Facebook Trolls

How many times have you seen a post of Facebook that you really like?  Maybe a picture of a bunch of puppies with a kid.

Then when you click ‘Like’ a troll has posted something like this:



What a downer! Nowhere does it state this is anything more than a family of puppies that belong to a family. I do agree puppy mills are a disgrace, but why does the troll think this is the right place to protest?

Trolls are everywhere. I have tried to ignore them, but sometimes it’s hard. I wish Facebook would add something to call out trolls. All trolls do is try to inflame folks into making responses, and when those responses come, makes a troll happy!

Facebook, please add an icon to designate a troll!

Facebook Politics, Hoaxes and Fake News

When you see a political post on Facebook, do you do the following:

1. Share without checking to see if it is accurate or fake news.


2. Research the post.


3. Ignore or ‘Hide’ the post.

I think most folks ‘Share without checking’. I have been guilty of that as well, but I am trying to do better.

When my ‘BS’ meter kicks in, I research and that has been happening a lot lately.

When someone posts an outrageous post (for the right or the left) I have been known to just ignore or hide the post.

I used to let folks who post a hoax know it is a hoax, but unless it is harmful, I now usually just let it go. Seems like it is usually the same folks posting those hoaxes, guess they are too gullible to learn.

Fake news is all over the Internet, including Facebook. The powers that be on Facebook are trying to stop fake news, but so far all I have seen are some ‘warnings’ about a post that are not accurate.





And now we know a lot of the stuff we have been sharing we shouldn’t have because that stuff was really being posted by the Russians!

I am not sure what the goal was for all of those ‘fake’ ads, maybe they were trying to influence the election, but I think they were trying to divide us and in that respect, they certainly succeeded.

This should be a wake-up call for all Facebook users. Instead of ‘sharing’ those nasty political posts, try to ignore them.

United we stand, divided we fall.  Let us not be divided!

One Day on Facebook

I usually log on to Facebook at least once a day. I used to go to Facebook more than I do now, because Facebook isn’t as much fun as it used to be.

Between all the political crap (and most of it is pure crap) and all those ads, I had been considering cancelling my Facebook account.

These so-called posts (ads) appeared between every three or four posts from friends. This was what was there on just one day:

Quicken Loans wants to let me know I can pay off my house at a furious pace using a Government program.

Dyson wants to sell me a cord free machine.

Spectrum  - Speeds starting at 60 Mbbs.

Instacar- -t Shop my favorite grocery store and they will deliver to my door.

LendingTree - -Reverse mortgage.

Hexa - Incontinance products.

Bank Account Reviews- -Find the best online banks

American Red Cross - They want me to leave them my money. (not a chance!)

Geico wants to sell me insurance.

WiFi Booster wants to sell me a booster. They also flashed a huge 'sign up for email' ad in my face.

Stearns and Foster wants to sell me a mattress.

Xarelto may owe me money

Opendoor wants to buy my house. (I don't own one)

Stansberry Research wants to warn me I am going to lose my money ( I am sure I will lose some if I go to their site and sign up for whatever they are selling)

Home Gather wants to sell me a home cheap.

Wall Street journal wants to sell me a subscription.

Peak Chiropractic and Rehab thinks I have pain.

All of these so-called posts have one thing in common, at the top or close to the tops, this:



or this:



Ad Block does not stop these ads!

I tried blocking them.



That stopped one and I think three more took its place!

I recently installed an app called F.B. Purity so I could make Facebook always show the most recent posts. (No matter how many times I changed this setting, Facebook always wants me to see the ‘Top stories’ when I log in. I don’t know how they determine what is a top story, but that’s another issue.)



Then something great happened. I wasn’t seeing those ‘Sponsored’ posts anymore.

I checked F.B. Purity and found this!



F.B. Purity is great, I love it! Facebook is a bit more fun these days.

Now on to fix other issues with Facebook, like why when I click a link to another page in Facebook I can’t go back to where I was before I clicked that link!

A Very Special Kind of Stupid

Not sure if ‘stupid’ is the right description, but I can’t think of a word to best describe this condition.

I am not talking about folks with elevators don't quite reach the top floor. This is a category of a different kind.

The ones I am referring to are those folks that are well, just plain gullible. These are the folks that read fake news and totally believe it, just like the guy that totally believed the sex traffic ring was being run from a pizzeria.

Despite this fake news being debunked by numerous sites, this guy totally believed this silliness and almost caused a real tragedy.

Then there are the 'birthers'. There are many people who believe that Barack Obama was born in Kenya and not eligible to be President of the United States. The conspiracy was started by a Democratic supporter for Hillary Clinton during the election campaign 2008. Despite the fact there was no real proof this was true and Obama's birth certificate being provided by the State of Hawaii, many people still believe it to this day.

There are people that believe the government of the United States was behind the World Trade Center tragedy, man did not go to the moon, the Sandy Hook shootings did not really happen, and the list goes on and on.

So why are so many people so gullible? It's probably due to several reasons, but mainly because of what I call 'a special kind of stupid'. A lot of these folks are intelligent, but when a theory is introduced by someone and it appeals to the 'I want to believe this' element present in someone, this 'special kind of stupid' or confirmation bias, kicks in. Once this happens, no amount of proof will sway their belief.

A Guide to Arguing With a Snopes-Denier

Some will believe, but some won’t.

Martha

Facebook Annoyances

Why won't Facebook let me see the 'Most Recent' posts instead of 'Top Stories'? And how do they determine what is a 'Top Story'? I want a setting to always show 'Most recent!

There are some posts on Facebook that make me want to just leave.

For instance,

"I'm going to see who really cares..."

"I need a hug or two! To give me a hug, Like and Share this post.
I know who will hug me and who will not."

Really?

"Share if you agree." This is usually a post that tries to make you feel guilty if you don't share.

Hoaxes. Facebook users post so many hoaxes. They are like the energizer bunny, they just keep going and going, seeming like forever.

Fake news. There are political fake news sites for both parties. Usually these sites are so ridiculous I don't see how anyone with an iota of intelligence would believe them, but then again, I suspect there are some folks who believe.

There are also wild tales generally with photo-shopped pictures. I doubt most viewers believe but as I said before some folks will believe.

Facebook used to be fun. It still is at times which is why I still use it, but I must take it in small doses.

 

 

Wondering Why

Why does Chevrolet think actors aren’t ‘real people’?  If they aren’t real people, what are they? Androids?

Are the ‘Real people’ in those ads real? I am not the only one to wonder, just look at the Consumerist.

Why when I click a link to someone’s page on Facebook and then click the back arrow why doesn’t Facebook take me back to the place I just left? Annoying!

Do people read the side effects on all those drug ads? If they do read them, do they still take those drugs? Why? Even those side effects that can include death? ‘Ask your doctor if death is right for you!’.

What is this bar? Can’t close it even though there is a X on it.



Why does every website I visit assume I want to sign up for their newsletter?

Why does my computer keep losing Internet Connection?

Why do people pay a lot of money for jeans with holes in them? And for heaven’s sake, why would anyone want to wear these?

Martha

Re-doing Martha’s Web

If you tried to visit my old web site, you got a ‘not found’ page because I took it down. It was mostly about Windows XP and Outlook Express with a smattering of pages about later versions of Windows, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 but none about Windows 10.

I know there are a lot of folks still using Windows XP and that is why I left it up as long as I did, but it’s time for those users to move on to something else.

My intensions are to just re-do it and put it back up. I just didn’t realize what a job that is! My vision is not what it used to be so I must take a lot of breaks from my computer. And this humongous site is so link heavy to other pages it is taking a long time to chase them all down.

If I live long enough I will get it done.  In the meantime, I also had a disastrous event with my other blog, My not so perfect pc., but that seems to be ok now.

When and if I get marthas-web back up I will let you know on both my blogs and Facebook. For now, it’s no longer available.

In case you don't remember what marthas-web looked like, here is a screenshot.



Martha

Clickbait

I came across a site today that really resonates with me. The title is Clickbait. This lady is telling it like it is.

I think most of us have been ‘teased’ at one time or another by a clickbait site. Those titles like ’15 reasons you shouldn’t eat sushi’ or ’20 Lies You Probably Believe’ that entice you to keep clicking because there is only one item per page and that page is covered with ads!

There is a certain website ad on Facebook that posts those enticing titles that started me thinking about this. (Facebook is full of links that we shouldn’t click) I clicked the link and then it was click, click, click, over and over. Teasers galore, click, click, click. Just an effort to show you more ads. I was curious about this site so I copied the URL and removed everything that appeared after the site URL.

There was no click, click, click. All those teasers were on one page.

What’s going on here? I have wondered how much time these folks devote to creating all those pages. And I think I know. Not much time at all. They just create their normal pages which are probably ok and then they use a clickbait generator!

I did some searching and found lots of site for clickbait.

Here are some of them.

https://thestack.com/world/2015/10/15/machine-learning-generates-clickbait-headlines-that-will-shock-you/

http://www.adweek.com/creativity/create-your-own-overly-emotional-click-baiting-headline-upworthy-generator-153984/

The dirty secrets of clickbait. This post will blow your mind!

https://econsultancy.com/blog/64399-the-dirty-secrets-of-clickbait-this-post-will-blow-your-mind/

The Dead Simple Headline Formula You Can Use To Generate Millions of Pageviews

https://skillcrush.com/2014/01/23/click-bait-tips/

I will certainly avoid those teaser sites if I possibly can. I don’t have a problem with folks trying to make a few dollars, but I hate being teased!

This is what got me started on the quest for clickbait:

I clicked this link from Facebook.

http://honesttopaws.com/trailer-park-cats/2/?bdk=b702aol&as=702aol&pas=1

Looks like clickbait for sure. But when I removed all the extra stuff and got this:

http://honesttopaws.com/trailer-park-cats/

It looked like a normal site, not clickbait.

I never cease to be amazed at what goes on with the Internet!

Facebook, Adios for Now

At least until the election is over!

I like Facebook for the most part, but lately it is too depressing.

Babies being raped, dogs being abused or killed and other depressing stuff.

Politics getting too ugly. Today just one more post put me over the edge, so this tells me ‘bye for now, Facebook!'

Not closing my account just yet, but I have thought about it.

Maybe I will get some productive work done by staying off Facebook for awhile. And maybe, just maybe, I can figure out why Facebook always take me back to the beginning if I click a link that goes to another Facebook page!

The Internet

Ah the Internet! Full of the most interesting things. Educational things, documentaries, funny stuff, sad stuff and of course all those cat videos.

But there is a dark side to the Internet as well. Hackers and scammers just to name a few.

One of the biggest problems on the Internet are the folks with agendas. Some of them are so clever you really don’t realize what is happening.

There is software available that can edit any video to make it seem something entirely different from the original.

There is software that can edit any photo to make it look different than the original by adding or subtracting objects or people.

When you see one of these edited videos or photos you probably won’t be able to tell if it has been altered in any way.

So how can you know what to believe?  Just be skeptical. If it seems really out of character for someone, check it out. Don’t let your personal beliefs persuade you it must be true, just because you think it is, or would like it to be true.

Agendas can be in places where you would least suspect them. They can be in schools, churches, social gatherings and even families. They can be extremely subtle or outright blatant, but agendas are every where.

Then there are the conspiracy theories. Some are really bizarre, but others are rather believable, especially if they fit what you want to believe.. Usually these conspiracy  theories are started by someone with a not so hidden agenda, Some may have a bit of truth but are so exaggerated it’s hard to see how people can believe them. The sad truth is the Internet has made folks gullible!

If you find that hard to believe,  just look at all the hoaxes out there! First they came in in our email and now on social networking sites like Facebook. Some hoaxes were so outlandish it’s hard to believe that anyone fell for them, but they did by the thousands and passed them on to everyone in their contact list or on Facebook.

Still I would not want to be without the Internet. If it weren’t for the Internet I wouldn’t be able to stream TV and I would still be paying outrageous cable bills. I wouldn’t be able to shop online (that might be good, though).

Good or bad, agenda, conspiracy theories, jokes and cat videos, I still love the Internet!

Block Those Scamming Robo Calls

Yesterday morning  I received one of those fake IRS scam calls. I didn’t answer the phone but the scumbag left a threatening message on my answer machine. Guess this might be a new tactic, but then again I’ve been told my voicemail message sounds like me and not a canned message. (Sometimes I get a message ‘Press one or Press two’. These from my health insurer, no idea what that is about!)

I was pretty irked to say the least.

Previously I had tried to setup Nomorobo, but at that time it wasn’t available for Charter.

Since it is generally easier to delete voicemail messages while logged into my Charter account, I logged in to delete the message.

Wonderful! Nomorobo is now available! I set it up last night and this morning it has already blocked one of those ‘Toll Free Calls’.

I am delighted!

If you are interested in blocking robocalls, check to see if you can get Nomorobo for your phone.

It’s about time we can fight back!

Ah, Facebook!

What I want to read on Facebook.

I want to see my family and friends and how they are doing.

I like funny stuff like cat and doggy videos.

What I don't want to read on Facebook.

Anything about politics or religion ( I have my opinion about both and anything I see on Facebook will not change my mind)

I don't want to 'copy and paste' someone else's post. (I have to admit to being guilty of this, but I am trying to be selective and only share funny stuff.)

I don't want to click links to quizzes that just are there to capture your stuff. This 'Place of birth' could be another way for scammers to add to profiles for ID theft.

I see no reason to re-post, share or otherwise comment on whether I love my kids, or other family members.

I know most of the weird stuff could be hoaxes, photo-shopped or unsubstantiated rumors, so I just wish folks would check it out before posting.  I know it’s all too easy to just click share and go on, but think!

And remember the majority of those posts denigrating someone or someone, are probably by someone somewhere with a *hidden agenda!

Think before you share!

*http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hidden%20agenda

Got a call today from a scammer.

The Caller ID showed 212-777-3461. I wasn't going to answer, but my younger son answered it. The caller asked for my older son by name.

My son said  "He isn't here". The caller said our computers were sending out virus.

My son  told the caller "We don't have any computers because the police took them all when he was arrested."

The caller immediately hung up.

I am still laughing.

Names are not listed to protect the innocent and the guilty.

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

Less is More and More is Too Much!

Why do I think I need so much stuff?

The last time I moved house was in 2005. I cleaned out stuff galore.  I donated loads and loads of stuff to Goodwill.  I sold over $200 worth of paperback books to Half Price Books.  (That was a LOT of paperbacks, they don’t pay too much for old books!)

I took a lot of stuff to a consignment shop. I tossed out gobs of old stuff. (Why I had kept it all, who knows?)

When I finally got moved and everything put away,  I thought I had finally purged all the un-needed stuff from my life.  I was wrong.

I still have too much stuff. Yesterday I decided I should take my cell phone with me when I go out into the back yard. (Just in case the door gets stuck, I can call for help to get back in the house. That happened once before, but I was IN the house, luckily!)

Now I don’t want to just lay my phone down somewhere, I want it in reach (I might fall down!) So I remembered I have a small pocket on a chain that would work just great. So I went looking for it. What in the world is all this stuff hiding in dresser drawers!

Time to get rid of more stuff.

I found things that I thought I had thrown away, donated, or just forgot I had ever had!  (Why do I have 40 pairs of socks?)

I did find that pocket, but now I have to go through all those drawers where stuff is hiding out of sight.  The closet too, and get rid of more stuff.

I know why I have so many clothes I don’t wear any more. What if I gain back all the weight I lost and need them?

That kind of thinking is why I have so much stuff! I might need it!  So I need a new mind set, ‘That stuff is old.  If I need it I’ll get new stuff!’

Less stuff will give me more room. (To get more stuff!)

 

Martha

It Seemed Like a Good Deal

I was offered a really good deal with Verizon. Get a tablet for $100 and get a $100 rebate and  1GB of Data Free for Life! (For the tablet)



Except it wasn’t.

Today when I checked on it, I found out the rebate form was lost.  The customer service rep told me I was more than welcome to resubmit if I had a copy, which I didn’t as it was filled out at the store and mailed before I came home.

This just reinforces my opinion of rebates.

They suck.

It has yet to be determined if I get that 1GB of Data, it sure doesn’t show on my online plan!

Martha

Trapped!

A garage door opener is such a handy thing.  That is until it doesn’t work.

We didn’t know there was a problem until my son came home from work and the remote opener didn’t work. Our garage door is extremely heavy and he was afraid it would fall before he could get it completely raised. He certainly didn’t want it to fall on his car.

My car was in the garage and I really didn’t want that door to fall on my  new car!

So here we were, one car in the driveway and one trapped in the garage.

I am a bit paranoid about all sorts of stuff and I kept thinking, ‘What if the house caught fire? I couldn’t get my new car out!

I made a rather frantic call to a overhead door repair and the next morning all was well. The door was fixed toot sweet and now I am no longer ‘trapped’.

Martha