Hotmail's social networking busts your privacy

Woody Leonhard, a long-time Windows spelunker, has overturned Yet Another Micro$oft privacy blooper. In his weekly report in Windows Secrets, he reveals Hotmail and Windows Live shows the public waaay too much about its users.

In its rush to take on Facebook and Google Buzz, Microsoft is now collecting and displaying personal information on your Hotmail page — information you may never have wanted to broadcast.

Exactly how it's mining this information is something of a mystery, but if you use Hotmail or Windows Live, it's time to review your privacy settings — lest something you said or did comes back to haunt you.

The picture at left shows what folks saw about one user, things potentially embarrassing, career-limiting, or might get them fired. Maybe it might not be a bad idea to see what Micro$oft shows other people about you?