Just How Safe Are We? The Demise of the Web? Part One
UPDATE: This article was written before all of the recent information came out about Facebook, and before Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, made appearances before committees of the United States Congress in April 2018. The disclosures about Facebook, Google and others only confirms what many people already believed, or knew, to be true; that is, that many Internet tech/media companies have compiled extensive "dossiers" on many people on the planet, even with full knowledge of content from messages between users, and even calls from such service between users. Congress basically served up a lot of softball questions to Zuckerberg, who then hit them out of the park, much to the delight of the big money on Wall Street, where technology stocks soared with every pitch lobbed up to Zuckerberg. Republican Orrin Hatch of Utah was so typical of GOP "you're on your own" nonsense, when he asked Zuckerberg how Facebook exists. Zuckerberg softly answered, "Senator, we run ads." The idea that the public doesn't know that is more nonsense. The question isn't about any Internet company running ads, but rather the information they take from users and then sell or provide to advertisers, who then target those users with ads. Zuckerberg's comment to the effect that, "users want relevant ads," is more nonsense. Americans of all existing generations have grown up with ads. They are on television (not "targeted"), on radio (not targeted"), in newspapers and magazines (not "targeted"), on the sides of building (not "targeted"), on billboards along streets and highways (not "targeted"), and the fact that they are not "targeted" has not made companies stop using these forums to pitch their products or services. Senator Durbin of Illinois came closest to laying a glove on Zuckerberg and his, and other tech companies', nefarious, and thus far, successful, scheme to literally steal user information, with political complicity to make it legal, and then to monetize that info for their own benefit to the tune of BILLIONS of dollars. The political complicity has been bipartisan.
Of course, much of the concern about the Internet also has had to do with nations, especially Russia, using the Web to spread disinformation worldwide and to confuse people as to what is "true." Information is the very heart of democracy. Without reliable information, democracy will wither and die. Putin knows this very well. Putin is not an unrepentant communist, he's an unapologetic fascist, who wants to control the Internet, and thus, the world. Defining "reliable information" is not always easily done, as many, if not most, issues, have varying points of view, but now, issues that once had great clarity with the overwhelming number of people are being made to sound as if there are hard choices involved; "good people on both sides," in the case of people protesting AGAINST Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, two evil groups, plain and simple.
If government and private business can't stop spammers and scammers from sending gazillions of emails to us, or can't stop illegal phone calls by the gazillion, how safe are we from everything else, like terrorists, homegrown or from elsewhere? So what, there's no technology available to combat these things? Nope, or at least apparently not. If there is such technology, it's not being implemented, which tells you right off that big moneyed interests are stopping it. Some well meaning groups, like "Nomorobo," and others, have tried, but let me tell you, they're OVERWHELMED! They block a hundred million call numbers, there are far more than that already out there, and the thing is, no one seems to really know how many, as likely many more are added each day. The problem has become unstoppable, as caller numbers can be disguised to appear to come from another number, perhaps even YOUR OWN telephone number, and this displayed number hides the real number of the call. It's the same with emails, as another email address, perhaps even your own, hides the originating email address.
Some people, real or made up, "befriend" folks on social media hoping to get email addresses, or telephone numbers, to then send spam/scam emails, or to put your number onto computer lists to make that number a target for just this side of a gazillion calls. If they don't soon stop this crap, people will have no choice, but to move away from using the Internet and limit their phone use. I already keep my landline telephone ringer shut off, so effectively they have knocked me out of using a service I pay for. People with pay-as-you-go cellphone service or with limited calls, are being deprived of that service by the scammers, that's criminal. If they were ever turned over to the public, they would be literally torn to pieces, and I want to be there for it. If you are part of a legitimate charity, you'd better hope they get this phone crap (and email crap) under control, or your proceeds will shrink tremendously, although I'm sure they already have. See, you can't beat them, they can spoof your number or your email address, then people will never take your calls or open your emails, because they won't know if it's really legit.
Here's the issue folks, the very systems used for telephone and internet service are the problem. The "bad guys" have figured out how to use these very systems to target the public, business and governments. Of course, it all likely comes down to that root of all evil ...MONEY! Hey, they aren't doing this for the fun of it. Everyone from terrorists to pornographers to thieves, etc, etc, are given access to use these systems. Let me tell you something, some folks are making a handsome buck off of all of this too; that is, granting access, then the crooks and scammers are making their own buck by having been given, and keeping, access. Of course, some may be doing both and really reaping a harvest of bucks.
Much more to come, in Part Two ....
WORD HISTORY:
Metal-The ultimate origins of "metal" is unknown, but it goes back to Greek "metalleuein," which meant, "to mine for something, to search in the earth for something." This then gave Greek "metallon," which meant "metal ore." This was borrowed by Latin as "metallum," meaning, "metal ore, metal." This gave Old French, a Latin-based language, "metal," which was then borrowed by English in the 1200s.
Of course, much of the concern about the Internet also has had to do with nations, especially Russia, using the Web to spread disinformation worldwide and to confuse people as to what is "true." Information is the very heart of democracy. Without reliable information, democracy will wither and die. Putin knows this very well. Putin is not an unrepentant communist, he's an unapologetic fascist, who wants to control the Internet, and thus, the world. Defining "reliable information" is not always easily done, as many, if not most, issues, have varying points of view, but now, issues that once had great clarity with the overwhelming number of people are being made to sound as if there are hard choices involved; "good people on both sides," in the case of people protesting AGAINST Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, two evil groups, plain and simple.
If government and private business can't stop spammers and scammers from sending gazillions of emails to us, or can't stop illegal phone calls by the gazillion, how safe are we from everything else, like terrorists, homegrown or from elsewhere? So what, there's no technology available to combat these things? Nope, or at least apparently not. If there is such technology, it's not being implemented, which tells you right off that big moneyed interests are stopping it. Some well meaning groups, like "Nomorobo," and others, have tried, but let me tell you, they're OVERWHELMED! They block a hundred million call numbers, there are far more than that already out there, and the thing is, no one seems to really know how many, as likely many more are added each day. The problem has become unstoppable, as caller numbers can be disguised to appear to come from another number, perhaps even YOUR OWN telephone number, and this displayed number hides the real number of the call. It's the same with emails, as another email address, perhaps even your own, hides the originating email address.
Some people, real or made up, "befriend" folks on social media hoping to get email addresses, or telephone numbers, to then send spam/scam emails, or to put your number onto computer lists to make that number a target for just this side of a gazillion calls. If they don't soon stop this crap, people will have no choice, but to move away from using the Internet and limit their phone use. I already keep my landline telephone ringer shut off, so effectively they have knocked me out of using a service I pay for. People with pay-as-you-go cellphone service or with limited calls, are being deprived of that service by the scammers, that's criminal. If they were ever turned over to the public, they would be literally torn to pieces, and I want to be there for it. If you are part of a legitimate charity, you'd better hope they get this phone crap (and email crap) under control, or your proceeds will shrink tremendously, although I'm sure they already have. See, you can't beat them, they can spoof your number or your email address, then people will never take your calls or open your emails, because they won't know if it's really legit.
Here's the issue folks, the very systems used for telephone and internet service are the problem. The "bad guys" have figured out how to use these very systems to target the public, business and governments. Of course, it all likely comes down to that root of all evil ...MONEY! Hey, they aren't doing this for the fun of it. Everyone from terrorists to pornographers to thieves, etc, etc, are given access to use these systems. Let me tell you something, some folks are making a handsome buck off of all of this too; that is, granting access, then the crooks and scammers are making their own buck by having been given, and keeping, access. Of course, some may be doing both and really reaping a harvest of bucks.
Much more to come, in Part Two ....
WORD HISTORY:
Metal-The ultimate origins of "metal" is unknown, but it goes back to Greek "metalleuein," which meant, "to mine for something, to search in the earth for something." This then gave Greek "metallon," which meant "metal ore." This was borrowed by Latin as "metallum," meaning, "metal ore, metal." This gave Old French, a Latin-based language, "metal," which was then borrowed by English in the 1200s.
Labels: email, English, etymology, Facebook, French, Google, Greek, illegal telephone calls, Internet, Internet security, Latin, Mark Zuckerberg, scams, spam, technology, telemarketers, telephone system, terrorists
posted by Randy at 1:42 PM
1 Comments:
Your saying what not enough people are saying, because it is dangerous on the web. So what you think is going down?
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