Wired is carrying an article on the success of sites like bugmenot, which stores a database of usernames and passwords of sites that require the user to register and login to access content.
BugMeNot.com is a site that generates login names and passwords for registration sites. The site is a boon to those who want to keep online anonymity or stamp out spam. According to the site's homepage, 14,000 websites have been "liberated" from registration bondage, and it's clear many people are doing whatever they can to avoid really logging in.
According to the site's creator, an Australian who wants to remain anonymous for fear of lawsuits, the site is getting about 10,000 hits each day. In an e-mail interview, BugMeNot's creator said he started the site in November 2003 after being annoyed for some time with forced registration on some sites.
There are a couple of browser plug-ins available for Mozilla and IE as well. However, I get the feeling that this is going to be a short-lived fad.
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