Posted on 01/29/2009 9:57:53 AM PST by Nachum
The message that popped into Laurie Gale's Facebook inbox last month seemed harmless enough -- a friend had seen a video of Ms. Gale and had sent a link so Ms. Gale could view it. The link led to a video site that prompted her to update her video software, which she did.
"Within seconds, everything started shutting itself down," says Ms. Gale, a 37-year-old lamp-works artist from Versailles, Ky. Ms. Gale's new Dell Inspiron laptop had been infected with malicious software, or malware, that has spread through social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.
"I cried for an hour," Ms. Gale says. It took a trip to the local computer repair shop and several phone calls with Dell customer-service representatives for her to restore the computer to its factory settings. "It was three days of torture."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
If I was stupid enough to download unknown software, I’d cry too.
facebook etc
Am I the only one who has never seen the point in it and never bother with it?
Just don’t see the reason why I should go on line, give a bunch of info out about me including how I look and then try to make friends.
or am I missing something?
With friends like that, who needs Facebook?
At 37, Ms. Gale is a little old to be learning that slumming can be dangerous.
what is a lamp-works artist?
I use it mostly to keep in touch with people I know in real life. Especially helpful now that we have all graduated from college and are spread out.
A lot of people use it to get phone numbers when their cell phone breaks.
In you do get caught in the “update software to view video” virus scam.
Step one, close browser.
Step two, turn off computer.
Step three, go read a book. You’re not smart enough for the internet.
Ms. Gale is a complete dumbass ...
it says, "i saw YOU in this HILARIOUS video!!!! LOLOLOLOLOL!!!! check it our here!!! XOXOXOX!!!!!
and then there is a link to some stupid site you've never heard of. i delete them and comment on my friends page that they got hacked. my old college teammates hardly ever write "XOXOX!!!" to me so i know it's not real. ha.
Yes. And I'm guessing you're over 50 too.
what is a lamp-works artist?
______
A liberal without a real job.
Anybody who accepts a "software update" from some random link needs a software update between the ears.
“It was three days of torture.”
Given the current political environment she should sue.
Good lord.
no actually I’ve just turned 40 and know many people who do it but my self I just don’t see the point of going on there to find friends when I have them here plus telling the world what I look like and all about me.
What am I missing?
A friend told me that it was cool and another was well you make friends over the internet.
Sorry but I just don’t get it.
that is one of the best answers I have ever got for anyone who uses this face book thank you
Friends and family. In fact my uncle posts a family newsletter on facebook every couple of weeks.
What can I say---I have lots of friends already--LOL! FreeRepublic is all I need. Thanks, Mr. Robinson!
That’s a very stupid remark to make. There are lots of people that do for a variety of reasons which don’t appear stupid.
It’s an ego thing. Sometimes not very bright when you realize what the consequences might be.
There is an FR Facebook group. It’s a great way for me to keep up with fraternity brothers and high school friends.
I have more friends than my kids and it really irritates them.
same here
I was at a friends and they joined this face book and within days they received tons of messages saying will you be my friend?
She never went on it again as God only knows what complete whack jobs are asking her to be a friend and who she has no intention of meeting.
One weirdo asked to be her friend and kept sending photo’s of herself and just kept talking about herself.
She said that if she wanted to know who she listens to on her way to school she would ask, LOL
I want to be sympathetic, but it may be that little windows popping up from nowhere telling you to install system software might be considered just a little suspicious by anyone over the age of ten...
Now she’ll yearn for the good old days when you trusted people face to face and ended up with the clap.
Exactly!
You are missing the point. Wasn’t the video sent by a friend who she likely trusted?
I’ve never had the slightest urge to join any of those things either.
The absolute best way to deal with this is to do a series of backups with external hard drives. I always keep several generations going, and all I have to do is either restore back on the original hard drive, or boot from a copy. Either way, I can be back up and running in minutes...
Backups are wonderful things...
There is no smart reason to download unknown software. Ever.
I never go to view any damn video that people won’t tell me what I’m watching.
“YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!!”
“LOLOLOLOLOLOL!”
Even if it isn’t hazardous, it’s still a chain letter kind of thing.
TELL me what I’m going to see.
I get sick of seeing emails and bulletins (and even FR threads) that are JUST a video clip saying “check this out”.
I need a summary of what something is before I ever make a hop.
Oh..., and on top of the complete hard drive backups, which include everything on your hard drive, I also run several “user” backups, too — which only contain personal user files. I can do restores on either basis...
Java means never having to ASK you for permission to load software on your computer.
Umm, no, it *appeared* to have been sent by a friend who she trusted. Just like all the phishing scams trying to get your PayPal password appear to come from PayPal. Seriously, if you aren’t clear on this, you should get clear quickly, before something bad happens to you.
The only danger in this is revealed only too well by this story, the illusion that the Internet can become a Safe Zone with a Trusted App.
In an age where hardly anyone recognizes the looming absence of Extended Families, it can aid in creating the illusion of a functional extended family or community, and that is no more dangerous than those who think reading and commenting on FreeRepublic alone is true engaged society or action.
If those things are acknowledged, it's mostly harmless, nonessential and interesting as a tool for mapping personal influence.
As a substitute for "the society of one another" is falls short of unrealistic expectations.
Tools, Internet Options, Advanced. Check and uncheck boxes as necessary.
If a window comes up on a strange site and says it wants to install something, DON’T CLICK ANYTHING. Not yes, not no. Use Task Manager to close your browser.
No, you're not alone. I feel the same way.
I work in a business that is about 90% high school and college students. I have to tell you that if you want to get your product in front if the right people, you have to go where they are. Its cheap and effective.
I use it for some personal stuff, but mostly to stay in touch with the students.
Mooooom, I’ve told you, most people use facebook to keep in touch with people not to make new friends..and if you don’t want people to see your account, you don’t add them to your list..and you can delete people..I just did..it felt great! Oh, and it’s not just for kids, one of my friends is an 80 year old WWII Vet! (and my ex neighbor)
So there Mom, get on facebook!
We fight for our privacy and then dumb ass people put it up for the world (and government agencies) to see.
I do computer repair and have a network of three at home, so I’ve seen a lot of this. NEVER open up suspicious windows or click on links unless you are SURE it is legitimate and know where it’s taking you to.
Same goes for e-mail - if you get an unfamiliar e-mail asking you to click on a link or open up an attachment, DON’T DO IT. Discard it and don’t look back.
That certainly makes sense! If I had a business reason to join a site like that, I would definitely do so.
I have friends from all over the US and my family all live out of state. It’s easy on FB to share information, photos, videos and happenings with folk I don’t see but maybe every few years.
Since going on, I’ve re-contacted and found friends from college and high school that I’ve lost touch with. I reconnected with college friends that I had not heard from in decades.
It's okay that you 'don't get it', different strokes for different folks.
:-)
Nope, you're not alone.
I'm far too busy living my own life, to vicariously live through a bunch of "friends" on Facebook. And, I can't imagine who would care how I feel right this particular second, or what's playing on my IPod (if I had an Ipod).
Near as I can tell, Facebook is great for a bunch of gossipy women to mind each other's business...and not much else. (OK, maybe gossipy men too, but I can count the number of guys I know who use it on one hand.)
I love the groups. Two the the groups I'm in are my family has our own group and my church has it's own group. It's great to get out information, share photos, etc.
LOL
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