[OT] Centralization of internet makes it fragile

marble

Here's my concern about so-called social media. A couple of weeks ago I was alone, watching a TV show and happened to leave the end credits running. The term "Focus Puller" caught my eye and for some reason I repeated it out loud to myself. The next day I hopped-on to YouTube to look for something. I try to avoid my YouTube home page because they thrust all kinds of dross at me as "recommendations" but this time I noticed something - four or five YouTube vidoes with "Focus Puller" in the title or subject matter.

Coincidence? 

I don't believe that the term "Focus Puller" had ever caught my attention in my 70 years on the planet yet within 24 hours of noticing it for the first time - and speaking it out loud - the terms pops up several times in my YouTube recommendations. My suspicion is that I had Google Assistant active on my phone and it listens to everything I say and picks out target words and phrases from what it hears. I live alone so there is very little audible conversation - my voice is quiet most of the time. So I happened to say "Focus Puller" out loud and Google/YouTube latch on to it. 

I have now switched off Google Assistant.

hacsart

DS8100 - neat toy.. my fist experience with disk torage in my career was with IBM 3330's with 100MB per pack...

Nope. I have a Book of Many Faces (None Of Them Mine)  account that dates back to when DAZ would post cash coupons there - three or four store generations ago. I've never posted anything there, and my profile picture is the customer interconnect bay of an IBM DS8100 electronic storage system. I follow a dozen or so personalities on IG. I have never posted anything myself on any platform and I do not have SM apps on my phone. I provide as littlee as possible for these outfits to slice, dice, package, and sell.

FSMCDesigns

melissastjames said:

Victor_B said:

PerttiA said:

I'm 57 and if it wasn't for my mom, I would not even have a phone. Email is my preferred communication method even at work, as you don't have to give answers then and there based on what you remember, and there's always an archive to check what was said and promised - Been with the current employer for 9 years and I have every message stored on my archive files.
Phones are for emergencies only.

Young ones being more familiar with digitalized world is just a myth. They may know how to use different social media platforms, but for 'most' of them, that is pretty much the extent of their knowledge.

The main question here is what email server are you using? Your own server or maybe GMail? In case of Gmail all your email archive is available for reading to tens of thousands of Google's admins too (google bots, government on demand). May be it's not a problem for you and your business, but... all those promises and financial reports... can you send the archive to me, I want to read it too? 

The same "problem" is with Facebook. It stores everything on his servers as plain text. Not encrypted. (In other case the search won't work). So, everyone who has access to FB's servers has access to your (sometimes) personal information. And believe me there are thousands people too. People who are not your friends, who you never used to know, who... you even don't know they are exists, but they know about you EVERYTHING. You thought that was a personal message, but, actually, your posts on FB, Gmail, etc. are NEVER private.

Are you surprised?

You make it sound like these companies are in there reading everybody's dirty laundry for kicks. What about your insurance company? You think those employees can't see your stuff if they really want to? Are they looking? No...not if they value their job and don't want to go to jail.  

I know some folks are still all about keeping paper and money shoved up in their mattress...not I. Just as video killed the radio star, digital will kill analog. 

Up until 5 yrs ago I payed cash for most everything and only used my credit for online purchases. Then the company I work for went to a digital pay system and I have been using digital since, but even though I consider myself tech savy, I still have a safe with backup cash in it just in case. My main online account was actually hacked last week so I am in the process of getting that sorted out and it's a good thing I have backup systems in place. I mean, if MS and the govt can be hacked, then anyone can.

MelissaGT

FSMCDesigns said:

melissastjames said:

Victor_B said:

PerttiA said:

I'm 57 and if it wasn't for my mom, I would not even have a phone. Email is my preferred communication method even at work, as you don't have to give answers then and there based on what you remember, and there's always an archive to check what was said and promised - Been with the current employer for 9 years and I have every message stored on my archive files.
Phones are for emergencies only.

Young ones being more familiar with digitalized world is just a myth. They may know how to use different social media platforms, but for 'most' of them, that is pretty much the extent of their knowledge.

The main question here is what email server are you using? Your own server or maybe GMail? In case of Gmail all your email archive is available for reading to tens of thousands of Google's admins too (google bots, government on demand). May be it's not a problem for you and your business, but... all those promises and financial reports... can you send the archive to me, I want to read it too? 

The same "problem" is with Facebook. It stores everything on his servers as plain text. Not encrypted. (In other case the search won't work). So, everyone who has access to FB's servers has access to your (sometimes) personal information. And believe me there are thousands people too. People who are not your friends, who you never used to know, who... you even don't know they are exists, but they know about you EVERYTHING. You thought that was a personal message, but, actually, your posts on FB, Gmail, etc. are NEVER private.

Are you surprised?

You make it sound like these companies are in there reading everybody's dirty laundry for kicks. What about your insurance company? You think those employees can't see your stuff if they really want to? Are they looking? No...not if they value their job and don't want to go to jail.  

I know some folks are still all about keeping paper and money shoved up in their mattress...not I. Just as video killed the radio star, digital will kill analog. 

Up until 5 yrs ago I payed cash for most everything and only used my credit for online purchases. Then the company I work for went to a digital pay system and I have been using digital since, but even though I consider myself tech savy, I still have a safe with backup cash in it just in case. My main online account was actually hacked last week so I am in the process of getting that sorted out and it's a good thing I have backup systems in place. I mean, if MS and the govt can be hacked, then anyone can.

Yes, it's good to be careful because poop does happen. I've had my card stolen before and had to go through that rigmarole with the bank to get the funds back. After that fiasco, I learned that the only cards I use to pay for stuff, even locally, are credit cards...I never use my actual bank account (that just pays the credit cards). That way, if the credit card gets stolen, you can call and refute the charges and get them wiped. If it's your bank account, that money is actually gone until it goes through the refund process which can take weeks/months. I'm as careful as I can be with online accounts...two factor authentication on everything that offers it...but even that's not a guarantee. 

But to have no digital footprint...cash only...there aren't many people who can afford to buy everything with cash only. Cars. Houses. You need credit for that stuff, and without a digital footprint, you have no credit...and no credit is almost as bad as bad credit, if not worse. 

My employer is so digital, I don't even get a physical W-2 anymore, lol. 

akmerlow

There was a "distro" i always visited online. "Distro" is place where you can order music albums (CD, vinyl or even tape) not because this is record shop, but because they function as distributive place for musicians directly. 

Anyway, since last year they have following information on their website:

As of September 25, 2020, all R.A.I.G. social media accounts, including on Facebook, Instagram, VK, Youtube, etc., are officially deleted.

We decided to switch off because modern social media advocate a particular way of being connected to – the way that we do not want to support anymore. We think that modern social networking platforms are not used for real communicating – it’s just a channel of creating data, which is ultimately fed back to data brokers and marketers. We don’t want to be locked in endless exchanges of trivial information, and we are exhausted with the necessity to sustain continuous flow of superficial thoughts, feelings and sensations in search of false “likes” from false “friends”. However, switching off is not the same as missing out, and we are far from being “anti-social”. We just share a deep belief in, and attachment to, a different way of socializing – the way that is focused on free expression and live intellect, as well as on human friendships and relationships, when we take charge of when and where to connect with people. Given the angst-ridden nature of frenetic social networking, we could all benefit from slowing down and taking stock more often!

And while i woud not agree completely with this statement (as young person who "lived" through years and years of using networks as a way of sincere communication with my peers), i kinda feel that there is some harsh sort of revelation to it...  Pretty curious food for thoughts.

kyoto kid

melissastjames said:

I'm 40 and I hate phone calls...even at work. I'd much rather chat via DM or text.  

...I'm in my late 60s and unless it is extremely necessary to make a call or recieve one (such as an emergency, setting up an important appointment, or talking to a government agency) don't like it much either. . 

Crikey, I still remember the telephone we had which sat on an end table in the corner of the living room with had a wire going into the wall and a dial instead of push buttons.  The phone was supplied by ol' Ma Bell (Wisconsin Telephone division) and cost something like 15$ - 20$ a month for local service.

@ maikdecker:  Yeah, to hack a phone back then a you needed to physically tap the line either at a junction box in a complex (like an apartment or office building) and know what line went to what office/unit, or the case of an individual home, climb the telephone pole to do so.  You also needed the proper equipment and clothing so as to not arouse suspicion.  There were methods of "hacking" the phone system even in the pulse days but that was done just to get free calls, not intrude on, or monitor someone's conversation.

jjmainor

kyoto kid said:

melissastjames said:

akmerlow said:

On another site discussing the issue, somebody mentioned that if a "friend" refuses to connect with you by any other means than Facebook, they aren't really your friend.  ;-)

It's not that simple as it is, tbh. I personally experienced when i have DIFFERENT ways of contacting certain friends  but in the end, there is specific ONE place that ends up the only one where they always read messages and reply, while others they don't check much and whatever. In case with some people its facebook. With others - telegram. Etc. etc.

And asking them all to use something that is most pleasant to "me" just never worked in the end :( So it was that. You have to adapt to other people if they are important to you.  

 

***

Also i might be on side of more young audience here, as i'm in late 20s and speak about experience i had since i was 15 or something. People of my generation dont really like phone calls, like at all, except few exceptions. Sure, they will voice chat over skype or something. But they consider good old phone communication being too invasive, too worrying, too untrustful. They got used that most phone calls are endless spammers/scammers or extremely dangerous cases like when relative got injured or other "alert!". At the same time, "we" are generation that spend so many time in endless text chats... it just we went from ICQ or Miranda to fb messenger or discords... 

 

And i'm not even "generation z" who is even more digitalized... Just while  i grew up on websites and forums, young blood grows up on "applications". 

p.s. 

Unlike USA, we never had "free" sms. Which is why messengers were such popular.

I'm 40 and I hate phone calls...even at work. I'd much rather chat via DM or text.  

...I'm in my late 60s and unless it is extremely necessary to make a call or recieve one (such as an emergency, setting up an important appointment, or talking to a government agency) don't like it much either. . 

Crikey, I still remember the telephone we had which sat on an end table in the corner of the living room with had a wire going into the wall and a dial instead of push buttons.  The phone was supplied by ol' Ma Bell (Wisconsin Telephone division) and cost something like 15$ - 20$ a month for local service.

And the frustration when your finger would slip in the middle of dialing the last number and you would have to start all over again.

kyoto kid

...not bad unless you were trying to be the "Nth" caller to a radio station to win a say  "45 single" of the latest hit song, concert tickets, or some other prize. Actually, had it down pretty well as I'd dial the entire number up to the last digit but kept my finger in the dial until the DJ said "go".

hacsart

Our first phone was on a party line.. that was .... interesting..  all the phones in a line group were connected to the same line - no indovidual house lines. . you had your own "ring" - I seem to remember ours was 2 longs and a short.. You were only supposed toanswer your own ring, but everyone one the line group cold listen in if they  were nosey.. you usually could hear that, though.. After a year or two  our area ( we were considered "rural" for a long time) was upgraded (with an increased cost of course ) to a modern single subscriber line system.

WendyLuvsCatz

it has been noted even Zuck puts tape over his laptop webcam.

Don't ever trust any peripheral device to not spy on you.

Google does very nicely with what you mouse over and type in on your keyboard though too.

kyoto kid

...that's why I never bothered getting one.   

MelissaGT

I need a webcam for work (only used for team meetings at this point), but when it's not in use, it's pointed at the ceiling just in case. 

nicstt

FSMCDesigns said:

Wow, FB, twitter and IG being gone would be a reason to celebrate IMO, LOL

+1