I must be less well informed, because I have no idea what you are refering to.

We're not asking you to join these social media channels. We're asking members who may already have social media accounts to "follow" or "like" the CR4 accounts in order to show their support for the community. If your friends see that you like it they may decide to check out CR4.

Joining another site or even viewing a link posted to CR4 is always done at your own risk.

I nearly had an heart attack when I saw the heading, but thanks for your answer. I can not access Facebook, Twitter or any blog directly and must go via a VPN which makes my internet connection slow. Thank goodness I will still be able to look and comment at CR4 without going on Facebook of any Blog

Your personal information is at risk everywhere.....fortunately these sites you speak of don't require valid info, just a valid e-mail...I never give my valid birthdate or actual name....

NAME....... Not Sure

Birthdate.....pick a round number

address.... Yankee Stadium

Use a real name - just not yours. Something nice and generic, say, John Smith (apologies to all the real John Smiths here - you blokes use some other bloke's real name ).

Why not use something like Solar Eagle? Why not indeed?

A couple of weeks ago Facebook/Germany began prompting users to reveal the actual names of Facebook 'friends' operating under pseudonyms. Facebook started doing this in Germany but, if their recent history is any example, they'll be doing this elsewhere also. Solution? Don't use pseudonyms which look like pseudonyms and no one - especially the Facebook Schutzstaffel - will be any the wiser, but not only: Gov't Agencies, Colleges Demand Applicants' Facebook Passwords. Employers too. If you don't have an account under your real name, to those buggers you can say, "C'est la vie!"

If you have a Facebook account and wish to close it, the data will still be there should anyone with the appropriate credentials demand a look - with or without your knowledge nor consent, and without cause nor due process - thanks to Mark Zuckerberg's and others' support of CISPA (and if you believe FB's denial then you'll also believe the word 'gullible' is not in the dictionary). See also, and here.

Not sure is a real name. Have you seen Idiocracy?

And to the OP, why not get on facebook? I only log on a few times a day to see what's going on. And then I read a good post, so I stay on for just a few more hours...

And then I have to post a picture that I saw on the internet because it completely describes what I'm thinking. And then I have to tell people what I ate today and how my workout felt...because everyone knows that if you don't post about your workout, it didn't happen. By that time, I should probably check to see if there are any good posts...

"...Have you seen Idiocracy?"

That's C-SPAN's answer to The Daily Show, right?

Lol no. It's actually a movie where the main character accidentally gave his name as Not Sure.

I've used twitter and facebook both personally and professionally for a few years now without incident. It's great to share with friends, family and colleagues

What would constitute an 'incident' in your view? How would you recognize one if it happened? How many incidents have there been already, all unbeknownst to you?

If you think your private info is safe on Facebook, think again. Facebook engages in data mining and passive aggregation. Each individual piece may not say much about you, but in aggregate you would be astonished at what can be deduced about you, about your private life and the lives of others you know. You don't even have to tell Facebook anything. The fact that you visited a web-page sporting Facebook's 'f' logo tells Facebook that you visited that site, when you visited and other things about you; you and everyone else who visits that page. Facebook knows you have an account here on CR4 because CR4 also has an 'f' logo on pages you visit. You don't even have to be a member of Facebook for them to collect this info, btw. If one later joins Facebook, FB associates one's new info with that already gathered from one's visits. Quite a profile they've already built even before you sign up! This together with Facebook's wholesale disregard for the privacy and security of its users, and you feel safe? Oh goodness me!

You can adjust privacy settings to the point that no one can see you, but more importantly, you shouldn't put anything on the internet you wouldn't want someone else to see. No matter what the "privacy" of the area you're in, there's always the chance of being compromised.

As for our social media "thing-a-majigs", if you are indeed an avid user of one or more of the outlets, following/liking us is a convenient way to get news stories right into your news feed (if you're into that).

Good points. It doesn't take too much effort to keep your facebook info reasonably secure, though that also means you're not using all of the features that facebook offers. Which I'm ok with for my own account, which I have due to the urging of my family.

One thing creepy, though, about facebook is that it has access to your cookies folder. I've noticed that within a day or two of researching some rare or off-the-beaten path bit of information I get an ad popping up in the fb margin for that very thing. The first time that happened I was really creeped out, then I found out about fb's access to cookies.

The ad-cookie relationship is common on many sites. For example, I often see shoe ads on CR4.

I agree that joining Facebook, especially, is an invitation for disaster - not that I'm well-informed, mind you. Their latest mal-innovation, 'Frictionless Sharing' (read "posting on your 'wall' without your foreknowledge nor consent sites you visit and what you do there), seems to be generating lots of friction; enough so to make the national press and inciting at least one pundit to liken Facebook's behaviour to that of a 'virus'. This naturally suggests new users take the following action: create your Facebook account under the name 'Mark Zuckerberg', include as much of his personal info in your profile as possible and then visit as many porn sites as you have time. Enough people do this and perhaps he'll begin to rethink his contempt for his site's users. CR4 may also wish to consider joining Google+ as a more benign alternative to Facebook and Twitter. G+ seems to have a more educated membership, on average, than the others - at least for now. At the rate Facebook is currently driving away its members CR4's joining G+ might not be a bad idea.

Would you believe me if I said that we have one?

That was fast work! You even made it look like it had been there awhile lol.

You can turn off most of the automated things that happen in Facebook's news feed. Their privacy policies change often but each time they do, you can review your settings.

I've looked at Google+ but it seems to be more difficult to make everything private on that platform.

How so? I have a G+ account that you cannot find even with my user name and email address. "Why even have one, then," you may ask? I'm a videographer and I use the account to share video files, which can be quite large. This doesn't stop me from using their other features, but on the whole I dislike social networks - excepting this one, of course. :-)

I had a hard time confirming that my information was not public. Facebook allows you to preview how your account appears to others.

Each network has its pros and cons and each is best suited to certain uses. I prefer Facebook for connecting with friends and family - most of mine live far away. It's all a personal preference. CR4 has accounts on all of the big social networks.

AP#1 is about the only one here, apart from myself, that really appreciates just how dangerous some of the social networks are. Maybe you accept having private data and information about being shared around. I do not.

In Germany, there have been some very good investigative work done by magazines and the like to show just how dangerous they are and I do agree that some changes have been made by the owners, but simply not enough.

I also agree with you. My fear is that with so many people willing to give up their privacy, they won't realize when the right is taken from them. The internet security legislation being pushed through here, using fear as a bulldozer, is a prime example.

Having nothing to hide, is not a good enough reason to give up the right to privacy!

I agree with you Andy. I don't use FB or TW myself, for the same reasons.

People who are on facebook think it's the world. Last time I checked, 48 percent of internet users in Canada are on facebook. That is not the world. Twitter is down around 25 percent.

Some of my business associates are into FB and TW big time, and they find it good for business. I can understand why GlobalSpec might want to attract customers likewise. But I don't really get the use of CR4 for FB and TW promos. Is that what it's about then?

To be honest, the whole CR4-twitter-facebook promo has been accompanied by an increase in truly assenine blogs by the staff here (sorry to say so). It's one reason I have spent less time around CR4 lately. On the other hand, folks who are interested in following Justin Beiber's latest comment may find those blogs attractive.

I'd like to know how many contributors to CR4 actually found it through FB or TW. Any at all? Please step up, and let us know. Just curious.

is it or isn't it? Safe that is! That is the question!

While so many point blank refuse to use FB or TW, so many do WITHOUT problems. Would CR4 joining or using FB be just the next step in our digital, cyber world?

Problems? Yes what does not have problems these days.... only last year my NON digital bank account was hacked by a disgruntled bank worker who helped himself to over $6000 plus. I've NEVER had a on-line account.

I'm sure that someone has tried to hack into CR4.. but what would the point be of that, other than to prove that they can!!

It would be an educated decision to use FB or TW... I have been using FB for over 6 years now, and while in the deserts of Libya it is a great medium to keep in contact with friends and family. Twitter..... what a waste of time!

If my account on FB was hacked, what is the most damage they could do? Steal all my friends?

"Steal all my friends?" Yes, by posing as you - after they've changed your password, locking you out. If you're a Farmville fan (bless your heart) and let FB bill you for that new herd of cyber-cows your usurper has just purchased in your name, you're S.O.L. Let's say the hacker knows you personally and doesn't happen to be your best pal, he or she can discredit you online and even get you in trouble with the Law by, say, visiting child-porn sites and posting their images on your wall, post death threats on the walls of key gov't officials from your account, as you. Oh, the havoc a hacker could wreak! Havoc that would take you years and $$$ to undo - more if from Gitmo. You get the idea. Steal all your friends? No problemo.

Yes it's all true.... that unfortunately is the world we live in, however i don't buy cyber cows on those brain numbing FB games, Farmville, or the like....

But as I do use FB VERY frequently, i think I would know, as would my family and friends if it was me, posting death threats regarding government officials (in the Uk I'd be just another one of millions) and I would know if I'd been locked out of my account.

Awareness is half the battle, that and being careful with a STRONG password.

But it will not stop the most dogged of hackers.... just slow then down a little until you make a mistake. Sad world really!!

You should look at some links I just posted......you may change your tune as even a strong password is not enough, the security at FB means that the criminals can steal them in blocks and sell them onto other criminals.

They do not need to "crack" your "strong" PW, they just copy it....

Hackers broke into LinkedIn and stole a bunch of passwords a few weeks ago. Users' reactions were largely of the "Gosh, who would've thought!" variety, as if this weren't something inevitable given enough time.

It'll happen here one day, too. Users' passwords should never be stored as plaintext values, anywhere. Ever. Passwords should be strongly encrypted, even on the site's servers. This won't prevent eventual loss - hackers are getting clever faster than we can protect ourselves from them - but it will thwart the majority of the script-kiddies who somehow manage to find their way in.

There have been some really serious agressive hacking in the UK, that put a young man behind bars for I believe 2 years quite recently, he was posting fotos of his ex-girlfriend in bed, having sex with him and the rest..... It wasn't enough jailtime.

It would appear that some people use these social networks to steal identities and to publish very private fotos, to get back to an ex boyfriend or girlfriend....

Security procedures to protect the user are buried away in areas that a normal person would not dream of looking into. The obvious is why is it so buried? Of course its done to stop people being able to shield themselves....

Do not forget that thieves do not give prior warning, you will only know about it after the event, not before....just like house breaking.....

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-2100637/Criminals-flog-Facebook-Twitter-passwords-20-bulk-buy-factory-outlets.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9048417/Violent-criminals-use-Facebook-to-taunt-victims-from-jail.html#

http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/facebook-crimes/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/8962325/Unwitting-criminals-of-the-Facebook-and-Twitter-generation.html

I am with Andy on this topic. I see my friends with their face book accounts chatting back and forth with classmates from 40 years ago they would not have associated with at all. What's the point?

I will never have facebook, twitter, or a linkdin type account.My life is just not that interesting that every move needs to posted on the web. Surely a cell phone or email account is quite enough.

Oh by the way, it you need to get a message to me, use the phone, email, or stop by and talk in person, this texting stuff if crap and I have disabled it as well.

I truly believe these accounts are a fad and recent news reports seem to agree they will last another 5 years - maybe.

I am not against technology. I have several macs available just about anywhere I go, cell phones, ipods, ipads, I even have a pc (currently use it as a doorstop) for when a website (usually government) just won't run on Safari. I just don't see the need to put additional info out there at risk on these services.

Oh by the way, it you need to get a message to me, use the phone, email, or stop by and talk in person, this texting stuff if crap and I have disabled it as well.

Totally agree, though it doesn't seem to be how it's going. Morning news reported decline in phone calls (not just 'normal' phone, but mobile as well). The report quoted an average of 200 texts a month per person. I hope to **** that didn't average based on world population.

Facebook I check out. If I don't keep apace with what it does I'll be left in a techno-desert. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it. Viewing teenage relatives accounts, it's full of inane posts, but has nothing on twitter. A lot of so called 'Celeb's' tweet, and I can only imagine it's some sort of self-promotional thing. I have zero interest in what time somebody went to bed/ate for tea etc.

We're all tracked on the internet, no matter what precautions are taken. Using a proxy server is no guarantee (other than it will slow you down). The only safe place is in ones own head.

If asked by an employer if I had accounts wherever, I'd simply reply 'no'. Having a stack of different e-mail addresses (with bogus names etc) is no bad thing.

The accounts may well be a fad, but only becasue newer types will come along. Short of a solar storm zapping electronic gadgets, we are probably sucked too far down the road. It's not all bad if people decide what they want from the format of communication, assess the risks, and tweak available privacy settings. My computer is currently wired, but if I scope 'available wireless networks' the majority are unsecured. I have no idea or interest how easy it would be to ride somebody elses signal, but it's disturbing that so many people do not enable security. On top of that, default security on many o/s and browsers is less than ideal. Share info with somebody who's system is unsecure and any effort at security/privacy is down the drain.

The options ? Never use electronic communication for sensitive stuff/spend hours to create a bogus ID/ fluff your ID with so much bull that nobody can sift the facts easily/be content with standing starkers before the world. There's probably more, but it's easy to get paranoid about such stuff. Best I can think of is to keep any online finances in a dedicated account, topped up to the bare minimum recquired. The only certainty is that most people will get stung at some point

Hi Kris,

Just for grins I created a completely fictitious Facebook persona a few years ago. 'Krystal' was drop-dead gorgeous, highly-educated (she had a PhD from MIT*) and worked "for the government." Guys poured outta the woodwork wanting to know more about her, where she lived and worked, her phone number, personal email - you name it. Nearly all of them were quite obviously wanting to jump in her drawers at the earliest opportunity and some of the propositions were really quite funny and, for the most part, unprintable here. Interestingly, two blokes from Germany kept pestering her for her place of employment (what, did they want to do her in the men's room or something? I don't think so) and so she finally 'relented' and told them outright, as planned.

"The NSA."

HA! I've never seen anyone lose Facebook 'friends' so fast. Man did they haul arse!!! Heehee.

Don't know what she's up to these days. She doesn't remember her password.

-----

* to the tune of the Mickey Mouse Club anthem:

M - I - T

P - h - D

M - O - N - E - Y

tsk...... denying a gorgeous creation it's Higgs field..........how could you!

What program did u use to build the chick? This is giving me some good ideas.........!

Didn't use a program. Rummaged about the Internet using Google Images and the search string "beautiful women." Found some pix of a not-famous-but-outta-be-cuz-shes-stunningly-beautiful bird and used those as 'Krystal's' profile pix. Went on a bunch of FB pages and compiled a cross-section of her 'traits', interests, education, awards - a whole bunch of stuff and then crafted her persona from that. It was very convincing - and completely fictitious. To my knowledge no one did any sort of Internet background check on her because, if they had, they'd have discovered that she didn't get her PhD from MIT, didn't go to such-and-such high school, didn't graduate valedictorian of her 1997 class, et cetera, et cetera.

It was pretty clear that these blokes had only enough blood for one head at a time.

Methinks tis time to build a heartthrob for my wife.....an Armando, maybe a Valentino

BRILLIANT.

Possibly the best way to use FB that there is?

I had fun just reading your post!!!!!!

Many thanks.

Why, europium, I'm quite shocked thaty you would be so mischievius !

I hope Krystal asked for their pictures before coming clean .

.............and then there's the shift to employers demanding their employees passwords to social sites............

I was well embarrassed when they said, 'OK, username is Duckinthepond, what's the password' and the job is yours.

Taking tongue out of my cheek, it's very easy to create a false profile to destroy somebody. That's the reason why all should take note here. Identity theft is a well known topic, but identity creation is even worse. I could create my 'own' profile, leave it open for all to see, and sabotage myself. This, I could do with anyone. Internet regulation is not in place (and probably impossible to stop it).

We are in an odd time of techno evolution (some companies still use graphology). The disturbing question is 'how do we ensure information attributed to us is bona fide?). People may find a job application turned down because somebody in HR scoped Facebook/wherever and got confused over the applicant. Use a site name, and a dedicated email that will not link to your true ID. Not foolproof, but it's one step.

Ya... couple that with ones' spending habits, toss in a coupla google psychoanalysts, add a crooked isp, then, it might turn out that not only is Bob your uncle he may well have his name on your property deed.

Etherville eh, hmmmmm, lemme see now.........ah ha, got it!

One day you and I have just got to swap ID for a larf. I can do deceptive ***, so long as you can do irritating ****. Game on ? I lubbs you really . Being duckinated would be the ultimate compliment !

Enjoy I would muchly! Could start a whole new racket riot! Am told am very skilled at annoyance (wives, friends, family, kids....etc).

With those skills, I'm not sure anybody would notice the swap .

I bet this is London Cockney Rhyming slang, taken down under by the Cockneys who had been tried, found guilty in London and transported to Australia for their sins, probably the largest penal colony ever...

See here:-

http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/

Joke.

An American tourist, arriving in Australia, is asked by the customs and excise if he has a Police record?

Answer 1) He answered that he was unaware that only convicts were still allowed in....

Answer 2) Yes, I have all the records that Sting and the Police ever made.......

No Facebook here!

I'm sorta with you on this.

Nervous about the 'security' aspects of both these social networks.

Amazes me what people tell to complete strangers.

Stu.

many folk that use Facebook and twitter are not telling the world and its pet pig their most inner and darkest secrets. There are filters and in my case, only my friends see my posts on Facebook.

Twitter on the other hand is open but can be filtered to a degree.. not that I use it...

But I wonder how many reading these posts have on-line banking and pay bills via their computer?

That for me is something I do not do....

Good for you! It was shown recently that the most common encryption scheme used for secure online transactions can be defeated by means of new techniques. There are also rumours that encryption keys which depend on the products of very large primes can be cracked in short order by the NSA. Apparently they have made some sort of breakthrough in this area. Probably not by means of quantum computers as this is still very much a nascent technology (as far as we know). More likely an algorithmic technique they've developed in-house. This sort of thing has always fascinated me and, if true, I'd love to know how they're doing it. Sadly, putting this knowledge in the Public Domain is an open invitation to disaster. Maybe one day Humankind will finally be civilised enough to forego the need for this sort of thing. Certainly not in the foreseeable future.

Yep, they are just everywhere and get cuter up north.

BTW Andi (if you are still with us) this is what FB is like when consenting adults talk crap. Here it's OT on FB its news of the day.

Hi Ky, I am still here, but I did not fully understand that last sentence.......

Here in Conference Room 4 we have the choice to mark comments off topic. On Facebook irrelevance, incompetence, boredom and analism mingle and have tabloid character. The smell of sewer lingers though , you might have a point.

Andy, you're faced with the same issues on this site.

The only difference is the amount of traffic.

I'm on Facebook and have never been hacked and I have over 2000 friends to my name the majority I have never even spoken too.

You can limit access to your account by setting it to private or Friends only and be selective on who you have as friends and limit your information.

And just like with your email accounts, just change your log in information often and that will deter hackers and get rid of anyone that has hacked your account. Furthermore, if your account is hacked in Facebook, Facebook will get your account back for you.

Having seen just how bad the security is at FB, on many TV programs and my favourite German magazine, I do not share your levity....

You do what you want, you take the possible risks......your problem if it happens.

Look at some links I also posted this evening, it almost seems like its just a matter of time till everybody on FB & Twitter gets "done" BY SOME CRIMINALS!!!!!

I hope it doesn't happen to you....

Funnily enough, I live in the Friedberg area near Frankfúrt, the first two letters on my car license plate are therefore "FB".......makes you laugh!!!!

Hi Andy

We must be of same age and I only started with being on line in 2005. You were a veteran at that time. I did that for one reason and one reason only: To not miss the train which I, back then, didn't even know existed nor were it was going.

I was discriminated against not having a computer. It was impossible to get employment or even get in touch with government organizations. I know people who have no computer and they are definitely disadvantaged. I use the phone most of the time which gives me the chance to be friendly and react to the tone of voice.

I have no fear about being duplicated or if some one takes my identity. Poor bastards if they wanted to keep up with my activities. It would at least take 2 to follow and digest what I do on the internet nowadays. I use enough trigger words to have the FBI on my case but they are busy with billions of others. Strength in numbers. If you swim with sharks don't behave like food. Eff FB, that's what they all say.

My location is a dead give away and anyone interested to come here is welcome. I am on FB but for professional reasons. It's a money thing, just like with CR4 I inform myself and then spend, if need be.

The biggest difference between FB and CR4, for me, is that I have actually found friends here. To be honest I never had more productive friendships in my life.

Good to have you as a friend Andy

Kind Regards, Ky.

This is not a message, just an empty bottle.