Those Tacky Cookie Warnings

A lot of folks really don’t like cookies from websites.Nearly every browser has a way to delete cookies and a lot of utilities have an option to delete cookies.

Personally I have never worried about cookies as for the most part they are harmless, but they are a method to track users. I just assume I am being tracked anywhere I go on the web.

But recently I keep seeing something like this on a number of sites:

(Click to enlarge)

Okay I know you are placing a cookie on my computer. I already knew this before you started with this obnoxious banner! So being the ornery old lady I am, I now do this:



The folks who put this on their sites are getting it from Google. If you click the ‘More info’ link you get taken to Google’s Privacy & Terms page.  At the top of the side menu is Technology and then Advertising. And the truth is revealed. Read it for your self!

Privacy and Terms/Advertising

Then there is ‘UClick’.



According to this banner they use a cookie to ‘get you the best experience on our website’. I fail to see how collecting information about a view to one of their sites is going to make the experience any better, all I see is they are collecting information to share with other sites, basically to do with your details as they see fit.

Universal Uclick Privacy Policy

This page is a bit long and I suspect they count on folks not bothering to read it all, but again, nothing they say here is really going to benefit the user, just the site owner and/or affiliates.

I know we are being tracked everywhere we go on the web. I don’t knowingly go to sites that are not what I would choose. But my information can be shared, sold or given to any number of other sites.

Keep in mind, nothing is or almost nothing is really free any more. We the consumers are the product, not the websites, free utilities or most advertised free stuff.

Don't Believe Everything You See, Hear or Read On The Internet!

I have gotten to the point where I don’t believe hardly anything I read on the Internet, including Facebook. I don't always believe what I read in print either. There are just too many trolls, mischief makers and downright liars out there.

I suppose I can still believe most of what I see in real life, but with technology evolving so much I am beginning to wonder about that as well. (And if I go shopping I sometimes have a problem believing what some folks are willing to wear in public!)

Some folks take a grain of truth (maybe truth) and blow it all out of proportion to reality.

Some folks may not like a politician, a political party, a situation and want to make the world believe something is true when it isn't. (Think Birthers) The fact is you just can't believe any third party accounts any more as there is no telling if what they say is true or not. This can include almost anyone, including friends and/or family members. They are most likely well meaning and they may believe what they are saying is true, but in fact, they may just want to believe it and want you to believe it as well.

I don't answer the phone much any more either. You can't trust Caller ID anymore either as the scammers know how to spoof who they are including names AND numbers. They frequently use spoofed names such as ‘Toll Free Call’, ‘Support Center’, or even an important sounding name such as US Government.

The scammers masquerade as someone calling from Microsoft (Microsoft doesn't call anyone unless the person has an ongoing problem ticket initiated by them.) The scammers could be a collection agency using illegal tactics to make folks think they have to pay up whether they owe anything or not. The list goes on and on. I wish I could block these scammers, but they would just change the number and keep calling. Once your number is added to a list, it is in the wild and anyone can buy those lists.

Martha

MyPhone

We have an unlisted phone number and we signed up for the 'Do not call Registry', but it doesn't make any difference. We still get calls from scammers, unethical marketers, dubious charities and the list goes on. The phone rings all day from these calls.
We have considered just cancelling the phone service, but that really isn't a viable option for now. (Maybe later)

We have caller ID, but with all the folks that know how to spoof phone numbers and names, it doesn't always let us know who is really calling.

If only we could afford one of those automated answering systems!
It could go something like this:

"Hello, thank you for calling our unlisted number!"
"Press one if you are a scammer!"
"Press two if you are trying to sell us something we don't want!"
"Press three if you want us to donate some money to your CEO and maybe a little bit to a real charity!"
"Press four if you are from Microsoft and my computer is sending out a virus!"

Which ever number they press would automatically hang up.

For folks we want to talk to, there is this option:
"If you are one of our family members or friends, dial the secret extension you were given by us and leave a message or just wait for someone to answer"

However, we don't have one of those systems so we will just have to look at the caller ID and if it is a number we recognize, answer it or let it ring.

Breaking News

Something is seriously wrong with 'Breaking News'!

Maybe it's just me, but I foolishly thought 'Breaking News' should be something of some magnitude of importance such as floods, earthquakes, national events that affect us, etc.

I get 'Breaking News' notices from USA Today. I am seriously considering canceling this service.

The reason?

Kim Kardashian announced she is pregnant.  This is important? How? Millions of women are finding out they are pregnant and it isn't important to anyone except their families and friends.

If this is 'Breaking News', then I guess I don't need to know about these news flashes.

Good grief!

 

Martha