Facebook Fear Clouds Our Judgement

chrishambly — Thu, 01 May 2008 06:28:36 -0400

Today the BBC reports Identity 'at risk' on Facebook yeah and that's news?

I hang out on Twitter a lot and it always amazes me how there is such a band wagon "fashion" approach to some of this technology, you know a real sheep follow concept going on.

People have been flabbergasted that GASP you could have details stolen on the internet, OMG shock bloody horror, that is such HUUUUUGE news!

Reality check.

To quote: "Anyone with a basic understanding of web programming can write an application." Uhh duh, so that's not happened in the previous 18 years or so of the public Internet? - It's rife!

Seriously though, phising and various other methods of data-mining have existed forever, where there is data available on the Internet a hacker will always try to retrieve it, that's the job description, am I one? No, I'm not, but I've understood that since day 1, it's so obvious it hurts, is it just me?

I've heard people talking of closing accounts, never using FB again not doing this not doing that, goodness me it's barfable really.

Two key things here:

1. Never put your DOB online
2. Never put YOU information online (I mean official YOU stuff, address, financial stuff)

It's quite simple, if you put personal data online, you can expect to be targeted no matter what the platform, if you put your trust in an online platform you are a fool, they are all crackable.

I'll be continuing to use FB and the Internet, I'll just tread with caution as I always have, and if I were you I would not follow "fashion", that's silly. Do we need a nanny do guide us through these treacherous waters? No, we just need not be fashion victims and be self-responsible, and in most spheres in mind, if you follow fashion you are blind.

Rant over.

P.S. this is not targeted at anyone in particular, just generalised.