Some go on dating sites to find true love, some go to find friends. Some go to find something a little wilder. Those sites offering something wilder are at risk.
Dating site Adult Friend Finder has been hacked. Nearly four million accounts have been compromised. Before you panic too much, Adult Friend Finder boasts well over 60 million users. But what makes this cyber leak more intense is the information on this site. Adult Friend Finder caters to those looking for…how do I put this…hook ups and casual relationships. So in this case, peoples’ most intimate and sexual information is compromised and in the hands of cyber criminals. One major concern is sextortion. These criminals are going to hold such sexual information at random and release it if they don’t get what they want. Within hours of this leak, the hackers themselves said they were going to hit victims with spam. Cyber security experts believe they’ll fish through these emails looking for people to blackmail. ?The adult dating site is taking the leak seriously. A spokesperson said, “We have already begun working closely with law enforcement and have launched a comprehensive investigation with the help of leading third-party forensics expert.We pledge to take the appropriate steps needed to protect our customers if they are affected.”
I found an interesting statistic. On Adult Friend Finder, there’s one female user for every 16 male users. That’s just one reason to leave these adult websites alone. That’s too much competition. And you never know what you’re getting. You think getting hacked is bad? I remember a news story about one sociopath who used online services to find women, only to kill and rob them! Then he took his own life! Now I’ve always hated the ‘blame the victim’ mentality. The main culprit are these cyber criminals. I hope these criminals are arrested and convicted for these heinous actions and putting innocent people at risk. But let’s choose our online social life carefully. Whatever happened to just meeting people the good old fashioned way…in person?
How do you get your news? If you’re like me, probably through alternative media and social media sites like Facebook. Facebook is catching on and wants to help alternative media givers and receivers alike.
This is where Facebook instant articles comes in. Now any publisher, whether you’re the New York Times or a struggling author in your mother’s basement, can publish articles on their new app. Effective today, the only publishers involved right now are the big boys: National Geographic, Buzz Feed, NBC News, BBC News. But don’t go rushing to publish articles just yet. While they’re not calling this ‘an experiment’, that’s how they’re treating it. There are other concerns: If they publish their articles on Facebook, will Facebook automatically own the articles? That’s a valid concern. But if you do publish an instant article, it’s expected to load immediately on the Apple app. You can use your own tools, though they have some really cool ones, like the Paper app. Here’s the part publishers will really like: they keep all the revenue made from Instant Articles. And if they have unsold merchandise, Facebook will sale if for you and you still get 70% of the pie. Publishers control most of the look and content of the article. Facebook leaders assure publishers this is strictly to give users a better reading experience, not to start their own publishing company. Should we believe them?
From what see now, I do believe them. It answers the question I had in the last paragraph…for now. Facebook can always tighten up the rules and gain more control; I hope they don’t. Facebook instant articles can go a long way if they just let the publishers be themselves and control their content, so long as the publishers exercise some responsibility and respect. Could the next big author or publisher be discovered through Facebook instant articles?
What’s this I hear about businesses filing lawsuits when a customer gives them a bad review online? Not only am I disturbed about this, but so are some in Congress. They want to protect your right to review.
Four US Congressmen introduced a bill called the Consumer Review Freedom Act. This bill would prevent businesses from censoring customers, especially when it comes to writing negative reviews on sites like Angie’s List, Yelp, and all other review sites. This bill stems from a real life case. A toy company tried to get $3,500 from a Utah couple who posted a bad review about them. The company claimed it violated a contract. The couple refused to pay and the case ended up in court. The judge dismissed the claim and sided with the couple. Review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List support Consumer Review Freedom Act. Representative Eric Swallwell, a California Democrat, is a staunch supporter of the bill. He believes customers shouldn’t be punished for honest reviews, whether they be good or bad. He said, “This is commonsense legislation to ensure the rights of consumers are protected and to penalize businesses attempting to silence fair criticism.? But the Consumer Review Freedom Act has a difficult road. A similar bill was proposed in 2014. It didn’t make it out of Congress.
I hope Consumer Review Freedom Act passes. Customers should not be censored or bullied for expressing their praise or complaints. I understand some reviewers lie and post negative reviews for more sinister reasons, and that’s another story for another time. But most reviewers are honest in their assessments. Do businesses want better reviews? Then give your customers the best goods and services you possibly can. Do right by them. Treat them like you’d want to be treated. Give them a fair price and don’t rip them off. Then your reviews will take care of themselves. If we let them tell us how to post reviews, then?where will it stop?
Happy 10th anniversary, You Tube. Here are my Top Ten You Tube moments. My moments are based on entertainment value, number of hits, and/or impact on the nation and world.
10. 2015 State of the Union: It’s true You Tube delivered this annual address since 2011. But 2015 was the first year interactive features were used to break down President Obama‘s speech. These features are a great step in getting the next generation interested in the political system.
9. Little Girl Is Tired: During the 2012 Presidential Election, a 4-year-old girl cries because she was tired of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s campaigning. She said what many adults felt. May God help us all come 2016.
8. Ted Williams Golden Voice: In 2011, this homeless man was discovered on You Tube. He shot up national super-stardom almost instantly, and was given a new life. There’s been some trials along the way. We wish him the very best.
7. 2015 Super Bowl Ads: Now you can see Super Bowl ads on You Tube…before the Super Bowl! This was the first Super Bowl I could fast forward through the commercials and hardly miss a thing!
6. Susan Boyle Discovered: On a 2009 episode of Britain’s Got Talent, 47-year-old Susan Boyle blew Britain away with her singing. This went viral on You Tube, and she blew the world away! This moment turned her into an international icon. Boyle challenged our perceptions, stereotypes, and how we evaluate beauty.
5. Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That: In 2012, Sweet Brown was interviewed after surviving a fire. Who knew this interview would turn into a pop culture phrase and a popular song?
4. Gangnam Style : Since summer 2012, this video has been viewed over 2.3 billion times! Need I say more?
3. Micheal Richards Rant: In November 2006, Micheal ‘Kramer’ Richards went on a racist tirade while performing at a Los Angeles comedy club. The tirade was caught on You Tube and went worldwide, shaming Richards so bad he went on a TV/radio tour to apologize. Richards was the first celebrity disgraced by something caught on You Tube.
2. Justin Beiber discovered: Let me explain this one: In the late 2000s, his mother put up videos of him singing, playing guitar, even playing drums. By late 2009, Hollywood noticed, signed him, and the rest is history. Love him or hate him, the mere fact he was an unknown teenager discovered on You Tube proves this is a new source of discovering talent.
1. Iranian Green Movement: In 2009, then Iranian president?Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won his reelection. Many suspected corruption and took to the streets in protest. Police used batons, sticks, pepper spray, and guns on them. A bystander named Neda Agha-Soltan was shot to death, and it was caught on You Tube and other social media. So were other protests that ended in violence. Thanks to You Tube, the whole world knew the real story of such oppression and injustice in Iran, as renegade journalists and citizens used social media to expose the Iranian government. The Iranian Green Movement proved You Tube can be a voice for the voiceless and a catalyst for change.
Since the 1930s, ?AM/FM radio has connected our world. It has given us music, sports, news, entertainment, and memories to last a lifetime. One European nation now vows to shut off this historic medium.
Norway’s Minister of Culture announced all FM radio will cease in 2017, and will be replaced by digital radio. A system called Digital Audio Broadcasting will take FM’s place and is expected to provide more diversity and quality. And the numbers seem to back that promise up. Over half of Norwegians already listen to digital radio. Digital radio provides Norway with 22 channels. Their FM system provides only five. Norway is the first nation in the world to outright abandon FM for DAB, other nations are in Europe and Asia are switching to DAB. Keep in mind FM radio was patented in 1933, so we’re saying goodbye to an 80+ year tradition.
I remember stories of my grandparents listening to Brooklyn Dodger games on radio. I remember my parents telling me stories of AM radio. When I was a kid, I listened to FM radio, had favorite stations and favorite DJ personalities. I know I’m giving away my age, but sometimes I’d record FM radio shows and songs onto blank cassettes (don’t judge me!). That was then, this is now. Here in the USA, while 90% of still listen to traditional radio weekly, it’s obvious more people are tuning into Internet radio and streaming services. I think the only thing that’s keeping FM radio in business is the car. Even radio talk show personalities are switching to the Internet. Instead of waking up and turning on the radio, I turn on my iPod touch, or my desktop. I’m not the only one. In fact, most people I know turn on their device instead of the radio. How long will it be before the US switches from FM to digital radio?
The e-commerce website Etsy was founded in 2005. Here, merchants and consumers can buy and sell local, handmade, vintage, arts, crafts, as well as items that are deemed just plain weird. How is that working for them?
It’s working very well! Earlier this week, Etsy went public on NASDAQ. Sales started at $16 a share. By that day’s end, shares ended at $30 a pop, nearly doubling in just one business day. They raised over $287 million dollars. The next day, their shares went up to $35 a pop. Etsy is now worth over 3.5 billion dollars. This only adds to their rapid growth over the last several years. In 2012, Etsy made $74.6 million in revenue. In 2014, Etsy made $195.59 million in revenue. By the end of 2014, Etsy had 19.8 million buyers and 1.4 million merchants. Now the Etsy is becoming a major player on the e-commerce stage, more challenges await. It needs to maintain balance between keeping it’s artsy, homey image while competing against major competitors like Amazon.
So what’s the secret to their swift and successful rise? One is they found a niche and audience that is popular, but few businesses are catering to. Yes, there are many people out there on the prowl for the next big electronic device. But they’re lots of people who like to keep it old school. By selling vintage products and homemade arts and crafts, they allow older generation to live memories and the newer generation to watch history come alive. People are responding to this in droves. But so far, the 2015 stock market has been rocky. Today as I‘m writing this, the NYSE is losing 300 points. The fact Etsy can skyrocket in the midst of this roller coaster is amazing. But can they keep this up, and if so, how long? And can Etsy keep rising to the top, competing against the Ebay‘s and Alibaba’s of the world, without ‘selling out’ it’s original audience?
