We've all done it. We've signed up for this forum or any other website which wants us to verify our address. Or maybe we do not want to communicate with the site, but it needs an address anyways. Whatever the reason, why must we keep giving our information away? Giving away our information, even as little as an email address, opens people up for spam and junk mail. Ok, so this may not be a miracle solution but it is a step towards fighting spam.
If you are stuck in one of the aforementioned situations, go to a website such as mailinator.This is a free disposable email. when you need a quick email that is ot dependent on your regular email so you do not have to give out information, go to this site and pick out a name on the fly. The website generates a email inbox for you so you can use this email address you created for the form on the website requesting your address. Then on the main screen in mailinator where it says check your inbox, type in the temporary email and click go. That takes you to a temporary inbox where you can click on the email and verify your email address so you can have access to the site.
This way, you do not have to give our an email address to a site that may possible sell or give it to someone else to spam you. But do not use these temporary email addresses as your real email address. Obviously after a certain time, the temporary inboxes are deleted rfor someone else to use. After all, I wonder how many people have used johndoe@mailinator.com as an email?
Friday, December 23, 2011
I Just Made Love app reveals a bit too much information
As if Facebook and other social networking sites were not enough of a security breach for loose lips, there's another app that tells where you just had sex. It also shows people around you who have had sex in the same location. Gee, who needs the locker room? Just get the I Just Made Love app and you can tell everyone within seconds and not even have to take the time to go to the locker room or update your Facebook status for that matter.
However, I think they should change the name of this app. If one makes love to someone else, it is unlikely that he would post it for all to see as making love is more serious. Now having sex, the f word, scoring, getting laid, and other colorful expressions would be a more appropriate title for this app.
Also you have been warned. If your partner is on his phone the minute after you have done the deed, chances are, he might be on this app. After all, I doubt he would be texting his mother.
Also, of all the things that SOPA wants to make illegal, why not apps like this? Apps like this could actually cause more harm than good in society. But I guess that is in a perfect world. And believe me, the world is not perfect. If it was, apps like this would not exist.
Further reading on the I Just Made Love app
However, I think they should change the name of this app. If one makes love to someone else, it is unlikely that he would post it for all to see as making love is more serious. Now having sex, the f word, scoring, getting laid, and other colorful expressions would be a more appropriate title for this app.
Also you have been warned. If your partner is on his phone the minute after you have done the deed, chances are, he might be on this app. After all, I doubt he would be texting his mother.
Also, of all the things that SOPA wants to make illegal, why not apps like this? Apps like this could actually cause more harm than good in society. But I guess that is in a perfect world. And believe me, the world is not perfect. If it was, apps like this would not exist.
Further reading on the I Just Made Love app
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving and a security lesson
Happy Thanksgiving and have a safe Black Friday. I don't want to hear on the news about how people are shooting each other for the latest toy. It happens every year....
Much safer to shop online on Cyber Monday....or is it?
You will not get beat up or shot at online. But the thing that shoppers must be aware of is what sights they give their credit number to. Sites like Amazon, Ebay, Best Buy, etc are big names so they have paid for their servers to be secure. They have their reputation to protect after all. But that's a different story. The easiest thing fro anyone shopping online is they should look at the website address before they give their credit card online to anyone, whether it is a big name company's site or not. Just get into the habit of looking at the web address to keep yourself safe. The website address that asks for a customer's credit card information should always begin with HTTPS. If it begins with only HTTP, the site is not secure and should not be trusted with your credit card information. The HTTPS is more secure because the session that you have with the website is encrypted, or scrambled, so it is not as likely that prying eyes will see your private information.
So if you are shopping online during the holidays, do not forget to look at the web address when you are looking at the sale price of things. If you go to an unsecured site, then it may be that the price of your shopping list contents is irrelevant if someone gets a hold of your credit card information by shopping on unsecured sites.
Much safer to shop online on Cyber Monday....or is it?
You will not get beat up or shot at online. But the thing that shoppers must be aware of is what sights they give their credit number to. Sites like Amazon, Ebay, Best Buy, etc are big names so they have paid for their servers to be secure. They have their reputation to protect after all. But that's a different story. The easiest thing fro anyone shopping online is they should look at the website address before they give their credit card online to anyone, whether it is a big name company's site or not. Just get into the habit of looking at the web address to keep yourself safe. The website address that asks for a customer's credit card information should always begin with HTTPS. If it begins with only HTTP, the site is not secure and should not be trusted with your credit card information. The HTTPS is more secure because the session that you have with the website is encrypted, or scrambled, so it is not as likely that prying eyes will see your private information.
So if you are shopping online during the holidays, do not forget to look at the web address when you are looking at the sale price of things. If you go to an unsecured site, then it may be that the price of your shopping list contents is irrelevant if someone gets a hold of your credit card information by shopping on unsecured sites.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
SOPA: Internet Censorship the wrong way
Although, I am pro censorship, it is within reason. The SOPA bill is not within reason.
It is more important to go after people who engage in such acts as child pornography than those who pirate software and movies. (no matter what one might think of doing that to begin with. To each their own).
Google can remove sites from being picked up by its search engine. It is rare, but this is one of the things that the lawmakers want is to have Google remove sites deemed to have copyrighted information there. But they will not stop there. They want DNS services to block access to the sites. Why isn't this much energy being given to bigger issues? I'll tell you why.
It's all about the benjamins, baby! Take a look here to see who is for the SOPA bill and internet censorship and which politicians get their pockets full from donors.
While much of the entertainment industry is for the SOPA bill, much of the tech world is not.
Under the SOPA act, I wonder how many videos will be illegal? Many bands put covers on Youtube, and many people love making videos as a hobby. It is not out of disrespect for the artists. In fact, many artists like seeing their fans' creativity as much as their own as seen on a 20/20 episode in September.
By allowing the SOPA bill to pass, many people will be affected. Much creativity will be lost and companies like Google or Yahoo will be sued just for having an illegal site in their search engine. By having them spend all their money fighting lawsuits from the US government, they will not be able to spend their money on creating jobs or having the best businesses. As a result, the government will further hurt its own people that will deepen the wound already created by the economic crisis of the past few years.
It is more important to go after people who engage in such acts as child pornography than those who pirate software and movies. (no matter what one might think of doing that to begin with. To each their own).
Google can remove sites from being picked up by its search engine. It is rare, but this is one of the things that the lawmakers want is to have Google remove sites deemed to have copyrighted information there. But they will not stop there. They want DNS services to block access to the sites. Why isn't this much energy being given to bigger issues? I'll tell you why.
It's all about the benjamins, baby! Take a look here to see who is for the SOPA bill and internet censorship and which politicians get their pockets full from donors.
While much of the entertainment industry is for the SOPA bill, much of the tech world is not.
Under the SOPA act, I wonder how many videos will be illegal? Many bands put covers on Youtube, and many people love making videos as a hobby. It is not out of disrespect for the artists. In fact, many artists like seeing their fans' creativity as much as their own as seen on a 20/20 episode in September.
By allowing the SOPA bill to pass, many people will be affected. Much creativity will be lost and companies like Google or Yahoo will be sued just for having an illegal site in their search engine. By having them spend all their money fighting lawsuits from the US government, they will not be able to spend their money on creating jobs or having the best businesses. As a result, the government will further hurt its own people that will deepen the wound already created by the economic crisis of the past few years.
Friday, October 28, 2011
A Brand New Internet
Well, not for the everyday person like you and me perhaps. But apparently the NSA wants to build a secondary internet so they can put government activity separate from all the civilian activity. While they think it will keep government sites more secure from attacks, they are gravely mistaken.
One of the reasons hackers hack is for the challenge and bragging rights. The mentality could be similar to the compulsive shoplifter who steals and steals and never gets caught. Then one day BOOM. She is caught and does not understand why she got away wit hit all along. Despite security measures taken by many stores to hinder shoplifting attempts, people are dishonest enough to find ways to get around security measures. So doesn't the NSA think that a mischievous hacker will have this same mentality? Or even worse, what about the devious foreigner?
It has recently been disclosed that China is suspected of hacking two satellites a few years ago. Most people do not think about hacking satellites, but now that it is being thought about, a little bit of it is fumy. When satellites are being considered, most people think only paranoid thoughts about the US government spying. Most people, unless you are a US government official perhaps, do not think about foreign intelligence getting the satellites to spy. Whether they will be interested in the everyday person is another story. It is more likely that they only care about what the US government is doing. Phew, we are safe!
But even so, it is scary to think that a satellite can be hacked into just as easily as a personal computer if someone has loose security. Now with the secondary internet put in place, will the security get better or is this more or less just a band aid that the NSA wants to have? If there will be no change in security, it is better that they stay on the same internet and improve security. Hacking is inevitable, especially when there are juicy secrets to be found. So swallow the truth and just improve security in what is in place now. Don't isolate yourself and make yourself more vulnerable. Remember that the Stuxnet attacked technology that was not even attached to an internet.
One of the reasons hackers hack is for the challenge and bragging rights. The mentality could be similar to the compulsive shoplifter who steals and steals and never gets caught. Then one day BOOM. She is caught and does not understand why she got away wit hit all along. Despite security measures taken by many stores to hinder shoplifting attempts, people are dishonest enough to find ways to get around security measures. So doesn't the NSA think that a mischievous hacker will have this same mentality? Or even worse, what about the devious foreigner?
It has recently been disclosed that China is suspected of hacking two satellites a few years ago. Most people do not think about hacking satellites, but now that it is being thought about, a little bit of it is fumy. When satellites are being considered, most people think only paranoid thoughts about the US government spying. Most people, unless you are a US government official perhaps, do not think about foreign intelligence getting the satellites to spy. Whether they will be interested in the everyday person is another story. It is more likely that they only care about what the US government is doing. Phew, we are safe!
But even so, it is scary to think that a satellite can be hacked into just as easily as a personal computer if someone has loose security. Now with the secondary internet put in place, will the security get better or is this more or less just a band aid that the NSA wants to have? If there will be no change in security, it is better that they stay on the same internet and improve security. Hacking is inevitable, especially when there are juicy secrets to be found. So swallow the truth and just improve security in what is in place now. Don't isolate yourself and make yourself more vulnerable. Remember that the Stuxnet attacked technology that was not even attached to an internet.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Help! My Twitter account has been hacked!
Well, not my Twitter account. But many people have been saying this today. It is not the first time people's accounts have been hacked into as most of us know. Unfortunately for innocent, unsuspecting people out there, it certainly won't be the last.
Usually an application (you know those third party apps that want your username and password) has gotten access to a user's Twitter account. While some of these applications or websites use the account for good, such as finding certain statistics on a Twitter account, there are those third party sites that are made for bad things such as spamming people with direct messages. Today's direct message came in the form of "You might want to click on this site! People are saying bad things about you here" or something to that effect. When a user clicks on the link, he is prompted to enter his username and password for access to what the user is lead to believe is juicy gossip about him online. Unfortunately, by entering in his Twitter username and password, he has just given access to this site to use his account to spread other similar direct messages to all his followers.
Sites like this are similar to the email messages that one might get with an attachment from someone you know with a message of "Look at the program I made for you!" When a user clicks on it, the file opens, scans the address book, and now all of his address book receives this same email.
Some people have no life. I know.
Here are some steps to fix your Twitter account if you suspect it's been hacked. The most common way to know if your account has ben hacked is if you get someone asking you "Did you send me a DM?" If you know you did not send the DM (assuming you did not drunk DM someone....in that case, there is no security for drunk behavior. Sorry about your luck.)then your account is likely hacked.
Do no despair. The fix is easy. Remember how you gave someone (in this case a site) your login id and password? So just change your password. The site will not be able to authenticate on your account again and the spam messages will stop.
If using Twitter from a smart phone, every client is different. RTFM:)
Otherwise if you are using Twitter off of the website itself, just click on your profile name on the upper right hand corner of the screen. When the popup menu comes up, click on settings. Click on the password tab. This is where you change your password in Twitter. Don't forget to save your changes!
THe losers who create sites that get login information for bad purposes are getting smarter. But the users can get smarter too by at least knowing what to do if they are attacked in this way.
Usually an application (you know those third party apps that want your username and password) has gotten access to a user's Twitter account. While some of these applications or websites use the account for good, such as finding certain statistics on a Twitter account, there are those third party sites that are made for bad things such as spamming people with direct messages. Today's direct message came in the form of "You might want to click on this site! People are saying bad things about you here" or something to that effect. When a user clicks on the link, he is prompted to enter his username and password for access to what the user is lead to believe is juicy gossip about him online. Unfortunately, by entering in his Twitter username and password, he has just given access to this site to use his account to spread other similar direct messages to all his followers.
Sites like this are similar to the email messages that one might get with an attachment from someone you know with a message of "Look at the program I made for you!" When a user clicks on it, the file opens, scans the address book, and now all of his address book receives this same email.
Some people have no life. I know.
Here are some steps to fix your Twitter account if you suspect it's been hacked. The most common way to know if your account has ben hacked is if you get someone asking you "Did you send me a DM?" If you know you did not send the DM (assuming you did not drunk DM someone....in that case, there is no security for drunk behavior. Sorry about your luck.)then your account is likely hacked.
Do no despair. The fix is easy. Remember how you gave someone (in this case a site) your login id and password? So just change your password. The site will not be able to authenticate on your account again and the spam messages will stop.
If using Twitter from a smart phone, every client is different. RTFM:)
Otherwise if you are using Twitter off of the website itself, just click on your profile name on the upper right hand corner of the screen. When the popup menu comes up, click on settings. Click on the password tab. This is where you change your password in Twitter. Don't forget to save your changes!
THe losers who create sites that get login information for bad purposes are getting smarter. But the users can get smarter too by at least knowing what to do if they are attacked in this way.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Social Media: Making Protests Heard Around the World
Social media has been such an important part of all the protests that have taken place around the world. One of the first was all the protesting done during and after the Iran election. Since then, all the revolutionary movements that have taken place around the world have been caught on social media sites such as Twitter and Youtube for all to see.
The growth of social media has enabled anyone with a smart phone, digital camera, or just a computer and an internet connection to become a journalist. (for better or worse) Some of the footage that the amateurs have caught has then been picked up by mainstream media. Such footage picked up by bigger media outlets include a woman being shot at a protest in Iran and police brutality around the world.
Much mainstream media has given much attention to the protests in other countries. Yet, when it comes to the Occupy America protests, they are barely being acknowledged. CNN, for example, did not have any front page coverage on their website at the time of this writing. This is no problem for the amateur journalists, however, who are determined to get their word out.
Since before it was created, the Occupy movement has advertised and gained likes on Facebook. They also have their own Twitter streams with constant updates and retweets. Videos are always being uploaded on video sharing sites such as Youtube and pictures are being taken all over the place.
Looking at the impact of social media has shown a different perspective since the protests are more local than the overseas protests. Not only has social media been a media outlet for the people, it has also come into the rescue to keep the events going as intended. There have been tweets requesting food donations for the demonstrators, ponchos for when it began to pour rain all over them, and even external hard drives so they can keep live coverage of the Occupy Boston event going so the world can see. Apparently social media is doing the work those tweets were hoping for. There is still live streaming video, one man showed up today with a pickup truck full of bottled water, and restaurants answered the call for food by donating food.
Every time there is a huge event where social media is used to impact it, a new benefit of social media is seen. In the Occupy America protests as well as the revolutions in the Middle East, people are of different cultures and backgrounds. But one thing that everyone has in common is a need for the average person not to be taken advantage of by a select few. THe voice of individualism is speaking out. Thanks to social media, it is no longer being ignored.
The growth of social media has enabled anyone with a smart phone, digital camera, or just a computer and an internet connection to become a journalist. (for better or worse) Some of the footage that the amateurs have caught has then been picked up by mainstream media. Such footage picked up by bigger media outlets include a woman being shot at a protest in Iran and police brutality around the world.
Much mainstream media has given much attention to the protests in other countries. Yet, when it comes to the Occupy America protests, they are barely being acknowledged. CNN, for example, did not have any front page coverage on their website at the time of this writing. This is no problem for the amateur journalists, however, who are determined to get their word out.
Since before it was created, the Occupy movement has advertised and gained likes on Facebook. They also have their own Twitter streams with constant updates and retweets. Videos are always being uploaded on video sharing sites such as Youtube and pictures are being taken all over the place.
Looking at the impact of social media has shown a different perspective since the protests are more local than the overseas protests. Not only has social media been a media outlet for the people, it has also come into the rescue to keep the events going as intended. There have been tweets requesting food donations for the demonstrators, ponchos for when it began to pour rain all over them, and even external hard drives so they can keep live coverage of the Occupy Boston event going so the world can see. Apparently social media is doing the work those tweets were hoping for. There is still live streaming video, one man showed up today with a pickup truck full of bottled water, and restaurants answered the call for food by donating food.
Every time there is a huge event where social media is used to impact it, a new benefit of social media is seen. In the Occupy America protests as well as the revolutions in the Middle East, people are of different cultures and backgrounds. But one thing that everyone has in common is a need for the average person not to be taken advantage of by a select few. THe voice of individualism is speaking out. Thanks to social media, it is no longer being ignored.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Hacktivism
Many have heard of activism, but a new trend is combining hacking with activism to make hacktivism. I'm not sure how long the actual hacktivism movement as we know now has been around. For too long, hackers were known as basement boys who had no friends. Not anymore. Now they claim to be fighting the government's battles in the online world.
For example, when Wikileaks came to be known to the public, the sight was hacked into and defaced. The reason for the hacktivists doing this was because they endangered national security by releasing government secrets for all to know, including enemies. Nothing has happened to the guy who did it as he is still hacking. About two weeks ago, he hacked into a website that recruited people for jihad. Hacktivism sounds like a good idea in theory.
There are many things that are online that do not need to be there. Do holocaust denial websites end to exist? Do other organizations deemed as terrorists by the State Department and its allies need websites to spread their agenda? I think not. But then again, I do not work for the government, and at the time of this writing, they are not paying me to fight terrorism.
Unfortunately that is where people's sentiments end there. Unfortunately sentiments cannot lead to an actual ideology. Once a person goes and hacks into a website, they may be participating in what the government deems as cyber terrorism thanks to the lovely Patriot Act that was passed after 9/11. Ironic how the people who want to help fight cyber terrorism of any form can be considered cyber terrorists by their own government. I guess the government really does not want civilians to get involved in their affairs. Let them fight the terrorists and hope they do a good job.
If one thinks about it though, the same mentality can be used for the police. People may not agree with what police do or who they arrest. But if people take action against the police or someone who was not arrested but should have been, they are then criminals even though they may be perceived by many as "the good guy".
So just like in real life when we are walking down the street, we look both ways to make sure we will not get hit by a car. We try to be aware of our surroundings, and if something does not feel right, we leave. We have to do the same online. If something does not feel right, there is a back button or exit button. (Online life is great for that. There are no back buttons in real life!) So until the governments that be can figure out how to keep terrorists off the internet to post their propaganda or recruit people, we as civilians must take care of ourselves and just know not to get involved with bad people. Just like in real life.
For example, when Wikileaks came to be known to the public, the sight was hacked into and defaced. The reason for the hacktivists doing this was because they endangered national security by releasing government secrets for all to know, including enemies. Nothing has happened to the guy who did it as he is still hacking. About two weeks ago, he hacked into a website that recruited people for jihad. Hacktivism sounds like a good idea in theory.
There are many things that are online that do not need to be there. Do holocaust denial websites end to exist? Do other organizations deemed as terrorists by the State Department and its allies need websites to spread their agenda? I think not. But then again, I do not work for the government, and at the time of this writing, they are not paying me to fight terrorism.
Unfortunately that is where people's sentiments end there. Unfortunately sentiments cannot lead to an actual ideology. Once a person goes and hacks into a website, they may be participating in what the government deems as cyber terrorism thanks to the lovely Patriot Act that was passed after 9/11. Ironic how the people who want to help fight cyber terrorism of any form can be considered cyber terrorists by their own government. I guess the government really does not want civilians to get involved in their affairs. Let them fight the terrorists and hope they do a good job.
If one thinks about it though, the same mentality can be used for the police. People may not agree with what police do or who they arrest. But if people take action against the police or someone who was not arrested but should have been, they are then criminals even though they may be perceived by many as "the good guy".
So just like in real life when we are walking down the street, we look both ways to make sure we will not get hit by a car. We try to be aware of our surroundings, and if something does not feel right, we leave. We have to do the same online. If something does not feel right, there is a back button or exit button. (Online life is great for that. There are no back buttons in real life!) So until the governments that be can figure out how to keep terrorists off the internet to post their propaganda or recruit people, we as civilians must take care of ourselves and just know not to get involved with bad people. Just like in real life.
Monday, September 26, 2011
20/20 Sept. 23, 2011
On Friday, 20/20 had a special on Youtube and how people are using it to make money. They did not upload it with intentions to make money though. It just so happened that the video went viral. In many cases, they got over a million views.
The money is not as impressive as the fact that the internet gives more people the chance to shine. Justin Bieber is a good example of this. I am not a teenage girl so Justin Bieber does not fascinate me so much. But the fact that he was noticed on Youtube does. There are many more like Justin Bieber that the 20/20 episode talked about on Friday.
It used to be that you had to wait to be noticed. NOw people can pretty much throw themselves out there by Youtube, blogging, and other social networking sites. It still takes time, but you can be viewed by several people at once instead of gawked at and rejected by one a day. (Now some people get gawked at by millions:)
I think that we should forget Hollywood. Look at the image that its actors have, and look at what corruption it promotes. Creativity by average people is better. Many people have taken their hobies online to share with whomever wants to se. Many times, as the spoof videos on 20/20 talked about, are better than the Hollywood version anyways!
The money is not as impressive as the fact that the internet gives more people the chance to shine. Justin Bieber is a good example of this. I am not a teenage girl so Justin Bieber does not fascinate me so much. But the fact that he was noticed on Youtube does. There are many more like Justin Bieber that the 20/20 episode talked about on Friday.
It used to be that you had to wait to be noticed. NOw people can pretty much throw themselves out there by Youtube, blogging, and other social networking sites. It still takes time, but you can be viewed by several people at once instead of gawked at and rejected by one a day. (Now some people get gawked at by millions:)
I think that we should forget Hollywood. Look at the image that its actors have, and look at what corruption it promotes. Creativity by average people is better. Many people have taken their hobies online to share with whomever wants to se. Many times, as the spoof videos on 20/20 talked about, are better than the Hollywood version anyways!
Script Kiddies new victim: USA Today
At least when The Script Kiddies hacked USA Today's Twitter account, they did not spread rumors about a false terrorist attack. But still, hacking is hacking in the eyes of the FBI. (Not to mention the owners of the hacked accounts).
Groups like this really should have no second chance though. Twitter should have shut down their account after the 9/11 hack. Also Twitter is a bit loose on security. It is questionable who has account credentials once a user clicks allow for a third party program to gain access to the account. Also it appears to be too easy to take over someone's Twitter account. Think about how many times in the past year a Twitter account has been compromised and talked about in the news. It happens less with Facebook. Facebook takes great measures to provide security to deter hacking attempts. If Facebook sees unusual activity on the account (ex: a login which is usually coming from Boston comes from Japan in the same day), they will suspend the account. In order to use the account again, the user must give backup information that Facebook has on file in order to prove maintain integrity, and the user is forced to reset the password.
Twiter does not have this. When thinking about this, it did not make sense for Twiter not to implement this security on the accounts. In profile settings in Twitter, there is a tab for mobile. This tab is for allowing or not allowing mobile alerts. Why not have the users enter in their cell phone number, but they can still have the option to not allow tweets on their mobile phone? This way, if there is unusual activity on their account, Twitter has their phone number and can at least send them a text message alerting the user. This way, the user can take appropriate actions in order to have Twitter suspend the account for their protection or let Twitter know everything is ok.
While the social network sites compete with each other to have the biggest user base, it would be beneficial if they all were mindful of security and implement it to however it may fit into the user experience they provide.
Groups like this really should have no second chance though. Twitter should have shut down their account after the 9/11 hack. Also Twitter is a bit loose on security. It is questionable who has account credentials once a user clicks allow for a third party program to gain access to the account. Also it appears to be too easy to take over someone's Twitter account. Think about how many times in the past year a Twitter account has been compromised and talked about in the news. It happens less with Facebook. Facebook takes great measures to provide security to deter hacking attempts. If Facebook sees unusual activity on the account (ex: a login which is usually coming from Boston comes from Japan in the same day), they will suspend the account. In order to use the account again, the user must give backup information that Facebook has on file in order to prove maintain integrity, and the user is forced to reset the password.
Twiter does not have this. When thinking about this, it did not make sense for Twiter not to implement this security on the accounts. In profile settings in Twitter, there is a tab for mobile. This tab is for allowing or not allowing mobile alerts. Why not have the users enter in their cell phone number, but they can still have the option to not allow tweets on their mobile phone? This way, if there is unusual activity on their account, Twitter has their phone number and can at least send them a text message alerting the user. This way, the user can take appropriate actions in order to have Twitter suspend the account for their protection or let Twitter know everything is ok.
While the social network sites compete with each other to have the biggest user base, it would be beneficial if they all were mindful of security and implement it to however it may fit into the user experience they provide.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Starbucks barista fired over parody song
Based on Chris's attitude, I think he did not care if people saw the video. He just did not expect it to go viral, and he certainly did not expect to get fired. But let this be a lesson for others.
Starbucks Management Side
Do not rely on managers at work to have a sense of humor. Managers are not the most common of people. The higher up people are in management, the worse it gets. Put yourself in the mind of a manager for a moment. The picture that should come to mind is Scrooge counting stacks of money not caring about the world. If he sees a video like this, he is going to think "Now my customers are going to think twice about coming to my store for fear my staff is thinking bad of them, the store will lose money, and I will not be able to take that extra vacation or buy that new car I've been working for!"Chris' Side
Personally, I've never had a problem with Starbucks employees. They have always been nice and professional. However, I've also worked in the food industry before, and it is stressful dealing with the various personalities of customers in your face, coworkers, and maybe at times an angry manager. Whether he did it spur of the moment or it was premeditated, Chris just wanted to let off frustration. There are worse things he could have done.Hindsight is 20/20
Anything uploaded to the internet can be shared. It is best not to upload anything that could haunt you online such as incriminating photos or videos. However, sometimes people just have to let go. And yes, the United States of America has a freedom of speech law that people like to tamper with sometimes. So let's compromise. In the case of work, people would likely not tell off a manager or customer. So don't do it online. Things can still be uploaded but the creator must edit the security settings so the content can only be viewed by certain people. If content is more private, there i a less of a chance for it to go viral and end up on the 11 o'clock news. And creators are less likely to lose their job.But, yes, there is always a but. Even if a creator edits the security settings, the website is the one in charge of the security. What if the website breaks if a new snippet of code is put out? Suddenly the content may go public for people to see. So there is always a risk unless people just do not do crazy things. Perhaps it is better just to share possible questionable content with a few people who will not snitch. Aside from not doing this content at all, this might be the better-at least until someone once perceived as not a snitch thinks you have the ost awesome idea ever and decides to upload it himself or forward it to his buddies.
Why not just grab a few beers after work and let off steam like people did before they had Youtube? Geeesh!
Monday, September 12, 2011
if Facebook and Twitter had been around on 9/11
As I lay my head down to sleep, it is almost 9/12, the day after the tenth anniversary of 9/11. A random thought popped into my mind about how powerful Facebook and Twitter are when it comes to any disaster. What if they had been around on 9/11/2001?
Like many, I was headed to work when the first tower fell. I got to work just in time to see the second tower fall. Since that moment, the world was glued to the internet to find the latest news. Back then, people had to go to each website and constantly hit the refresh button. If one was lucky, they had someone on Yahoo Messenger from that area who could possibly provide an eyewitness account of what was happening live.
Now, when a big event happens, it has been proven time and time again that people turn to social media in order to get live updates. One of the first of this kind was the Virginia Tech shooting a few years ago. People could update their Facebook statuses and let families and friends know that they were ok. During the military base shooting spree in Texas a couple of years ago, people on base could give firsthand accounts of what was taking place or where the shooter was. During the deadly earthquake in Haiti, there was hash tags dedicated to people trying to see if anyone in the "Twitterverse" knew their whereabouts and if they were ok.
This is totally hindsight looking back with 20/20 vision here. But social networking during another (God forbid) attack would be a good tool. Information is refreshed automatically and it is more centralized, meaning one doesn't have to open multiple browsers in order to get information. People will update their Facebook statuses or tweet information as it is happening. On a more serious note, people are connected so people can ask within their online network if someone was ok.
The only drawback to all of this is that social media runs on the internet. It is only powerful if cell phone service or Wi-Fi networks do not go down. On 9/11, for example, the entire internet was slow and the cell phone networks were hard to get through due to higher than average usage. Yes, social media is very powerful and will be used over again for every big event. But we need to make sure that the technology behind social media can withstand the effects that social media has made on our society.
Like many, I was headed to work when the first tower fell. I got to work just in time to see the second tower fall. Since that moment, the world was glued to the internet to find the latest news. Back then, people had to go to each website and constantly hit the refresh button. If one was lucky, they had someone on Yahoo Messenger from that area who could possibly provide an eyewitness account of what was happening live.
Now, when a big event happens, it has been proven time and time again that people turn to social media in order to get live updates. One of the first of this kind was the Virginia Tech shooting a few years ago. People could update their Facebook statuses and let families and friends know that they were ok. During the military base shooting spree in Texas a couple of years ago, people on base could give firsthand accounts of what was taking place or where the shooter was. During the deadly earthquake in Haiti, there was hash tags dedicated to people trying to see if anyone in the "Twitterverse" knew their whereabouts and if they were ok.
This is totally hindsight looking back with 20/20 vision here. But social networking during another (God forbid) attack would be a good tool. Information is refreshed automatically and it is more centralized, meaning one doesn't have to open multiple browsers in order to get information. People will update their Facebook statuses or tweet information as it is happening. On a more serious note, people are connected so people can ask within their online network if someone was ok.
The only drawback to all of this is that social media runs on the internet. It is only powerful if cell phone service or Wi-Fi networks do not go down. On 9/11, for example, the entire internet was slow and the cell phone networks were hard to get through due to higher than average usage. Yes, social media is very powerful and will be used over again for every big event. But we need to make sure that the technology behind social media can withstand the effects that social media has made on our society.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
NBC's Twitter being hacked is a reminder to verify info
Hackers are as diverse as the reasons and motives for why they hack in the first place. The consequences vary, but the one thing that they have in common is some form of destruction.
Today's hack of NBC's Twitter account brings about another consequence-confusion and fear. The United States has been on high alert since 9/11. This year's tenth anniversary is certainly no exception, especially with a new terror threat over the American people's heads. So today, when people read that planes hit Ground Zero, it looked legit. After all, it came from a mainstream news source. People are conditioned to believe anything from news because for years, they got it from TV or radio.
More people get their news online than ever before. While many just type in the usual urls of CNN or Fox news, many are getting their news source from Facebook or Twitter. Usually it is not a problem to not see the news anchor as news is read online like seeing it on TV. People assume it is someone from the news source if they see an update on Twitter or Facebook. In this case, it was not a legit source as the account was hacked in order to spread fear into millions of mourning people.
While the appropriate authorities go after hackers, cyber criminals, and to a growing extent, cyber terrorists, let's remember to use our own vigilance online. To the average person, this is called common sense (for those who still have it, that is).
Taking the false reports of a terrorist attack, for example, things like this can always be verified. There were other news sources besides NBC, so a smarter move would be to look on another news source. The greatest news with social media such as Twitter is that people can be contacted whether they are acquaintances in real life or not. So just ask! The worst thing to do is spread the information since rumors on Facebook and, to a greater extent, Twitter move at the speed of light!
Keep these tips in mind always when something alarming is read online. Til then, let's remember all the victims, firefighters, rescuers, and the people who fought the terrorists on Flight 93. Let's remember all the people who are hurting everyday. Let's not pay any mind to someone who would spread such atrocious rumors on this day especially.
Today's hack of NBC's Twitter account brings about another consequence-confusion and fear. The United States has been on high alert since 9/11. This year's tenth anniversary is certainly no exception, especially with a new terror threat over the American people's heads. So today, when people read that planes hit Ground Zero, it looked legit. After all, it came from a mainstream news source. People are conditioned to believe anything from news because for years, they got it from TV or radio.
More people get their news online than ever before. While many just type in the usual urls of CNN or Fox news, many are getting their news source from Facebook or Twitter. Usually it is not a problem to not see the news anchor as news is read online like seeing it on TV. People assume it is someone from the news source if they see an update on Twitter or Facebook. In this case, it was not a legit source as the account was hacked in order to spread fear into millions of mourning people.
While the appropriate authorities go after hackers, cyber criminals, and to a growing extent, cyber terrorists, let's remember to use our own vigilance online. To the average person, this is called common sense (for those who still have it, that is).
Taking the false reports of a terrorist attack, for example, things like this can always be verified. There were other news sources besides NBC, so a smarter move would be to look on another news source. The greatest news with social media such as Twitter is that people can be contacted whether they are acquaintances in real life or not. So just ask! The worst thing to do is spread the information since rumors on Facebook and, to a greater extent, Twitter move at the speed of light!
Keep these tips in mind always when something alarming is read online. Til then, let's remember all the victims, firefighters, rescuers, and the people who fought the terrorists on Flight 93. Let's remember all the people who are hurting everyday. Let's not pay any mind to someone who would spread such atrocious rumors on this day especially.
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