Thank You For Not Sharing

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Thank You For Not Sharing (TY4NS) is about your personal privacy and how it's being systematically dismantled by Facebook, Twitter, Google, geo-tracking services, wireless companies, the NSA, your boss, Chinese spies, evil Ukranian botnets, and that creepy guy in the cubicle down the hall. Along with a fair amount of whining, it will offer useful advice about what you should and shouldn't share online, why you should care, and what you can do about getting some of your privacy back before it's too late (and no, it's not too late -- yet).

by Dan Tynan

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Author Dan Tynan has been writing about Internet privacy for the last 3,247 years. He wrote a book on the topic for O'Reilly Media (Computer Privacy Annoyances, now available for only $15.56 at Amazon -- order yours today) and edited a series of articles on Net privacy for PC World that were finalists for a National Magazine Award. During his spare time he is part of the dynamic duo behind eSarcasm, the not-yet-award-winning geek humor site he tends along with JR Raphael.

Have we entered a computer police state yet?

Posted Sep 14, 2010 - 05:07 pm

"Ok son, pull your laptop over to the side of the road and let me see your hard drive. Warrant?
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- Internet, privacy, security
Hacked! How we got attacked by malware fiends and lived to tell the tale.

Posted Sep 10, 2010 - 06:00 pm

It's one thing to write about hackers, scammers, and malware, as I've done for various venues for the last 15 years. It's quite another to experience the nastiness first hand. Yesterday it was my turn. Here's my story.
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- Internet, hacking, malware attack
Facebook's 'subscribe' takes pain out of online stalking

Posted Sep 06, 2010 - 11:03 am

The problem with stalking people on Facebook is that it's too much damned work. But a new 'Subscribe to person' feature Facebook is testing may make it much easier.
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- Internet, Facebook, privacy
Apple's Ping: A haven for spammers?

Posted Sep 03, 2010 - 01:26 pm

It seems Apple is getting into the social networking business, God help them. Among the other life changing products rolled out at this week's semi-annual Apple fanboyfest this week was "Ping," a service that lets you see what music the other 160 million people using iTunes like and recommend.
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- Internet, Apple, Facebook
Three great moments in Facebook stupidity

Posted Aug 31, 2010 - 11:01 am

It's a cliche, but evidently it bears repeating: What you do on Facebook (and other social networks) can come back to bite you big time. Don't believe it? Consider these three real-world examples, all of which happened in the last month.
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- Internet, Facebook, privacy
How to murder a Flash cookie zombie

Posted Aug 26, 2010 - 03:37 pm

The more I use Adobe Flash, the more I understand why Steve Jobs hates it. I can't tell you how many times a misbehaving Flash video has crashed my browser and/or slowed my system to sludge. Happens at least once a week.
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- Internet, Adobe Flash, cookies
Beware of "Free" Apple iPad scams on Facebook

Posted Aug 22, 2010 - 11:18 am

Scammers are hijacking Facebook accounts to send bogus "invites" to win an Apple iPad. But the only thing that will earn you is an invitation to be harassed by spammers and telemarketers.
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- Internet, Apple, Facebook
Yes Virginia, Facebook does have a 'Dislike' button (of a sort)

Posted Aug 19, 2010 - 06:06 pm

In our last episode of TY4NS, I talked about the Facebook Dislike Button scam and how FB could use a real Dislike button for curmudgeons such as myself.
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- Internet, Facebook, scams
That Facebook 'Dislike' button isn't real, unfortunately

Posted Aug 17, 2010 - 09:55 am

LIke many people of an inherently cynical nature, the fact Facebook only allows you to express your "Like" on various topics, posts, and advertisements irks me. I know I'm not alone, and so do Facebook scammers, which is why the latest viral "Dislike button" scam has spread so quickly.
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- Internet, Facebook, security
Warning: Fake LinkedIn emails could infect your PC

Posted Aug 14, 2010 - 11:17 am

Don't look now, but that "LinkedIn" invite you just received from a "colleague" may in fact be yet another cleverly disguised piece of spam. Over the past 24 hours I've received more than 20 variations this piece of e-junk, almost all of which slipped past my spam filter. Most of them include the line:
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- Internet, LinkedIn, security

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