Just How Safe is the Internet

safety

safety

The internet is just like anything anywhere. You don’t go into strange places and just lay your wallet on the table and walk around talking to people. Do you? You don’t just let some person walk up to you and sale you stuff that you do not need do you? When you drive through shady parts of town don’t you roll up your window? You don’t just pick up a random soda can and tilt it to get the last drop to fall into your mouth, do you? If some random person walked up to you and said “Hey, the police have your spouse and told me that if I collect $300 from you they will let your spouse out, and give them a steak and ice cream for your spouse’s discomfort”, you don’t just hand them your credit card do you?

No, you don’t do that.

Think of the internet the same way you do being out in public. Give nothing away until you are at a trusted website, in trade for something you actually came for. Do not impulse buy on the web. Do not impulse donate on the internet. Do not just throw your credit card number on any random website.

Stay away from shady areas, don’t just give out private information, and make sure your security and defense is up to date. The internet is pretty safe, unless you are just goofy and think everyone has great intentions.

The Right To Wear a Mask

Wearing a Mask is done in many forms. It has been done for many centuries. and to many, it is held of great respect and Honor. The mask is just the simple act of hiding your identity. For security, or safety, or privacy.
Some websites seem to only allow people with real names, to participate in conversations on their website. I totally get the whole thing of not wanting people to just hide in anonymity to be jerks or trolls or irritants under 100s of accounts.
I myself have done many I.P. bans as a moderator on many websites. From forums to chatrooms. and when the person changes i.p. addresses and comes back, it takes me less effort to ban them again than it takes the irritant to change i.p. addresses. Right click…. done. And sure, it would be a whole different internet if everyone swiped their driver’s license on a machine and did a retina scan just to enter websites for particular needs. but what is the threat to security then?
There are reasons to not post your personal information out to the public on the WORLD wide web.
Ex cases:
A famous person can not just be a guy in a chat holding a witty conversation, being a regular guy without brown-nosers ruining the effect of just seeing people for who they are.
A person in a sweatshop for an seo company, doing link submissions, or something that allows access to the internet, will not be able to just log in and let people know where he is. His name hits the internet, his account gets deleted fingers get chopped off and now pedals a bike hooked up to the generator that powers the computers..
Did anyone see the news a week ago? They hanged them from a fricken bridge!!!!
Do you see all of the people who get their personal lives posted on the internet by hacker groups?
We all know the hacker groups are out to find someone who is directly, who is not innocent (for some crime hidden and covered up) and they are digging that person specific’s information, and we know the media is posting BS about what is really happening. But jeese if the Media was actually right. The internet is not ready for real names.

My mask is very old
It is so old that if in public a person yelled out my screen name, I would think they were talking to me. I would look.
I like the freedom and the leg room to let my words and emotions get saved and archived to the web, hoping to educate everyone on what I see and what I notice.

This of course is my declaration to G+ before they ban me for the name I have used on the internet including Google for many years. At least 10 years with Google on this account with this name the way it is. For privacy reasons. For my security and because it is what I am known by on the internet.

This is the gun issue. If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.
and your mask is your only shield.

Free Online Virus Scan

Bit Defender. Supposed to be the fastest scanner. I have no idea how accurate this can be. and I think this one only works in internet explorer.

EmsiSoft’s Asquared online Virus scanner.


Free online Virus and Malware scan. Feel free to use this, bookmark the page share with your friends, on what ever Social site you use. This virus scanner is the strongest Virus scanner I know that is totally free. Removes all virus and trojans and worm parts from your computer for complete internet safety and security. Well, at least no current virus will be active on your computer after a scan. This virus scanner group is fast at updating and many virus scan companies contribute to their research, and back the other way.
This will remove all known trojans and malware from your computer even suspicious cookies.
I am happy to have EmsiSoft’s Asquared on my website.

FACEBOOK Privacy Issue yet again.

FACEBOOK Privacy Issue yet again.

Got this on my Facebook account today. From one of the less techy people on my friends list.
They talked about this coming for some time. Well it’s here.
Privacy issues.

FYI: ALERT* As of yesterday, NEW PRIVACY setting called “Instant
Personalization” that shares data with non-Facebook websites and it is
automatically set to “Enable.” Go to Account >Privacy Settings >
Applications and Websites >Instant Personalization > Edit or
customize Settings, and un-check “Enable”. BTW, if your friends don’t do
this, they will be sharing information about you. PLEASE
POST THIS TO FACEBOOK

One of the downsides is this can and probably will lead to many accounts getting stolen once this is exploited by the curious.
Another thing is, your friends might not fix their stuff because they aren’t worried about it.
Ever get that phone call from a fake debt collector who actually names people you know?
It’s easier than most people think.
There is a scam going on where some people are Calling people and saying that you have a friend who got a loan and used you as a reference and they even say your friend’s name. They tell you that you are responsible for their loan and debt. How do they get your friend’s information? how do they get your name ? How did they get your phone number ?
Look at your privacy settings on facebook. You most likely have your phone number visible to everyone, or friends of friends. All they have to do is get your friend to add them. Then they dig through their friends and see who’s phone number is showing. Another scarier one is they tell you that you got a loan and they mention your friends and family members if you have them categorized.

People, Facebook is not holy ground safe from the evil. Yes you had more safety on myspace. More spam on Myspace, but that is slowly changing now… Isn’t it ?

Look, it’s not just your safety and security and privacy, it is your friend’s safety and privacy. If you feel that it’s just paranoid blah blah, at least change your settings for your friends. but truth is, in the end, you will never know it’s your fault.

Are Google Ads Safe To Click

Are Google Ads Safe To Click

I have received a few emails lately, (I guess because of the upcoming holidays and all of the online shopping to be expected) and people are asking me if it is ok or safe to click on Google advertisements. Also I have been asked if it is safe to purchase items advertised through Google advertisements. As much I rant about about Google not being what I expected in many ways, I have to say that Google advertisements are safe. 90% of their reports on the Better Business Bureau have been positive. Considering how huge Google is, and knowing that the only people to typically leave a review or a comment would be angry people. This is great news.
There are other advertisement companies that have just the opposite in scoring.
See at this time of the year, and knowing how sales people are, knowing the salesman might jack the price up a bit to sweeten his pocket, would lead you into paying even more for an item that this little snot had no responsibility in the making of, shipping of or even the concept of the product, I can easily see why you would prefer to shop online for your products. Why pay the middleman who works for the middle man? By straight from the source.

So I have been looking online to find angry posts from people who shopped by, like lets say clicking an advertisement on a website somewhere because the advertisement was relevant to their query. I have yet to find someone complaining about a Google advertisement misleading them.

Now there are tons of rants about how people feel they are not being compensated well enough for their efforts. but that is complete not relevant to theis topic. But yes it will come up while you search for complaints about google advertisement results.

In the past, we have been burned by many crooked advertisers and lazy advertisement agents who do not scan/screen/ filter their advertisements. So of course people are curious and cautious about clicking any advertisement. I can whole heartedly assure you that you have less than a 5% chance of getting harmed by an advertisement you click from Google. Even if you are in that five percent, it is still better than what the salespeople do to you. Jacking prices 35% higher because you look like you are able to afford more than the last guy, this is just wrong. Wrong , Wrong, Wrong!

I trust Google advertisements and have yet to be burned by Google when I click an ad.

a way to  be sure it is a google ad, look in the corner of the advertisement, you should see the word “Google”. If you do not see the word “Google” then that is not a google advertisement.

If I am on a website about black Friday sales, or Christmas sales or any kind of Holiday deals or Holiday Sales and I want to understand them and then I see an advertisement that shows the perfect holiday deal I am looking for and I see the Google logo, I feel 95% safe (plenty enough) clicking that advertisement to get the product or sales or deals that I want.  but any other advertisement, I’m not so comfortable with. I may click to look but if it takes me to site that looks funny or not right, I will shut my browser and begin my search in Google again.

Try it for yourself. Most of the sites you find in google advertisements are reputable sites. If you have no idea who they are, check the company name at  ripoff report, search bbb (Better Business Bureau). Try it with other advertisers also. You will be very satisfied with the results you find in Google advertisements.

So There is an Anti Facebook Hype

Mashable blog request you leave Facebook.

Really? Everyone is shunning Facebook and bashing it? You are throwing a tantrum because the owners of Facebook are making this “Social Network” a tad bit closer to actually being social? You people are getting really pathetic. The same in crowd hipster doofuses that like to bring things up and break it down because you already used it so now it’s not cool …. douchebags.

Sorry to say it but you are being unreal. I hate facebook because their functionality is complete utter garbage. I am not throwing a tantrum about how they are making their social site actually become social. In fact I have forever hated the fact that people call it a social network yet you can’t meet someone. They have to know you before they can add you. There is nothing social about that.

So My only conclusion is that you people are being complete total hipster wannabes with huge antisocial-subconscious wanting to further recluse and separate yourself from the world even further. You clearly are not the early adapter first gen of the tech world who of course jumped on Facebook the moment it opened to the public. Those people are gone or have learned to accept it for what it was and just opened their profile to the public manually.

You are the same group that made a huge move for Myspace to lock the children separate from the adults. But said nothing when the games on Myspace came out and the kids wanted more game buddies so they opened their profiles and started adding all of the dirty old farts in greasy neck shirts, just because they want one more person in their mafia farming their vampires or what ever. Luckily Myspace consumed it’s ownself by releasing those games and making the adults get sick and leave the place. Now the only thing there is the kids who play the games and the trash hunting them.

If you shut up and stop drawing attention to Facebook, it will consume it’s self next, they are bringing in all the same games.

How about you go after that video chat that requests you to talk to strangers? Make a movement that is worth something. You geeks are just bashing for a current trend. Trendy geeks, I have no other defining words for you.. Well I do but hey.

You enjoy your rally of nothingness.

Wired – No Such Thing As Cyber SPace

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/cyber-hype/

BUZZZZZZZ!! Sorry, You lose! Cyberspace does exist and is alive and well in the IT/IS Realm of professionals …not GEEKS!!

Cyberspace. A metaphor for describing the non-physical terrain created by computer systems. Online systems, for example, create a cyberspace within which people can communicate with one another. Like physical space, cyberspace contains objects  (files, mail messages, graphics, etc.) and different modes of transportation and delivery. Unlike real space, though, exploring cyberspace does not require any physical movement other than pressing keys on a keyboard or moving a mouse; cyberspace is the transportation realm of vital data once it has left physical space on the sending side and has not yet reached physical space on the receiving side of transition destination. Cyberspace relatively speaking is the equivalent of Internet processing ( aka.. Parsing)

New Nigeria/Russia Hoax Scam

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/kb/articles/ticker091112/

Example of a “Russian Connection” email

Good Day,
I am Andrei Raz***hov, I have a business brief which might interest you on the instruction of a business tycoon in Moscow whose business interest spans crude oil refining, mining, construction, real estate and tourism.

Over the past years the policies of the Kremlin has not been favorable towards his business and more importantly towards his person who seem to have a different political view from that of the Kremlin. Without boring you with politics of Russia, I will go straight to the point to ask for your cooperation to discreetly re-profile funds worth 52.2 Million euro own by this business tycoon from its present location via a bank in eastern Europe to a new investment location.

You will be paid 8% for your ‘management consultancy fees’, if we are able to reach terms. If you are interested, please write back to my senior colleague Mr. Andrev Sl**vik at **** and provide your telephone number and private e-mail address and he will provide further details.

Write back, we wait for your response.
Regards,
Andrei Raz***hov

Really if you get anything in the email from someone you do not know as an established bank that wants your routing number, credit card number, or anything that you don’t want a crack head to have…..DON’T FRICKEN GIVE IT AWAY.

“but he sounded sincere” Well you sound gullible.

China Put’s Computer Users at Risk

Ok the simple skinny break down.

China decides that it will crank down harder on it’s people’s internet usage by mandating an installed software  that allows the government to snoop and monitor people’s usage.

Looks like everyone is hard at proving that the software can be reverse engineered and then software can be created to manipulate the usage of said software for malicious use, or theft. Yes the software is meant for a filtering system , to reduce the people of china from seeing specific things, but it also is set for checking and double checking for modifications.  Let’s call this a true

Zero Day Notification.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8094026.stm

Reasons not to Aprove the H.R.6123

For those who do not know what the H.R.6123 bill is, let me break it down for you.
There was a girl who was stalked , and flirted with by a woman pretending to be a boy the same age as the girl. The woman was the mother of another girl who lost a cheer leading contest to the stalked girl. The woman flirted with the stalked girl then one day got very cold and mean to the girl. Girl killed herself. Here is the bill on Open Congress.
I totally agree that the family of the child who killed herself need some sort of comfort knowing the death of their child can be turned into something good. I would want the same, but these people who are backing this do not understand how the internet works. The description is to broad and vague. There are tons of boys and girls who learn so much every day with just a simple battle of witts. Arguing, flaming and trolling on the internet. It opens their minds to a new range of thought. Without conflict and contrast, we all agree. If we all agree we do not learn from each other. Some people learn from a pleasant suggestion, many learn from brute force. Telling someone they are a moron for thinking the world is flat, pretty much tells the world ” hey don’t bother with this thread, this guys is a joke” . If it was not for the flamers, our world would only be trolls.
Here is an explanation of a troll .
Trolls are people who post false information, not always to harm anyone, but to just get some sort of thrill out of confusing people, or misleading and or misinforming. Flamers are people who tell them to “stfu gtfo” if “H.R.6123″ is passed, then the trolls are left and the flamers are lobotomized. The problem of the troll or some corrupt evil rude person is left to the owner of the site to liable for.
The last frontier will have a flag in it that claims ” you can not argue, you can not fight you will go to jail”.

This bill needs to be scrapped. In fact, any bill that The ex president’s wife tries to pass is a publicity stunt and needs to be looked at again, she is the one who backed jack Thompson, and then stopped associating as soon as she ran for president. She just used that Censorship stunt to get the attention of the elderly who have no idea what computers are good for . People who lived full happy lives without it. But forgot that by the time she hit the polls, the kids she turned against, where old enough to vote now.

This “H.R.6123” needs to be rejected and a statue of the girl harmed needs to be put up at her school in her memory. The school is where it started. Let’s not remove the world’s freedom for the satisfaction of revenge on one lady. What one calls a bully, others call em a punk. Know there are things going on that balance it 90% of the time.

Notice I say no one’s name.. In case this bill is accepted.