Geek Stuff category archive
Plenty of Phish in the Sea 0
Above the Law explores the successful phishing attack on Robinhood (the investment outfit, not the outlaw of legend) and discusses some of the methods used by the attackers. The article is oriented towards attacks on businesses, but, as spams and scams seem to be increasing against both businesses and individuals, the article is well worth your while.
Here’s a bit (the article’s business orientation in clear in this snippet):
Successful phishing subject lines included these in the top 10 for 2021:
a. Password Check Required Immediately
b. Vacation Policy Update
c. Important: Dress Code Changes
d. ACH Payment Receipt
e. Test of the (insert law firm name) Emergency Notification System
f. Scheduled Server Maintenance – No Internet Access
g. COVID-10 Remote Work Policy Update
h. Scanned Image from (insert domain name)
i. Security Alert
j. Failed Delivery
While on the subject of spams and scams, I will mention that some of our most frequent callers in recent weeks has been auto warranty scammers. And now they are using the U. S. mail.
In the past three days, I’ve gotten three official-looking letters telling me that my warranty is about to expire (it’s not; I checked just on general principles) and directing me to call a toll-free number (I didn’t). The three letters had one feature in common.
No return address.
There was official looking verbiage where the return address was supposed be, but nowhere in any of them was a mailing address for a place of business.
(Syntax error corrected.)
NFTs Are BFDs 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Bence Nanay tries to make sense of the brew-ha-ha over “non-fungible tokens.”
Facebook Frolics 0
Have you ever had the sneaking suspicion that the Zuckerborg has morphed into a slavering, stumbling, bumbling monster beyond control?
If you have, I can’t imagine how you could have ever thought such a thought.
Then, again, maybe I can.
Geeking Out 0
Updating a Virtual Box virtual machine of Mint Cinnamon on Mageia v. 8 with the Fluxbox window manager.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
I recently listened to a podcast in which one of my favorite podcasters spent five minutes discussing a comment that podcaster made on Twitter. The complaint was that the person to whom the comment was directed (and which the podcaster admitted had been a mistake) had responded with a screenshot of the comment, rather than with a “quote tweet.” The podcaster’s point was that said podcaster could have responded to a “quote tweet” by admitting the response was wrong and apologizing for it, but could not respond to the screenshot. (My reaction was relief and self-congratulation that I never became a twit on Twitter.)
That such an inconsequential incident, such a tempest in a twitpot, could assume such significance, if only for a short time, is, frankly, distressing, which leads me to recommend Dr. Charles Johnson’s post at Psychology Today Blogs, in which he takes a look at how our metastasized “social” media has monopolized our attention and distorted our discourse, and at what we can do about it. Here’s a bit of what he has to day:
Nagware 0
I have a (properly licensed and registered) VirtualBox VM of Windows 8.
When I start Windows 8, I am greeted by multiple pop-up windows enticing me to upgrade to this or that paid version of something or other in which I have no interest.
This does not happen in my Linux world.
Windows is a kludge.
Geeking Out 0
Magiea v. 8 with the Fluxbox window manager. The right-click menu (I loves me the right-click menu) is open, Xclock is in the upper right, and GKrellM in the lower right. The wallpaper is from my collection.
Deviltry 0
A Rutgers professor searches for the origin of the legend of the Jersey Devil. A nugget:
“The Jersey Devil is evil,” he said. “He’s known for slitting the throats of babies in their cribs. This is not a cartoon — it’s a monster.”
Follow the link. It’s a fascinating tale.
Computer Illiteracy . . . 0
. . . is a thing in the Missouri Governor’s mansion.
Facebook Frolics 0
Writing for the EFF, Katherine Trendacosta argues that Facebook, like Crabby Appleton, is rotten to the core. A nugget:
Ms. Haugen told Congress that she thinks Facebook should be reformed, not broken up. But Facebook’s broken system is fueled by a growth-at-any-cost model. The number of Facebook users and the increasing depth of the data it gathers about them is its biggest selling point. In other words, Facebook’s badness is inextricably tied to its bigness.
Facebook Frolics 0
Through the glasses, darkly . . . .
Afterthought:
The surveillance state is real, fueled, not by the government, but by private greed shilling for sales and by pathetic individuals shouting into their “smart” phones, “Look at me, me, me, me! I’m an influencer!”
Geeking Out 0
Listening to The Bishop’s Secret by Fergus Hume using QMMP on Ubuntu MATE under the Plasma Desktop. The wallpaper is from my collection.
Aside:
The Bishop’s Secret is a darn good listen. As a mystery, it is so-so. As a comedy of manners, it is superb.
Proctoring Gamble 0
I have seen numerous references to schools and colleges monitoring of student behavior during these times of remote teaching via Zoom and similar applications.
Like Google and Facebook, they watch what students are doing on their computers to make sure they are behaving the way the educational institution thinks they should behave or, indeed, have the unmitigated gall to take a bathroom break or get a Coke (Above the Law has some particularly egregious examples from bar exams).
At Psychology Today Blogs, Phil Reed takes a look at the larger issue machine learning and includes some strong thoughts on micromanaged digital monitoring. Here’s a bit: