Another user appeared on my 'Home Share' on iTunes!

[giradman]

Hello All,

Just curious if others have experienced this issue and if Apple can decide to 'Home Share' someone's iTunes library w/ you -

I'm on the road at the moment w/ my laptop - on an open Wi-Fi network at the place we are staying in Montauk, LI - still had my iTunes w/ 'Home Sharing' on - opened the program to check my account in reference to another thread!

Well, under 'Home Sharing', there was a library listing of **** - songs & movies were present, and I could play some songs (not my taste, so a short experience) - now how could that happen?

I search the name on Google and found a bunch of hits w/ his name (if it is the same person?), SO, can Apple w/ iTunes open regardless of what network you are on and despite your log in information, automatically add someone others library to your 'home shared' folder?

Checked in the morning - the listing was gone w/ 'Home Sharing' on - also checked my iTunes account - no 'new' charges - WEIRD! Posted for interest -

 

[The Alternative]

While your post is a legitimate curiosity I think it unwise to name the individual like you did here. In my estimation he's an innocent bystander in this and you probably shouldn't be outing him by name. In my opninion, you might want to delete his name and the included link. How would you feel if your name ended up on a forum with 1000's of members and you didn't do anything but live in an area where someone picked up your Home Sharing network? Privacy still matters. Or should.

 

[CaptKirk]

While your post is a ligitimate curiosity I think it unwise to name the individual like you did here. In my estimation he's an innocent bystander in this and you probably shouldn't be outing him by name. In my opninion, you might want to delete his name and the included link. How would you feel if your name ended up on a forum with 1000's of members and you didn't do anything but live in an area where someone picked up your Home Sharing network? Privacy still matters. Or should.

Try sharing your opionion with New York Times, or any newspapper, media enterprise in the country,,,,, they would roll over laughing theirs heads off,,,,, in fact that's what I'm doing right now.......

To the orginal poster, share whom ever name you desire, your mother, father, sister, WTF cares?? Point is, he asked a good question.. HTF did he end up with The other account stuff ???

 

[SheerLuckHolmes]

Even if you are traveling, I would immediately find an Apple retail store and go in to talk with them. It would be very interesting to all of us to find out the capabilities, limitations and risks of using this 'home share' while on the road.

 

[Seadog]

Theoretically, this should not happen. To join Home Sharing, you have to enter your Apple password. This could be a hack to allow this person to download your iTune account info, or it could just be a quirk.

 

[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

The above described behaviour of another's persons library showing up is perfectly normal and to be expected.

iTunes does have two different sharing modes, library sharing and home sharing. Most of the above comments are correct in regards to home sharing.
So let's just look at the differences between a shared library and home sharing.

Sharing a library means that everyone on the same network can access and play the shared music. Note that this does not require the two iTunes versions to be activated by the same Apple ID. Anyone on the same network can access the shared content. It is possible to set a password for the shared library, so that only certain users can join, though.

Now home sharing goes a step further, it let's the users copy music from one library to another, rather than just streaming the shared music. And home sharing does require that both iTunes versions are activated by the same account.

Lesson from all this is, that a password under iTunes Preferences->Sharing is advisable.

 

[The Alternative]

While your post is a ligitimate curiosity I think it unwise to name the individual like you did here. In my estimation he's an innocent bystander in this and you probably shouldn't be outing him by name. In my opninion, you might want to delete his name and the included link. How would you feel if your name ended up on a forum with 1000's of members and you didn't do anything but live in an area where someone picked up your Home Sharing network? Privacy still matters. Or should.

Try sharing your opionion with New York Times, or any newspapper, media enterprise in the country,,,,, they would roll over laughing theirs heads off,,,,, in fact that's what I'm doing right now.......

To the orginal poster, share whom ever name you desire, your mother, father, sister, WTF cares?? Point is, he asked a good question.. HTF did he end up with The other persons account stuff ???

Obviously spoken by someone who cares little about other's privacy. While I obviously don't agree with your opinion I certainly see your point of view. You share it with millions of others who post their names, photos, and home addresses on Facebook and then wonder how on earth someone could have stolen their identity...

BTW, I see that you respect your own privacy enough to list yourself as CaptKirk on this forum and not by your real name.

Also, I'd be real careful with your advice to share names etc. to other members of any forum or public community. Not only is it against the rules of this forum but it also may violate certain Global Data Protection and Privacy laws.

 

[col.bris]

Guys I modified the thread title and removed references to the persons name in 2 posts we cannot allow that to happen as this web site is viewed by thousands a day. Thanks.

 

[giradman]

Guys I modified the thread title and removed references to the persons name in 2 posts we cannot allow that to happen as this web site is viewed by thousands a day. Thanks.

Guys - I really don't see the BIG issue about whose name I posted which was removed from my OP - who cares! My question since I googled a singer/musician w/ multiple references to iTunes was whether APPLE could set up this shared library? A simple question to ask, yes? Maybe not to answer?

My point was WHY this name (or any other) suddenly appeared under my shared folders - DUMI seemed to have the best answer (an observation I've noted often on this forum), i.e. it can happen - well, that's OK w/ me as long as someone else does not have access to my computer.

I just posted out of interest to this curiosity to me being new to the iPad - thanks for your responses -

 

[SweetPoison]

Who cares? We care. It is a privacy concern.

Thanks, Colin, I forgot to edit the name out of the title.

 

[giradman]

Who cares? We care. It is a privacy concern.

Thanks, Colin, I forgot to edit the name out of the title.

Well, I don't want to continue this issue w/o a definite answer to my original question - I've been into computers since 1980 and caught an early malware issue when my wife brought home a floppy from a computer class and introduced it to our non-HD computer; so I'm VERY concerned about safety on the web.

No one seems to understand the question posed, i.e. I was on a Wi-Fi network in a Long Island resort (I live in North Carolina and a family visit) - I opened iTunes on my laptop there and the 'shared library' of the person (now removed from my OP) appeared - this person was on the Web and has music at his site - now how could someone w/ the same name, be on the same Wi-Fi network, and w/o my password, be able to even appear on my laptop?

So, the issue which I wanted clarified (which was not done) was whether iTunes can 'butt into' your computer and place a shared library that you might want to listen to & purchase? This is really a simple request - thanks all -

 

[graywolf]

Well, I don't want to continue this issue w/o a definite answer to my original question - I've been into computers since 1980 and caught an early malware issue when my wife brought home a floppy from a computer class and introduced it to our non-HD computer; so I'm VERY concerned about safety on the web.

No one seems to understand the question posed, i.e. I was on a Wi-Fi network in a Long Island resort (I live in North Carolina and a family visit) - I opened iTunes on my laptop there and the 'shared library' of the person (now removed from my OP) appeared - this person was on the Web and has music at his site - now how could someone w/ the same name, be on the same Wi-Fi network, and w/o my password, be able to even appear on my laptop?

So, the issue which I wanted clarified (which was not done) was whether iTunes can 'butt into' your computer and place a shared library that you might want to listen to & purchase? This is really a simple request - thanks all -

Every time I have used home sharing, you had to have the iTunes account info on each device to share a library. So, in theory, he should only show up if he has your iTunes account info.


So; maybe just a a glitch?

 

[giradman]

Every time I have used home sharing, you had to have the iTunes account info on each device to share a library. So, in theory, he should only show up if he has your iTunes account info.

So; maybe just a a glitch?

Thanks, Grayshark, for your response - just reassures me that I was not trying to expose anyone's private music library or otherwise!

I'm sure this was just a fluke, glitch, or whatever? However, I'm still curious that once one is online w/ iTunes open, whether Apple can 'add' a commercial library to your 'home share' to promote a purchase?

Now I'm fairly new to these Apple products so not sure about their usual behavior - so was just curious if this was a possibility?

 

[twerppoet]

However, I'm still curious that once one is online w/ iTunes open, whether Apple can 'add' a commercial library to your 'home share' to promote a purchase?

Now I'm fairly new to these Apple products so not sure about their usual behavior - so was just curious if this was a possibility?

You mean something in addition to the iTunes Store's many promotions and banners, the Genius feature, Ping, the daily emails on specials?

I don't think Apple needs to be sneaky, they've already got you coming and going.

 

[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

So, the issue which I wanted clarified (which was not done) was whether iTunes can 'butt into' your computer and place a shared library that you might want to listen to & purchase? This is really a simple request - thanks all -

Well, you have willingly, or forcebly set iTunes to always search for shared libraries. So whenever someone on the same network is sharing an iTunes library, it will show up in your iTunes list. Btw. this is not someone else entering your computer, it is merely showing, that someone else is sharing a library.

I thought, this was brought up before, but anyway: Sharing a library and Home Sharing are two different things. Only Home Sharing requires the two iTunes to be activated with the same account. Sharing a library works with any iTunes on the same network and if the other person has set no password, than anyone on the same network can play their library.

This is not a security risk, or a breach into your privacy. It is a feature iTunes offers to easily share music. If you don't like this, just go to Edit->Preferences and turn 'search for shared libraries' off.