

Here, let me help you.

If you are successful, highly educated, and don't want to put your career or the career and life of others in jeopardy, don't do something stupid like create an online account that can point back to your activity. Don't write it on your calendar. If you do, you run the risk of being caught and putting it all at risk. The woman obviously used personal details to track back to herself. That doesn't sound very intelligent to me.  Does it to you?  Who in their right mind believes that is an intelligent move?

That isn't anecdotal, that is a case of lack of common sense.  It cannot be taught, hence my comment.

Edited August 22, 2015 by adrynalyne

[Jim K Global Moderator]

 

 

Guys, take a look at the main graphic on the website --> https://www.ashleymadison.com/

Life is short. Have an affair.

 

What valid reason would a "couple" or someone finalizing a divorce be on this site? Yes, there is always THAT person that does things that make so sense. I am a single person who is looking for signal people but I signed up on Ashley Madison. LOL Just as worse is single people who sign up to get with married people just because... 

Look, cheaters are liars. I am suggesting maybe this woman is lying.

Do I care? No... I am not scrutinizing the private lives of anyone. This woman made public statements so that opens her up to people questioning them. Hey, you cheat on your partner and want to sign up to a site to do it? It's your life... When that site is hacked and your information is on the web? I am not going to feel sorry for you.

Curiosity?  Spur of the moment following some heated argument.  Could be numerous reasons.  Just because someone signed up for the site doesn't mean that they cheated on their spouse.  Just because your name is on the list doesn't mean you took part (did they verify identifications?).

 

[MDboyz]

Yep, there are many Govt. employees even used their .gov email ... and also searched the site when they were at work. 
Nobody ruined their lives.  All these dumb ass did that to themselves.

Why are these idiots using their personal email address for this service anyway? If they want to remain someone under the radar, just make another email account solely for the purpose of being a scumbag

 

 

Morons

 

[adrynalyne]

 

Curiosity?  Spur of the moment following some heated argument.  Could be numerous reasons.  Just because someone signed up for the site doesn't mean that they cheated on their spouse.  Just because your name is on the list doesn't mean you took part (did they verify identifications?).

 

Even if curious, you don't do something like that without accepting and understanding the risks.

Right?  If you speed, you can get caught. Don't cry to the cop writing your ticket, you knew what you were doing.

Anyway, texting married men in a panic after the leak hardly sounds innocent.

[adrynalyne]

...and here is the problem.  Private lives being thrust out into the public eye.  No one has any right to judge what these people did aside from their family and other parties directly involved.  

She was "finalizing" a divorce...and you know that can take a while.  Is it cheating if you and your spouse decide that it is over with no chance of reconciling?  Nope...not in opinion.  But yea...your private life warrants possibly getting fired from your job.  /sarcasm

Anyway, this will become an "all you can eat" buffet for the news outlet.  Shame really.

How about all those married men she was messing with?  Think they were finalizing their divorce?

[123456789A]

It's funny how some of the people posting here have no sympathy for these people getting exposed,  but they are the same people who are afraid of the NSA because they have something to hide.

[xpablo]

Too many idiots here judge people, like they're the morality police. Basically there must be something wrong with the relationship for the person(s) too cheat.

There's lots of reasons why people stick with their partner and cheat, most of the idiots here that are quick to judge are probably single or have never been in a long term relationship.

Anyhow I'm not one of the cheaters, I've never used the site, but I don't judge people so quickly.  People lives have or are going to be ruined because of this, but AM should've had better security in place and also should've wiped the profiles of people who paid to have their profile wiped.

 

 

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

 

 

Guys, take a look at the main graphic on the website --> https://www.ashleymadison.com/

Life is short. Have an affair.

 

What valid reason would a "couple" or someone finalizing a divorce be on this site? Yes, there is always THAT person that does things that make so sense. I am a single person who is looking for signal people but I signed up on Ashley Madison. LOL Just as worse is the single people who sign up to get with married people which is just as bad as the cheaters.

Look, cheaters are liars. I am suggesting maybe this woman is lying.

Do I care? No... I am not scrutinizing the private lives of anyone. This woman made public statements so that opens her up to people questioning them. Hey, you cheat on your partner and want to sign up to a site to do it? It's your life... When that site is hacked and your information is on the web? I am not going to feel sorry for you.

You don't need to tell me to take a look at something I've already seen. I've done my research on the site and I know what kind of people they've marketed it to. Just because you can't think of a reason why someone would use that site doesn't mean every single person using it is guilty of cheating. You're making a vast generalization about millions of members. I could've easily made an account out of sheer curiosity before the data breach and with my partner's consent. In your mind, my personal information being leaked onto the Internet is something I had coming. Is it so hard to understand that people could've used that website without the intention of cheating? I really do find your lack of sympathy troubling.

I don't feel sorry for the cheaters. I feel sorry for anyone that was curious enough to make an account. I feel sorry for anyone that was lonely enough to make account. I even feel sorry for couples that were looking for a bit of fun. I'm not gonna sit here and impose my morality on others. I can't judge people that I don't know. Hell, we don't even have all the details. It's so weird to me that people are quick to get a justice boner instead of thinking about the fact that millions of people's private information was leaked. That's a huge concern and it's something that could happen to Match.com or eHarmony. Of course, some of you would feel sorry for them despite the fact that cheaters also use other dating sites.

[123456789A]

Zero sympathy for anyone caught on there. 

 

If you don't want to be caught, leave your partner and don't cheat 

It's not that easy to just "leave" your partner without getting screwed economically and mentally in the divorce proceedings. The institution of marriage is definitely not in a man's favor when things get ugly.

The people using the site were pretty dumb in the way they used it, and also dumb for getting married in the first place. They used it because it was more convenient than going through the trouble of divorce because they wanted instant gratification. They should have stayed single.

[adrynalyne]

Too many idiots here judge people, like they're the morality police. Basically there must be something wrong with the relationship for the person(s) too cheat.

There's lots of reasons why people stick with their partner and cheat, most of the idiots here that are quick to judge are probably single or have never been in a long term relationship.

Anyhow I'm not one of the cheaters, I've never used the site, but I don't judge people so quickly.  People lives have or are going to be ruined because of this, but AM should've had better security in place and also should've wiped the profiles of people who paid to have their profile wiped.

 

 

Whats wrong with getting out of a relationship beforehand then?  If there wasn't something wrong with the relationship before, there sure as heck is now.  I'd call them idiots before I'd call people in this thread idiots.  Just sayin.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Even if curious, you don't do something like that without accepting and understanding the risks.

Right?  If you speed, you can get caught. Don't cry to the cop writing your ticket, you knew what you were doing.

Anyway, texting married men in a panic after the leak hardly sounds innocent.

Speeding is breaking the law.  Not sure the similarities between a illegal hack/release of information and getting busted for speeding. 

How about all those married men she was messing with?  Think they were finalizing their divorce?

Not sure.  Does the leak have information regarding that?  That is the problem...no one knows except for the people affected.  It shouldn't be under the scrutiny of the public to come up with their own conclusions.

...and just to clarify my position on this.  I particularly do not care about the website ... what I do care about is that hackers maliciously and deliberately released personal information which in turn can bring harm (be it physically, mentally or other) to the victims (which includes the innocent and their families) of this leak.  The hackers should be hunted down and a message needs to be delivered that they (and all hackers) will bear full responsibility for their actions.

[adrynalyne]

 

It's not that easy to just "leave" your partner without getting screwed economically and mentally in the divorce proceedings. The institution of marriage is definitely not in a man's favor when things get ugly.

The people using the site were pretty dumb in the way they used it, and also dumb for getting married in the first place. They used it because it was more convenient than going through the trouble of divorce because they wanted instant gratification. They should have stayed single.

Ironically, the main character in this morality tale is a female.

[adrynalyne]

Speeding is breaking the law.  Not sure the similarities between a illegal hack/release of information and getting busted for speeding. 

Not sure.  Does the leak have information regarding that?  That is the problem...no one knows except for the people affected.  It shouldn't be under the scrutiny of the public to come up with their own conclusions.

...and just to clarify my position on this.  I particularly do not care about the website ... what I do care about is that hackers maliciously and deliberately released personal information which in turn can bring harm (be it physically, mentally or other) to the victims (which includes the innocent and their families) of this leak.  The hackers should be hunted down and a message needs to be delivered that they (and all hackers) will bear full responsibility for their actions.

Speeding has consequences. Cheating has consequences too.  Law has nothing to do with it.

 

It doesn't matter if the article has details on these men or not.  Assuming they are innocent too is just downright silly.  If the parties here are innocent, then why the panic?

Here is pro advice for those who want to have affairs:

Don't give information to a web site that can lead back to you.

 

Edit:  Seriously Neowin. Fix your forum, it is embarrassing. This is the third time I've had to delete images that automagically attached themselves to a totally irrelevant thread.

 

 

 

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Speeding is breaking the law.  Not sure the similarities between a illegal hack/release of information and getting busted for speeding. 

Not sure.  Does the leak have information regarding that?  That is the problem...no one knows except for the people affected.  It shouldn't be under the scrutiny of the public to come up with their own conclusions.

...and just to clarify my position on this.  I particularly do not care about the website ... what I do care about is that hackers maliciously and deliberately released personal information which in turn can bring harm (be it physically, mentally or other) to the victims (which includes the innocent and their families) of this leak.  The hackers should be hunted down and a message needs to be delivered that they (and all hackers) will bear full responsibility for their actions.

That's my main concern. The fact that the vast majority of them were/are cheaters doesn't mean it's okay to plaster their private information over the Internet.

Speeding has consequences. Cheating has consequences too.  Law has nothing to do with it.

 

It doesn't matter if the article has details on these men or not.  Assuming they are innocent too is just downright silly.  If the parties here are innocent, then why the panic?

Here is pro advice for those who want to have affairs:

Don't give information to a web site that can lead back to you.

There's a difference between assuming everyone that has an account is a cheater and assuming that a tiny percentage of members had no intentions of cheating. One is significantly more likely than the other. Also, women used the site too.

As for the images in your post, they didn't load but I don't think anyone should be giving advice on how to cheat.

[adrynalyne]

That's my main concern. The fact that the vast majority of them were/are cheaters doesn't mean it's okay to plaster their private information over the Internet.

There's a difference between assuming everyone that has an account is a cheater and assuming that a tiny percentage of members had no intentions of cheating. One is significantly more likely than the other. Also, women used the site too.

As for the images in your post, they didn't load but I don't think anyone should be giving advice on how to cheat.

The images in my post loaded for me and then I edited and deleted them.  They are from an entirely different thread that Neowin's forum software decided needed to be here (windows 10 related).

I am not giving advice on how to cheat, so cut it out with the assumptions.

 

I have never stated its ok to plaster personal details on the net. Lacking sympathy for it is not the same thing.