A Collection of High Quality Desktop Wallpapers

High quality and high resolution desktop wallpapers from many different categories. The image size of standard wallpapers varies from 1024x768, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1600x1200 up to 3600x2400 pixels. also widescreen and dual-monitor wallapers up to 3200x1200 pixels available Licensed under: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0

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13847 Shouts Recieved Help me Digg!

I joined Digg on March 5th, 2007.  Even though I have not been on Digg for that long, I was using the service before they did their makeover.  I don't have that much to say about Digg that is bad.  As a matter of fact I like their service.  You can catch up on the news, see things that are very hard to find, Keep up on everything from local news, all the way to the weird stuff that you just wont find anywhere else, and even find out if your own reasoning on topics is inline with other people.  Plus I have to admit some of the other diggers are just plain humorous, or can even be very serious with the topics they pick to comment on, or submit.  Digg can be a learning experience too, and where else are you going to find such a large amount of topics to choose from?  I can think of no place that accepts their users topics, and allows comments, and voting for the best that is on the Internet.  It's just a great place to hang out. 

 

But I have one area I would love to see some improvement in and that is the new Shout area that is located in the users profiles.  Yes after a while the shout area can grow on you.  You get use to it. You either love it, or hate it.  I am trying to ignore it.   I have counted the shouts I have recieved since the change,  and to my surprise from September 19, 2007 until now I have recieved 13847.  And um we have to delete these one at a time per click!   Plus "OK click" each one we delete! UGH!   Come on Diggnation you can do better than this.  We need to be able to control these better.  If you want us to continue getting them, then please fix this so we can delete more than one at a time.  I have 24 pages of shouts.   HELP! 

 

http://digg.com/

A Story of Healing

Click To Play

In 1997, a film crew accompanied an Interplast volunteer surgical team to An Giang province in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. The filmmakers donated their services to document the team's experiences and produce A Story of Healing, which earned the 1997 Academy Award for best documentary short subject. The 28-minute film is followed by a short epilogue after the credits which follows-up on two patients 16 months after their surgeries.

Ten years after its original release, A Story of Healing has been released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivatives license (by-nc-nd) and is available for free online.

 

Clean up your act!

Have you ever noticed when you go to websites that are suppose to have good content (most do), and you see the site advisor pop up red.  You find out they offer downloads  with spyware and adware that have you cringing with fear.  One such site is playfuls.com  To see such a site with bad taste when it comes to what they offer their web guest is just appalling.  I am sure they could offer better download content. 

 

I have said in the past that it's not just the adware and spyware that is bad, it is the websites that permit the crapware on their pages that are bad also.  It's a shame to see a website such as playfuls.com to stoop to such a level.  My advice is to block the downloads on that website.  Or to block the whole website.  Sorry Playfuls but if you can't offer better, then it's time for your visitors to take a stand.  After all... Content should be good content, and free of crapware.  I should not have to worry everytime a member in my family clicks on a link on your website.  Clean up your act!

You have got to read this!

For some time now we have been reading the turmoil of the impending global warming that is upon us.  Till now it was just politics, Greenpeace, and the Entertainment industry pushing the ideas of global warming.  ...

 

Well not any more.  Add to this list  meteorologists from shows of our cable / sattellite tv broadcast are in on the act.  The Weather channel included. 

 

However they don't believe any of the hype.

The whole industry are at war with each other.  There has been threats, and bashing of words, and teeth all over global warming.  There are also threats to fire anyone that doesn't agree with global warming.  You will loose your job and your credentials if you don't agree with global warming.

 

The buzz...

 

"Writing for the One Degree blog, Ms. Cullen recently threw a hissy fit that some meteorologists are openly questioning the conclusions drawn by the Greenpeace crowd about the nature, extent, causes and even existence of global warming."

 

"Cullen's diatribe, titled Junk Controversy Not Junk Science ^{1617 Comments on This Entry so far} called on the American Meteorological Society to start requiring all meteorologists to tow the line on liberal interpretation of global warming, or else lose the organization's certification."

 

"The global warming crowd, led by arrogant hustlers such as Heidi Cullen at The Weather Channel, has set up a no-lose situation for themselves.

"I am a scientist too Dr. Cullen and will be glad to compare credentials. You are entitled to an opinion, but not to the claim that the scientific community supports your position. It does not, just those that agree with you. In point of fact, there is no agreement among most scientists, because the evidence is inconclusive and contradictory. You can not pick and chose which facts you want to believe, nor ignore all the other more reasonable explanations for events, which is what you and those supporting a certain political agenda are doing. You have just fallen into the trap of accepting an explanation for a given set of facts. I can give you twenty more. Your statements are arrogant, foolish, and anything but scientific. Real scientists wonder whether it is your certifications that should be reviewed, not those that remain skeptical and demand proof that isn't constantly contradicted. It is the real scientists that demand tests, not theories. For every scientist that you wish to name that supports your view, I will give you more that say there is no compelling proof. I will show you contradictory evidence and even if the planet is warming, there are dozens of natural reasons this occurs regularly throughout the history of our planet that have nothing to do with the existence of man or any other animal. Why are these possibilities excluded in your world view?"

John | January 19, 2007

Climatology is by definition the study of long-term climate trends, and it will indeed be many decades or longer before any definitive conclusions about even the existence of global warming – let alone its causes – can be determined to be true or false. This means that Cullen and her cohorts can't be held accountable for their erroneous beliefs."

If forecasters can't reliably tell us what will happen in two to three months from now, why would anyone trust that they know what will happen with the weather in 50 or 100 years from now and let them tell us how to live our lives accordingly?

This is all about Big Brother do-gooders trying to control how you live your life, and stripping away the freedoms and liberties of people to live their lives as they see fit, engage in commerce and raise their families.

"There's a con job going on at The Weather Channel, and it's time that viewers let the network know it's time to stop the liberal politicization of weather reporting."

"Well, well. Some "climate expert" on "The Weather Channel" wants to take away AMS certification from those of us who believe the recent "global warming" is a natural process. So much for "tolerance", huh?"

"I have been in operational meteorology since 1978, and I know dozens and dozens of broadcast meteorologists all over the country. Our big job: look at a large volume of raw data and come up with a public weather forecast for the next seven days. I do not know of a single TV meteorologist who buys into the man-made global warming hype. I know there must be a few out there, but I can't find them. Here are the basic facts you need to know:

*Billions of dollars of grant money is flowing into the pockets of those on the man-made global warming bandwagon. No man-made global warming, the money dries up. This is big money, make no mistake about it. Always follow the money trail and it tells a story. Even the lady at "The Weather Channel" probably gets paid good money for a prime time show on climate change. No man-made global warming, no show, and no salary. Nothing wrong with making money at all, but when money becomes the motivation for a scientific conclusion, then we have a problem. For many, global warming is a big cash grab."

Con job at The Weather Channel

"The Weather Channel" Mess ^{355 Responses so far}

 

last words...

It is important for you to know,  many of the meteorologists are keeping hush - hush, and decided not to open their mouths, and say a word either way on what they believe.  Jobs are at stake here folks.  This is just appalling.  Be sure you read through the blogs, and the replies.  The first link has many replies, and it is just astounding at what was posted at these websites.  You can clearly tell that other meteorologists also replied, but most did not put their names on the replies. The last link is the most apparent.

My take on all of this is I never once believed that Global Warming was here to stay.  From the time I was real young, I always knew that Planet Earth had weather cycles.  With a few glitches here and there for the most part weather is just guessing with just the goofs in-between. I have seen many meteorologists get the weather wrong. Mother nature has a mind of her own. I have seen quite a few meteorologists  red in the face saying "oops! I didn't see that coming! Sorry!"  Yes our Earth has too many people, and too much pollution.   Plus we may need to think about better things to power our world. But I don't believe the public is at fault for any of this.  Politics is at fault.  They are the ones that keep big brother oil company's in business.  They are also the ones that turned a blind eye for all of these years, and now the public is to blame?  Get real. Mother Earth is in a cycle.  The cycle may last a few years, or just one.  Or it may last 10, 20 or 50. ONLY Mother Earth knows what she is doing.

What should be done?  Meteorologists should not lose their jobs because of their beliefs. Their word is just as good, as the next guys.  After all, weather in the past has never been a exact science.  It has never been one hundred percent.  If meteorologists do lose their jobs over this, they should fight it tooth and nail. 

The Business of Ads Online and the Reasons for Consumer Hating Them

Ok so most will agree that ads online are a pain.  It's either the way they are displayed or the fact they are using a popup to slap this ad in front of your face.  But what are the major reasons for blocking them?

 

1. popups are bad news, you have to control these because many use popups to exploit the public with their bad scripts.

 

2.  Spam has been the outcome of some of the sponsors.  People don't want to sign up for great deals from the sponsors, and receive  100 emails a week not even related to the info they wanted in the first place.

 

3. They are not trustworthy.  Many sponsors are nothing but traps.  Some even try to infect your computer with viruses, adware, spyware, etc.

 

4. Some sponsors have burned their customers.  No one likes to be offered something just to have the item never to be delivered, and no refund in sight, or damaged goods, and even goods less than what you expected when you made the purchase.  Or, they promise top quality, and you get cardboard, or a few bricks in a box etc.  

 

5. Some ads are luring children to click.  Offer them cool games, or something free, kids will click the ads, and a parent is at the mercy of the sponsor.  (see #4, #3, #2, #1)

 

6. Freebies are not really free, not if they ask for you to keep providing email addresses, page after page, or fill out a survey that reads like a book, and has your complete history on it.  So don't expect to get that big screen TV, or that high priced laptop, without first pissing off you family, friends, and online contacts. You think you did everything right, but they always have a excuse at the end to why you wont receive it.  This scam is a classic online, many fall for it.  It's a good reason to block the ad.

 

7. Websites that have sponsors don't care if the sponsor is legit or not as long as they get paid.  There is no one held accountable for the bad sponsors online.  They can do as they want, and get away with it.  This is not just the websites, even the search engines have bad sponsors.  So you have no trust, no respect of the consumer, and businesses have no balls to clean up their sponsors.

 

I will continue to block ads until people serving ads online clean their act up.  If you want our service of seeing the ads, then respect us as consumers.

 

Read the slashdots response to: Yahoo Mail Forcing Ads Through Adblock?

 

minimum wage increase

A good majority will look at this and say "this is great!" But is it? In my area part time jobs are the norm.  A good majority of workers on many jobs work part time.  There are only two places in my town that offer full time employment.  The next largest city close to me has the same thing.  Part time jobs are rising, and if the wage goes up, I expect to see a increase in part time positions.  I do not know all the reasons behind this, but the biggest reason I believe I see this happening is because of the cost to run a business.  You either cut back on employees, to lower the insurance premiums you are dishing out, or you offer part time employment, with no insurance.  Maybe someone else has other bright ideas about this.  But none of the part time jobs had insurance benefits.  So I suspect many more jobs will become part time, with less full time employees that are insured.  The wage increase is great to have, only if you can put the hours in, and be insured.  What good is it if they cut your hours, and you loose your insurance?

"If it takes adding small business tax cuts to have a minimum wage increase, then we'll do that," new Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said emerging from a private meeting of Senate Democrats in the Library of Congress.

The Senate strategy would differ from the House approach, where Democrats are pushing through a minimum wage increase next week without any extra provisions. The proposal would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour over about two years. The last increase in the minimum wage was in 1997."

Read more here: Minimum wage offer interests Democrats

The year 2007 and Spam

I will keep this short...  Unless something major happens, like a real bad security breech, a  bad virus, worm, or Trojan.  Expect no changes when it come to dealing with spam.  The only thing I hope for is maybe a better software to deal with it.  I have no intentions on holding my breath waiting on that to happen either.

I didn't get a fancy Acer Ferrari laptops preloaded with Windows Vista from Microsoft

Word is out that Microsoft sent out 90 laptops to some lucky bloggers.  Well...  I wasn't one of them.  I have contributed to the computer world for some time now.  Why they don't do this for the ones that help the Windows public, I don't know. I am crushed, disappointed.  But like all the others that didn't get one either, I guess we will get over it.  We have too.  Maybe next year Microsoft will give the ones that help Windows users a fancy laptop.  Microsoft doesn't know when to stop

--
Sapere aude (Dare to be wise)
http://learningpc4beginners.com/Campaign.html

Jungle secrets: 52 new species found in Borneo's 'Lost World'

For once we get a treat.  Get your eyes focused, and head over to the website below.  Some never seen before photos of animals never known to exist on earth are awaiting you.  Gather the children, they will be treated too.

More than 50 new species of animals and plants that have never been seen before have been discovered in a 'Lost World' on the island of Borneo in just 18 months, say scientists.

Among them are two tree frogs, a whole range of plants and trees and 30 brand new types of fish including a tiny one less than a centimetre long and a catfish with an adhesive belly that allows it to stick to rocks.

Be sure to click on: GALLERY: Borneo's magical inhabitants for even more pictures on the page below.  Jungle secrets

The world's tallest man has saved the lives of two dying dolphins in China

 SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The world's tallest man has saved the lives of two dying dolphins in China by reaching deep into their stomachs to pull out pieces of plastic, official Chinese media reported on Thursday.

 

This man has a heart of gold.  If he hadn't of helped these dolphins they would of died.  There was no other way to save them.  Read more below:

 

World's tallest man saves China dolphins

General foresees 'generational war' against terrorism

"The American people need to prepare for a long-duration war against radical Muslims who are set to fight for 50 to 100 years to create an Islamist state in the region, a top Pentagon strategist in the war on terror says. "

 

read more here: 'generational war'

 

No they wont stop at their region.  If you look at all of what the radicals are saying they have clearly stated they plan to dominate the world.  They want EVERYONE to convert.  It is not just Islam/Muslim type countries. IT'S EVERYONE.  As long as their are so called infidels they will fight. Do some research on the subject if you don't believe me.  But they did say it several times.  They said it on the radical websites, and in news media they released to the public online.  This is just what irks me with the news media.  They never tell the whole story.  You have to search online to find out the true story.  You will not find this news on FOX or CNN.  Why?

 

If you look at the whole story then the reason for their fighting is clear.  If you look at the news media, it is not.  It doesn't make what they are doing right killing innocent men, women, and children.  But I believe the news media owes us ALL the truth, not bits and pieces they feel like telling us. I will never be a museum extremist.  Their fighting just doesn't make any sense.  Plus they read into their Bible words that were never included.  The true Museum would never act that way. 

 

 

 

YOU will be responsible for reporting Illegal images

Millions of commercial Web sites and personal blogs would be required to report illegal images or videos posted by their users or pay fines of up to $300,000, if a new proposal in the U.S. Senate came into law.

The legislation, drafted by Sen. John McCain and obtained by CNET News.com, would also require Web sites that offer user profiles to delete pages posted by sex offenders. It doesn't end there though... You also will be required to retain a proof copy of the offenders post(s) for up to six months. Webmasters would be immune from civil and criminal liability if they followed the specified procedures exactly. But screw up, and you are fined $300,000.  I take it as meaning if they find evidence on a offenders computer that leads to you knowing what the offender was doing, then you will pay for ignoring them.  It basically turns all individuals into the police. 

The efforts of the Senate are I suppose admirable for stopping online predators, but what do they plan to do to the person that is ignorant in how to save the evidence?  Gosh now even the law will know how many online are just clueless on how to run their computers. 

Read more here: From Cnet: Senator: Illegal images must be reported

Global Warming

Yes there is global warming.  But some of this is due to our own earth's cycle.  I don't doubt we need to change.  But people like Al Gore look at Americans like it is their fault.  It's not.  Look in our stores, look at what we are being offered for fuel, and look at the laws that are in place for recycling.  We are offered, and so we purchase.  It's not like our own Government hasn't stepped up to the plate and said things are changing.  They are not.  New fuels are not being developed, and marketed fast enough.  New incentives are not being developed fast enough.  Plus it doesn't look like the oil company's will give up this without a fight.

 

Instead of asking us to purchase the new longer lasting energy efficient light bulbs, offer those only and take the ones off the market that don't meet energy efficient standards. Same could be said for all appliances, and automobiles.  We can only do so much.  If our supplies dealers, and such isn't offering the better energy efficient.  Don't blame us.  Plus the price on some of these goods is outrageous. If the old stuff is fazed out, then it makes sense that the new energy efficient stuff will drop in price to a reasonable level.  Fix it!  By the way... Don't forget to go after the "other" Countries that are offering less than energy efficient too.  It's a world effort. The United States can't handle this alone.  Faze out the stuff that doesn't meet the energy efficient standard guidelines.  Don't permit a US company to even ship out the product overseas unless it's energy efficient.

 

Stop hounding US citizens because of global warming.  We didn't create the problem. If you are so worried about it then do something about it, and stop your nagging. 

Dare to be wise

Sapere aude

Dare to be wise

 

 

 

Support this campaign it is a good one.  The campaign simply means that everyone is getting the word out to all users that computer security is important, and why.  Plus how to secure your family, and your computer. This includes computer vendors, ISP's, Operating system vendors, Makers of security software, etc. 

 

<div align="center"> <a href="http://learningpc4beginners.com/Campaign.html"> <img src="http://learningpc4beginners.com/seal(5).jpg" border=0 height=175 width=175 alt="Dare to be wise Campaign logo"></a></div>

 

HBO SPECIAL Hacking Democracy

You have to watch this film.  I don't care if you believe in votes being accurate, or not.  Watch it anyway.  It is well worth the time spent of a hour and 21 minutes.  It will effect how you feel for how your vote is counted.  For one thing, watch how they gave the voters machines every benefit of the doubt.  The machines still failed though.  Perhaps its time for the citizens of the USA to take a stand.  We are guaranteed a vote.  But judging from this HBO special. You don't count.

 

HBO SPECIAL Hacking Democracy

 

 

 

Computer Security we can't have it both ways, or can we?

We are on a cusp right now as you read this.  I don't always care for Microsoft's antics, and sometimes abuse of the public.  Abuse? Well for years the public has been at the mercy of Microsoft when it came to securing their computer.  You could never stay one step ahead.  As soon as your back was turned, here came some more Malicious  software.  All, and I mean EVERYONE told Microsoft enough was enough, do something about this. So Microsoft tried, and tried again. 

 

They are now fixing to release another Operating system called Vista.  Vista Could put the Security Software industry out of business.  Is this a bad thing?  No its not.  As I have always said in the past... Any security software you purchase is never 100% reliable.  You can install your upgrades, and get your virus updates, and a hour later have it all compromised.  As fast as you try to fix the problem, another problem arises.  So the security industry may be out of business.  Or will they?  Well deep in Vista is a means to stop software from changing the Kernel.  Or for that fact even messing with the kernel.  Most of your security software do just this.  They want to continue messing with the kernel.  The kernel is the backbone of the Operating system.  If you asked the laymen whom owns a computer what the kernel is, most couldn't tell you.  The only ones who know the most are the Manufacturers of the Operating systems, the security software industry, and the Malicious  software coders.  I am explaining this to you, because some people don't know.  If the only ones with access to the kernel is Microsft it could possibly backfire at them. They will have no one to help them if something should happen to crop up.

 

Vista to me means that down the road a person trying to shut down a portion of the Internet, or launching a denial of service attack will have a harder time doing so, if they use Vista machines to do their dirty work.  They will also have a harder time going after machines to infect.  In general the ISPs, Host, businesses, and even the public will come out ahead if Vista does all it claims it will.  The only ones that will loose is the Security software vendors.  They will either have to scale back on their software, or be completely out of a job.  The bad news is these security vendors can take Microsoft to court.  If they end up with a Judge that doesn't know how bad the Operating system needs these improvements, then Microsoft could loose their case right off the bat, due too ignorance on part of the Court system.  Face it many cases are lost due to ignorance.  it's one thing to have the facts, and a entirely different thing to be able to understand them.

 

However I do agree with the vendors about Microsoft's pushing Windows Live OneCare on users when they first boot up.  Put a read me file or a media file on the desktop, and leave it up to the user on what to install.  This means if a vendor wants to continue their security software offer, they should be allowed too.  Especially during Vista's first years.  Which also leads me to believe that if OneCare is still being offered by Microsoft, then the security vendors can still carry on making software for the Vista.  It also leads me to question... Is Vista really as secure as Microsoft claims it is?  If it was, then why do we still need OneCare? Microsoft should allow the vendors access to the code at least, so that we wont have a backlash of new viruses, etc to hit the Operating System in the near future after the first release.  The best security is to be one step ahead.  Keeping them in the dark hurts EVERYONE.  Least we should not forget that when Windows XP hit desktops, it too was said to be more securer.  Is it?  At least having more heads checking for ways to break Vista security wise, would be better than just relying on Microsoft.  After all, human error is the number one reason why the older Operating systems failed in the first place.   Or so I believe it's the major number one reason.  Your mileage may differ.   Comments?

 

McAfee, Symantec Hit Back Against Changes To Windows

 

Rivals fault control over Windows Vista

 

Europe fears Microsoft's security push

 

Limited Vista access hurts security effort, McAfee says

 

Analysis: Is Windows Vista the Death of Antivirus Producers?

CNN: Searching for an Unfriendly Face

CNN: Searching for an Unfriendly Face

 

 As a soldier scans the crowded streets of Baghdad, so do another set of eyes. The second set, located on the soldier's rifle, belongs to a camera system that instantly recognizes the faces of potential threats.

 

The camera's brain, a two-pound computer system worn on a belt or in a pack, is the first portable video system capable of matching faces with known threats in real time. It's being developed by Frederick-based ACAGI Inc., along with researchers at the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering, through Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program funding.

"Soldiers have cameras on their rifles or helmets, but that's only half the equation. They don't recognize anything," said ACAGI CEO Peter Spatharis. "If our system sees somebody it knows, it tells you, and it tells others so quick decisions can be made."

 

Isn't this something... Why it was just a few years back everyone was amazed at microwaves, computers, and those watches that cost 50 bucks that could tell the time, add and subtract, and light up, plus look stylish too!  Today all of this stuff is cheaper, The computer of yesterday would cost 300 bucks today. Microwave goes for about 50, and the watches go for about 5 to ten bucks. Don't forget that years ago a computer took up lots of space, today is more compact you can wear the darn thing.  

 

*Weebit laughs* 

Introducing the Online Meth Registry

Everyone knows about the Sex Offender list... But a Meth Offender list? Tennessee is one of three States to have a meth offender list.  Is this the wave of the future? Will other States keep a watchful eye to see how these three States fair in fighting drugs? I must admit, it is a good way to see where this drug may be in your area. But is it going too far? Or should they make public online all drug offenders, and not just the ones producing it? I must admit, I think it would be ideal for the repeat offenders.

 

REGISTRIES:

Approved

Illinois

Minnesota

Montana

Tennessee

Proposed

Georgia

Maine

Oklahoma

Oregon

Washington

West Virginia

Read at the following websites:

States list meth offenders on Web

Internet Registry Could Track Meth Makers

Meth offender list a possibility for Georgia

Registry tracks meth cooks

Meth Offender Registry Database for Tennessee

 

 

Social Engineering

Seven years ago on a April day I made my debut on the Internet on a WebTV unit. In those seven years I have seen so many changes on the Internet to where it would be pointless for me to even try to sort it all out, and make them a part of this post.  I kept my WebTV unit for eight months, and purchased a computer in December of the same year.  Computers have come a long way in those seven years.  So has the users that joined me online.  I welcome you all aboard this information highway. 

 

But...

 

Has anyone ever explained to you what Social Engineering is?  Probably not.  Most don't even like those two words.  For those of you that don't know me too well I run a computer list that has almost 300 members.  I have had this list  since 2001.  They are a great bunch of people.  Occasionally you will have a stray on these list that has no clue.  They know how to turn their computer on, check their e-mail, and click a link to a website.  This is all they know.  They may of been online for a few weeks, months, and some even years.  They just happen to come across my list, or a friend or family member points them in my direction.  We have discussions, that sometimes will floor these type members, and one of those discussions is Social Engineering. 

 

Why?...

 

Why would I bring such a subject up?  Someone has too.  A majority of your computer users have no clue.  For some reason a few think that if you own a website, or a IRC channel, etc... You are special online.  You are important.  What a website is offering, or asking for is legit.  The person behind the website is high up their ranks online, so therefore what a website would say, ask of me, tell me to do, is the utmost important. 

 

Come down out of the clouds...

 

Grandma has a website online.  So do children, stay at home moms and dads, Uncles, Aunts, you name it they are online.  Behind every website is a person, or persons.  They may have your interest at heart, or they may be only thinking of themselves.  They can be helpful, or be thieves. They could be out to destroy your computer.  They could be online to help you fix your computer, or to protect it.  Either way, the Internet is the same as if you was walking down the street.  You don't know whom is walking in front of you, or behind you.  They could be a pedophile, thief, robber, the list goes on.  The Internet is no different.

 

So what does Social Engineering have to do with the Internet?

 

Social Engineering affects every man woman and child in some way regardless if you are on the Internet or at home, and work. It has no boundaries on age. It's a person's instinct of how they react to social interaction when they are confronted by a individual or not. It can also be human error. You could possibly be a part of it, or a victim of it. It could be a subconscious reaction, or conscious to know what is going on is wrong, but not know what to do about it. You could be very oblivious to what is or has happened to you also. Most of the time you have no clue till it is too late. It can play with emotions too in order to get a certain response from an individual. With the Internet Social Engineering can play havoc with a Internet Business, and consumers alike. If you think you can run to your favorite IT and have a conversation about this...you might succeed. But you could also fail. Most ITs don't want to discuss the subject because the very way instincts of human nature play a role in this, and to say that a employee won't answer a question that is not so innocent as it sounds is just as bad, because remember the IT just spent days securing the workstations, or the networks, now all of his/hers efforts are down the drain because of a simple question was asked by a stranger on the phone. So lets really say what social engineering is. It is no more than a con artist out to profit from information that they can gather anyway they can as long as it produces the results/information they are after. But the hardest reality for some to accept is that Social Engineering can also prey on your ignorance.

 

Is there protection out there?

 

Yes and no.  If anyone tells you any differently then run!  You can be stingy when it comes to the software you allow to be downloaded and installed on your computer.  You can be picky to what e-mails you open and read.  If your personal information is being sought after... back off and ask yourself if they have a real legit reason for asking for it.  Emails are not, and never have been a legit reason for asking for your personal information. Never click on the links in these type e-mails.  You are never destined to have to accept a certain software either.  The Internet is a market just like your neighborhood grocery store.  In this Internet market are many vendors trying to get your business.  You do not have to accept the first offer you come across. This is how many get burned.  They also get burned for the simple fact they don't read those End Users Licenses.  You know, those I accept agreements that read like a book when you first download and go to install a software.  Or those websites that put up policies like the privacy policies,  Terms of Use, etc.  I am sure if you read some of these you would be totally surprised.  Don't forget also your Instant Messenger chats.  IRC is another.  Social Engineering is two fold.  It has a person on one end carring out the scheme, and a person on the other end to be schemed.  So the individual on the Internet has always got to be aware of what is going on.  This is where many fail.  Plus this is why there is no clear cut 100% way to prevent it from happening.

 

As I have always said...

 

"Just use common sense online, you sure wouldn't give a total stranger your personal info on the street... neither would you hand your child over to a total stranger.  Plus you wouldn't let a total stranger place their belongings in your home. Why would you let them online?"