Posts by VinceH

Re: I'm (not) sorry

"I have already informed my family and friends that SMS and phone communications from non-whitelisted mobile numbers will be ignored. Numbers are whitelisted only when I have extracted a commitment from its owner not to run spyware on their device - and when I trust the owner to keep their word. If they're not happy to do this, they will need to get used to calling me from a landline, or using plain, old e-mail."

It doesn't matter if you whitelist them or not. The person at the other end of the call - irrespective of whether you answer or ignore it - has your number. They're using it to call you. If it's in their mobile phone, and they're using the Facebook or Messenger app, bang, Facebook has your number - and depending on what else the caller has in their phone regarding you, they have that as well.

All you are achieving is for Facebook's data to show that these people called you, but didn't get an answer, rather than did.

As Snorlax said - that's bonkers, mental shit that takes the biscuit. And its a pointless biscuit at that.

The best you can do, until the regulators and enforcers wake up and take some proper action*, is try to limit what the likes of Facebook can collate about you - strict cookie management, different email addresses for different log-ins, and so on. They'll still garner shit about you, but won't be able to piece it all together and associate it with a single identity**.

In most cases, anyway. (Which I think I'll try to write in more detail about this coming weekend).

* I've seen elsewhere comments to the effect that they need to "nip this in the bud" - but I think we're a long way past that.

** Just for a laugh, I downloaded my own data from Facebook this morning - the file was laughably empty. I'm sure they have more data on me than what is there, but haven't been able to link it to my account.

Re: Elvis has left the building

"Here's the logic. You are running queries against a data set of potentially 50 million users, what server do you need for that and how much disk space is required? Do we believe they could fit it in an office in London? Lets not be stupid, it's in a cloud instance somewhere or at a proper data centre."

The actual data in question isn't the only thing that would count as evidence. There would also have been documentation related to it, whether that's in paper form (all the way down to post-it notes that could have something incriminating written on them), electronic form (emails, text messages), invoices and receipts, entries in accounting records, and so on. It's important to find as much of this as possible - even if each element on its own doesn't look like much - then put the jigsaw together.

The actual data itself would be a massive bonus. The chances of that still being there is slim to none - the chances of there being any of the above is also slim, but greater than the data in question. (The more disparate the pieces of the jigsaw, the harder it is to hide it all away/dispose of it).

Re: If you want privacy...

Well, I created my new account a couple of years ago, and only started occasionally using it in the last few months - and I don't have a mobile set, so if they do insist it's very recent.

(I don't log-in often because, frankly, it's even more crap now than it used to be many years ago. So much so that despite saying around Christmas that I'd start using it again, I really can't be arsed - so I'm not bothering to look for and add friends; if anyone who knows me spots me on there, and they send a request, I'll probably accept it - but it's not happening the other way around. As a result, I have just three or four friends on there!)

I have spotted something odd, though - or perhaps creepy would be a better word. In fact, yes, I think creepy is a much better word, especially if preceded by "extremely fucking"

Specifically:

If I go into my ad settings on Facebook, under "Your interests" it lists Plex.

I did install Plex in three places, and removed it again - prior to my new, limited use of Facebook. But I haven't "Liked" Plex on Facebook. I haven't even mentioned Plex on Facebook. There should be no way Facebook can know that I ever tried it - yet there it is.

(I do have suspicions about how it got there, but nothing concrete. I need to look into it a little more and write it up at some point.)

Should have bought shares in the stuff.

Re: "I'm serious about doing what it takes to protect our community."

I think you got the order of importance slightly wrong there. It's the shareholders, the ad slingers, the data miners, then the developers, and the end users.

"Hey, it looks like you're trying to leave the EU! Would you like some help with that?"

Note to El Reg: We need a Clippy icon!

Re: While arguing about our entry into the Anthropocene

I putty the fool who doesn't get that.

Re: OK, that's it!

Hello Dragons, my pitch is for a smart popcorn machine. It will analyse news headlines before the user gets around to reading them and, based on the user's profile* will automatically start preparing the popcorn, ready for when the user will be reading the news for which they will most likely want popcorn...

* Which we really, really won't get from Facebook. Honest. And the users' data will all be perfectly safe with us, oh yes.

"Without my knowledge, approval or say so sold it to me as a business purchase with 30 days instead of 1 year warranty and opened me a business account too."

Yeah, I got caught similarly when I bought a desktop PC and a laptop a few years ago. The sales droid asked if it was a business purchase, which technically it was, so I said yes, blissfully unaware of their terms and conditions. It wasn't until after, that I spotted the much shorter 30 day warranty.

I'm a sole trader, so generally I get the same legal protections as an ordinary person for most (if not all) things - so I suspect the same would be true in this case. Luckily, I haven't had to find out, though - the kit has outlasted their dodgy business warranty and the one I would have had as a member of the public.

If I ever buy any kit there again, though, I'll be saying no to the business question.

Re: Quite right too.

Allow me to extend the sentence to make it a little clearer:

You may as well replace the words "proper journalists" with just "others" - because it's not just in the area of journalism they leech off other people's work.

Re: Does Tiangong-1 contain Chinese steel or aluminum?

"That has something to do with Limeys inflicting extraneous vowels on their American cousins"

Surely, it's only an extraneous vowel if it isn't pronounced - and we do.

Note: I hope the sound sample on that page pronounces it correctly. I didn't bother checking - but the phonetic version is correct, so probably. ;)

Re: Need I finish the book?

Is this the one where Spock gets off with Ivanova?

"I'm sorry I've come over all funny all of a sudden"

And as Kai would be likely to say: "The dead do not come over all funny."

Re: Agents of SHIELD link

"Computers Located Overseas? Usurp Data!"

"It takes a special person not to re-read your out of office before you set it. To be fair I think I've made that mistake once, which is something you learn from."

Ditto. The solution I've settled on is to change the out of office when I turn it off so that it reads as something more generic. Next time I turn it on, if I'm in a hurry and forget to edit it to add a date, it's still fine.

" if only a few see the funny side then it's worth it"

Sometimes, if only a few see the funny side, that makes it funnier.

Re: "The government has done its best..."

"Riiiiiight... you mean you put it to one side in the hope people believe you thought about it for a few days and then assigned it to the BBFC 'because it's easier'.

FTFY!

That made me do a double take, too, until I followed the link in the article, and found:

"The mobile apps used to control those devices are not just an ordinary remote. The apps offer multiple features for communication and socializing like search for other users, maintaining a friends list, a video chat, a message board and also a feature to create and share image galleries, where images can be stored and shared with friends in the Vibratissimo social network."

Re: Improvements

All the improvements in the world would just take a calamity and turn it into a disaster.

I don't like pizza much, so I'm inclined to suggest the best thing to do with this monstrosity is add it to the cargo in a sun targeted rocket.

I am quite partial to one of those giant yorkshire puds filled with stew, though.

Re: Houston, we have a problem.

I wish they hadn't cut that scene from the final movie.

Re: Ahah!

"Unfortunately, we will inherit it only briefly, before keeling over with a Gregg's bag in our chubby hands.."

So we'll at least go out happy*, then?

^{* Subject to liking stuff from Greggs. Other vendors are available. Your statutory rights are not affected by this footnote.}

Re: My data is mine, not yours.

"And Google's, obviously."

Sure. Unless you take steps to limit it - there are ways and means. They probably still get some data from me, but it's nowhere near as much as they could get if I just shrugged my shoulders and accepted what they do.

"it's now 2018 and the time and date is available everywhere."

Remind me where I can see the time in the middle of Dartmoor, the Brecon Beacons, or places like that.

TBH, I generally don't need to when I'm in such places, and don't really care what the time is - and I haven't worn a watch since the strap broke on mine - but you said it's available everywhere, when it quite patently isn't.

Re: LOL

"One wonders who they actually interviewed for this survey, or what "enterprises" they "worked" for."

Or how loaded the questions were.

I followed the link to see if they were available, but I'd have to create an account with them so sod that.