Posts Tagged ‘facebook’

Know thy enemy – a glossary of online bad guys – BEACON – Feb 2017

In third grade, my friends and I found a dartboard by the shallow irrigation ditch where we spent all summer keeping cool.

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After we grew tired of throwing the darts into the dartboard, the grass, the walls, etc., we realized that if you throw a dart high into the air, it makes a spark when it hits the pavement. This provided hours of fun—until a dart came back down and stuck neatly into my friend’s little brother’s head, that is. He lived, and we learned a lesson about having siblings nearby when we did stuff like that.

Tools, toys and technology all have something in common: They can all be dangerous if misused. Education can prevent you from becoming a victim of the misuse of technology.

One of the biggest problems to overcome is that negative tech terms are often incorrectly used interchangeably. Here, we’ll define some common terms that are important to know.

Clickbait

Friends on Facebook love sharing articles with headlines like, “15 reasons why you shouldn’t drink water. I did No. 5 this morning!” These stories are written to get you to click on them, because when you do, the site where the story is posted makes money from its advertisers. Clicking on these won’t hurt your computer—it’s just sensationalism for profit.

Hacker

This is a person or group of people who gain remote access to a computer system. It may be done to control the system or to access information stored on the computer.

Hoax

A hoax doesn’t hurt your computer at all, it’s just a lie perpetuated by internet users. It can be dangerous to fall for a hoax, but it’s usually just a waste of time and better to ignore. Nobody’s giving away 15 RVs on Facebook and the government isn’t going to tax email.

Malware

Any type of bad software falls under the malware category. Viruses, ransomware, extortionware, adware and bloatware are all varieties of malware.

Ransomware

This type of malware scrambles all the document and image files on your computer, making it inaccessible until you pay the criminals who created the program whatever money they demand. Hospitals and schools are the most common targets of ransomware.

Scam

A scam is a method used by bad guys to get you to send them money. Scams can be very simple hoaxes that con people out of their money, or complex tricks that fool you into thinking you’re giving money to a good cause.

Virus

There are very few virus-like programs that can take over your computer without your permission and spread to others. Most malware today tricks you into installing it yourself. Before you install an update or agree to download a program, examine it closely. It might be a new type of virus that antivirus programs.

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01

07 2017


by Adam Cochran
posted in BEACON, digital lifestyle
No Comments

Pokemon Go: Fact, fiction, myths, and observations

An example of container for geocaching game, C...

An example of a container for geocaching game, Czech Republic. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Instead of reading news articles about Pokemon Go, I decided to download it myself.

Here’s what I have to say about it.
 

1. First of all, it’s only a game if you decide to play it. I think that a large percentage of people don’t do much with the game aspect. It is more like augmented reality geocaching (treasure hunting via GPS).

 
2. The game aspect is virtually an afterthought. It is so simple that a 4-year-old (maybe younger) can handle the mechanics and the concept. You flick your finger across the screen. Sometimes there’s a small strategy to it, but mostly it’s just a spin of a coin to see what treasures pop-up.
 
3. This is where people usually ask me, why? If there’s no complexity and little strategy, why is it so popular. The reason is simple, it gives people a reason to get outside and discover stuff. True, you can go outside and discover stuff anytime you want. The difference here is that there is a thrill in the hunt. It’s exactly the same as a taking a Saturday to go shopping for a nice pair of shoes or a nice dress or a bull elk.
 
4. As a long-time citizen of the Internet and cyberculture, I have learned that there will always be trolls. People who are determined to ruin anything fun or uplifting or beneficial. Here we have a game that essentially is an anti-game. It forces people to go outside, it doesn’t really have an addictive element other than you can “catch them all”, and it is most fun when you get a group of people working together socially (again, out of the house).
Anyone who has tried to lose weight, get out of debt, or start a new business knows that as soon as you share your plans, there are trolls who try to discourage you.
 
Murder of Adam Walsh

Murder of Adam Walsh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. Substantiated myths can reach mythical proportions. Yes, someone found a body while playing Pokemon Go. Also, some people were using the locations to stock victims to mug. Also, there was a kid once named Adam Walsh who was kidnapped from a Sears once and the entire country stopped letting their kids peruse the in the toy aisle by themselves for almost 20 years. There was also once a kid who got hit by a car while riding his bike. And this one time a kid went to school and got bullied by a teacher ever day.

My point is, don’t be a troll. If you hate the game because you don’t like that other people are having a good time, you can read books and work in the garden, and do crafts in your house and the Pokemon Go people will not hurt you. I promise. You can take joy and rant on Facebook when you read that one of them got hit by a car. Or you can scoff when you hear that someone vandalized a monument while playing the game.
 
6. There is safety in numbers. There are photos all over the web of crowds of people in Central Park, wandering through public spaces, and driving around town to get to the next cache. Is it really more or less likely that people will be committing serious crimes under these conditions?
 
7. Virtually nothing about the game is random. The locations are curated and there are ways to report problems to the game developers immediately. You won’t find caches on the runway at the airport or inside the home of a pedophile. Ordinary people can’t make their own hotspots. The game developers only selected areas that were legally accessible to the public. So, don’t believe andy rumors you may hear about someone placing a cache of Pokemon fodder in the basement of their home to catch 6-year-olds. That can’t happen.
Technically, a bad guy could stock a given cache at weird times for unsuspecting victims, but that takes us back to the previous point. The same bad guy could stock a certain secluded sidewalk for kids as they walk home from school or joggers at 5am. There is nothing inherently dangerous about Pokemon Go that makes it easier for bad guys to do whatever their evil minds can dream up.
 
8. This is a fad. By this time next year, only a small percentage of people will still be playing the game. However, the game has subtly taught people and app developers that there is a new frontier in augmented reality. Expect shopping apps, travel apps, and more games to begin using these features.
Imagine driving up to a landmark and pointing your phone at it to read more information about that spot. Imaging panning your camera from an area where you can look down at your town and see the city transformed back to certain decades so that you can learn about the progress and history of the city.
Education, commerce, travel, and recreation are about to change for the better. It will mean that we are more plugged-in than ever. But, do we really want to go back to the time where we had to figure everything out from scratch?
 
9. Security glitches will happen. Something will happen with security and something will be exploited. It’s essentially a guarantee. However, ALL of your information is on the Internet. Every time you use your credit card, that information flies through the Internet. Anytime you use your Google Maps or other mobile mapping services, your location is recorded. Every time you go to the hospital, everything you are there for is recorded in a digital database, usually stored in the cloud or on servers that use the Internet to transfer and backup.
If this scares you then you should also know that every single city in the united states is planning on releasing a book that will be placed on every citizen’s front door. Inside that book will be every citizen’s phone number, address, and even their first and last name. Businesses aren’t even safe from this.
A company called Xerox has invented a device that allows you to make hard copy prints of both sides of any credit card. All bad guys have to do is find a way to get you to hand them your credit card for less than 2 minutes. They are going to allow these machines in the billing offices at restaurants and retail stores!
 
My point is, people need to stop worrying so much. If you want to be afraid of something, be afraid of bears, they can kill you. Or be afraid of saturated fats, sugar, and a sedentary lifestyle. Don’t be afraid of millennials walking around a public park or community sidewalk flicking their cellphone screens.

BONUS: If you want to know how they made the maps, how they chose the cache locations, etc. Mashable has a pretty good article explaining all that.

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12

07 2016


by Adam Cochran
posted in digital lifestyle, gadgets, newsy stuff, pop culture, technology
No Comments

Getting The Most Out Of Your Personal Smartphone

Social Media by Social A. Howie

If all you are using your smartphone for is talk and text, you are really missing the point of the high tech device. Seriously, it gets you into a whole new world and you’re just using it like any other phone? That’s crazy, and kind of wasteful.

If you have a smartphone it’s pretty likely you are paying for some sort of digital package, or getting one for free, that gives you at least a certain amount of browsing time online and such. No matter what your digital plan is, you should be doing more with your phone if you are investing in the cost of a smartphone.

Use The GPS

One of the greatest benefits for people with smartphones that spend a lot of time in their vehicles is the fact that most of them come with GPS, so you don’t need a second device taking up space in your vehicle.

GPS isn’t just a way to help you get from point A to point B, but it also lets you check-in on your social media sites when you are visiting places or people. It’s also a great way to find what you need when you are in a strange area, since it allows you to search for nearby restaurants, stores, and more.

Do Some Browsing Or Shopping

Having a smartphone is a great way to stay connected to everything, even when you are nowhere near your computer. Sitting at the doctor’s office in the waiting room, bored, shop on Amazon right from your phone. Don’t want to haul your whole computer into the kitchen to use a recipe, search it on your phone and use that.

It streamlines your ability to browse and shop, and lets you do it from anywhere without the need to haul around your laptop. You can also spend time on social media, from your phone.

Play A Game

It’s counterproductive when you are trying to work, but when you are in a line or in a waiting room, why not play a game on your phone. There are plenty of mindless games that don’t take a lot of time or concentration in order to play. Do a match 3 or play Angry Birds, and have some fun.

There are games that you can play with your friends on your phone as well, so you can stay connected and have some fun.

Don’t just use your personal phone to talk on anymore, use it for so much more. There are also a million business things to do with your smartphone, if you are so inclined. The point is, smartphones are more than just a phone, they are a lifeline. Use yours for everything you can, instead of wasting its abilities.

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04

02 2016


by Jennifer Gretson
posted in digital lifestyle, technology
No Comments

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