Big Brother is watching/

5 posts / 0 new
Last post
Araminta
Araminta's picture
Big Brother is watching/

I am questioning how much does “big Brother” know about all of us??

This morning I wanted to find out what some abbreviations under a post meant. So I simply put them into google search. The information and the links that came up made all my alarm bells ring . Most brought me back to my posts on BIBY, (I never mentioned BIBY in the search), also , all the ones that person had answered to. And a lot of information about what that person does….

Now, my son suggested to me, this is because

" my computer remembers where I was on the net" ,

that’s why it comes up. Just like when you bought a camera online, you will find advertising on the side of your screen relating to cameras. So, all this is stored somewhere. Nothing remains unnoticed. So, if that was true, it would be related to my computer, yes??

Next step was, I opened my husband’s PC. He has never been on BIBY, he doesn’t know that person . I put in the abbreviation  (not her name!), hoping nothing would come up, and my son was right, it would only be on my PC.

Guess what?? The same information came up, and the same links to my posts and the ones she had answered to, came up. I put the question to all of you: how is that possible? As someone said to me the other day: Anything and everything you put out on your PC or any of the other devices, is stored somewhere.

I am not paranoid, I’ve always been a realist, the information is used to create your profile. Should we all be worried, and much more careful about what information we put out there ? (on BIBY? and on the net in general?)

Interested in your opinion.

Qyn
Qyn's picture

Are you stalking me Marie-Louise?? LOL. cheeky

I think we should all be careful about what we write on the internet and elsewhere as it can come back to "bite you" in unexpected ways. I've read some indiscrete stuff written on facebook which can easily be found by people that the person writing it may not wish others to read such as employers, interviewers etc. Especially as even deleting that data does not mean that it is deleted everywhere due to multiple backups etc. There are a number of people who have been caught by police due to posting online about their own criminal activities.

However, unless you fall into the category of posting about stuff you do not want people to know then there is no need to be worried but it is wise to be careful.smiley

Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."

timmo
timmo's picture

If it's a Google search, where you're not actually logged in as a Google user (via Gmail, blogger, youtube or any of the myriad of Google services), then it probably ties back to your husband's PC via IP address.

Given that you are both in the same house, you are probably both linked through the same modem and hence have the same IP address from your ISP. I don't think most ISPs use static IP addresses (i.e. you always get the same IP address every time you connect), so it may be that next time you restart your modem, this information will be cleared/reset.

Not sure if this makes sense to you M-L. I'm happy to explain in greater detail/simpler language if you like.

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Araminta
Araminta's picture

It does make sense Tim, thanks so much. So my son was right in what he says. Does that mean, if YOU would put in those abbreviations, your PC would not give you the same information about that person? Or will it, because your PC has also been on BIBY, where you have talked on the same thread?

M-L

Woko
Woko's picture

I believe you are right to be concerned about this issue, Araminta. Call me paranoid & a conspiracy theorist if you like but it seems to me the money-making, free (in fact, just about anything goes) enterprise, capitalist system is far more sophisticated & subtle in acquiring information & brain washing people than the Russian Communist system ever was. Mind you the former system now has far higher technology to do this brainwashing than the latter system had.

Ms Woko was most interested in your thread which, because of her expertise in these things, I brought to her attention. I'm gradually learning from her how important it is, among other things, to log out whenever I visit a site which requires a log in, especially if I'm visiting my email account on line whether it be gmail, yahoo or yippee-aye-ay. If you remain logged in after using any site then you're seriously open to tracking & infiltration by marketeers & brainwashers.

It's also important to use your Internet Explorer internet settings to ensure that your browsing history is deleted when you shut down Internet Explorer. This might mean you'll take longer to find web pages but it'll also mean greater security. There's always a trade off.

Ms Woko tells me that if you have a gmail account, you can find out what personal information Google as stored you can do the following: log into your gmail account on line > open a new tab > type in: url.google.com/dashboard. This will bring up lots of information that Google has on you. You can then edit or delete this information.

It seems to me that if we want the benefits of using computers then, no matter how careful we are with security,  we risk being infiltrated with the garbage of the money making world. It also seems to me there's little or no difference between hackers & infiltrators & we must be constantly alert to the lastest methods to breach our privacy & security. Whether we have the time, energy or capacity to do this is another matter.

 and   @birdsinbackyards
                 Subscribe to me on YouTube