I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
Its 3am, Im bored, gotta work tomorrow, so I do what any hard working man does.. I go to wal-mart, mainly because im bored but ya never know what nifty little gadget you might find. (My step-mom couldnt live without her toothpaste tube roller) Anyway, Im walking around hoping that tiredness will overcome me, so I can head home and crash. As Im walking, I of course go through electronics. There I see a set of computer speakers, printed right on this box of twenty dollar speakers is the marketing ploy: MP3 CAPABLE!!
These are speakers, can someone please show me a link of speakers that are not in fact capable of emitting sounds from your sound card? I have a set in my closet, only catch.. they are broken. So thier entire sales tactic is bringing people in with the comfort of knowing that they are buying speakers that actually work.
Dont get me wrong. I understand that a lot of people dont have the time nor desire to learn the ins and outs of computers. They want it to work, to do what they want and nothing more. How it works is left up to the "techies" who they will gladly pay to fix thier computer when it breaks or needs formatting. But damn. The worst part about it, is that some poor guy out there (hopefully very few, but at least one) has purchased that set of speakers over a possibly better set, strictly because those actually said on the box that they can play MP3's while the other boxes of speakers did not.
I mean its rampant. Next time you are in best buy or comp usa take a look at the boxes of stuff. Firewalls, PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER FROM HACKERS!! Ive never had a firewall, how many times have I been hacked you ask? Zero. But there are those paranoid folks out there, lil grandma using a P133 for solitaire and downloading pictures of little billy grandson at soccar practice.. But she does it behind a firewall.
Prime example. Guy at work who just got a computer. Now since none of you work with me, heres some background. This man has no car, no ID much less a drivers license, no phone, no TV, but an extremely well stocked liquor cabinet. So he gets a computer from another co-worker. A few days later, we ask him how hes liking the computer. His reply "I havent plugged it in yet, I need to find a ride out to the store to get a firewall for it". Let me reiterate part of his reply: "I havent plugged it in". Yes ladies and gentlemen, this man wants a firewall installed on his computer before turning it on. When asked how he plans on installing the firewall without turning it on I got the same look that a monkey would give if you put an algebra equation in front of him. I tried to tell him that he wouldnt have to worry about it until hes on the internet. He doesnt even plan on getting on the internet!! He doesnt want a phone line. At that point I walked away to let him deal with installing software on a PC with no power. But im getting off track.
The fact that he wants a firewall (whether on the net or not) is my point. He is scared that someone is going to hack in and steal some of his short stories that hes going to write.
Ok, major companies of course need firewalls. Someone who has thier computer set up for incoming access like an FTP or server needs a firewall. Someone who does any type of business on the net needs a firewall. But granny the Freecell queen and Bill the alcoholic story teller/pizzeria cook does NOT need a firewall.
But alas, I do not blame them. It is not their fault, they have never learned, never wanted to learn nor ever will learn about how computers and TCP/IP work. The companies that thrive on paranoia, and ignorance are the ones to blame. Not them.
deuce Registered User
Posts: 1109
(4/27/04 4:31 am) Reply
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
Do you go to walmart alot at 3am, that seems like an odd thing to do at that time?
Registered User
Posts: 537
(4/27/04 6:13 am) Reply
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
I love late night Wal-mart trips! This rant is an example of many though provoking mind benders that can be conjured up by such excursions.
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
I hate to break it to you, but you DO NEED a firewall. If you are on the internet, you need a firewall, and it really should be a hardware one. You can get them for like 30 bucks. 50 easily at best buy and circuit city. All you need is about any linksys or netgear etc router. They all have basic firewalls built in these days.
Like Aidden pointed out in another thread, run:
netstat -a
That lists your open connections. You don't have to be running FTP or a http server. In fact, http and ftp servers are probably better because people expect them to be targets and are on important machines so they are secured. Those ports on your computer tend to be as tight as swiss cheese.
You need a firewall. There's a reason every technical person pushes people to get firewalls. It's because 90% of people are too stupid to protect themselves so we encourage them to get something that does it for them. You know how many times you've been hacked? No. You don't. The hacker doesn't post it on your desktop. Windows doesn't pop something up a little paperclip saying, "You've been hacked. would you like to ....". So buy a firewall and stick to ranting about mp3 enabled speakers.
--------------------------
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Biggwin Registered User
Posts: 776
(4/27/04 7:17 am) Reply
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
Quote:He doesnt even plan on getting on the internet!! He doesnt want a phone line.
No firewall needed!!! When he gets on the internet it will most likely be via modem, no real reason for a firewall, when he thinks about broadband then he should invest in a fire wall!
Edited by: Biggwin at: 4/27/04 7:34 am
Registered User
Posts: 4013
(4/27/04 7:23 am) Reply
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
From what I inferred, the iidiot wasn't going to be connecting to the "Interweb" he was just going to be using the computer to write his stories.
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
Wal-Mart is like a candy store for trailer trash. I don't expect intelligent marketing there. I once saw a pair of boxers there that said, "if you can see this your too close."
prove it. prove to me that the average home user has ever been, or will ever be, hacked. WTF are they gonna take - my mp3's? My small and eclectic porn collection? My documents recording various random thoughts I have had? My backups of marine invertebrate larval physiology data?
Its paranoia - I have yet to see evidence of hacking anywhere on any home computer. Spyware? Adware? Virii? Trojans? @#%$-loads, yes. Hacking? No.
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
Can't they get to your online purchashing and banking information? Or does that go through the security sites they have set up?
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
AFAIK your CC information exists in 3 places after completing an online transaction.
1. The sellers secure server - no firewall can change this, again AFAIK. The seller has to get the info, right?
2. Your cookies.
3. Your auto-complete storage files.
..And since we all clear cookies and autocomplete after online transactions, I fail to see how a firewall would improve the situation. Is there something I'm missing?
However, Im still not convinced that the *attempts* are even being made to access my machine, let alone that theyre being successful.
[edit sorry Llabak - figured the filter would catch that]
Yalum Registered User
Posts: 2275
(4/27/04 11:54 am) Reply
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
Every net-connected computer has one valuable resource the minute it's plugged in, bandwidth. If you get hacked it's not going to be for your CC numbers, it's so your computer can be a spam relay, part of a DDoS attack, or some other miscellaneous server for antisocial or outright illegal information.
Roft Registered User
Posts: 1
(4/27/04 12:55 pm) Reply
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
Your firewall is your internet condom.
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
If you want I can point you to ALL the netsky and beagle variants which each perform scripted hacks on windows computers. Code Red and, basically, ANY virus that has spread autonomiously, (ie, someone didn't click the attachment), over the internet are taking advantage of windows vulnerabilities and could be stopped by a hardware firewall.
And yes, a person singling you out to hack your machine to store malicious files or their kiddy porn or their movie collection on. Or using you to host their illegal ftp since your computer doesn't record the kind of stuff that would trace back to them. Or using your computer as a go-through to hack people who get angry when you hack them, is a low probability.
Also, unprotected computers are used as spam relays.
So your the @#%$-ing reason people get spam. Your the @#%$-ing reason viruses spread. And your the @#%$-ing reason that malicious hackers, pediphiles, and copywrite infringers don't get prosecuted.
Clailya Registered User
Posts: 77
(4/27/04 1:06 pm) Reply
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
prevention! =) i use a linksys router myself.. even though the PoS cuts out every 6 hours... i suppose the firewall is worth it.
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
I'm aware bad stuff is out there. I'm still awaiting evidence that it actually has ever affected the average home user in any way whatsoever. Documented cases where someone who didn't actually download/click on/etc. a malicious file somehow got infected?
The arguments put forth so far are the equivelent of insisting people wear condoms even when they're not having sex. Yes the bad stuff is out there, but as of yet theres no evidence presented to demonstrate that the bad stuff can do anything to you unless you take action first (download something bad, etc.)
Although, the suggestion that someone might hack my computer to give me porn *is* an amusing one. Should I post my IP? I'm tired of having to look for it - I want free delivery!
(and for the record I have a hardware firewall out of necessity - I need the router because I have 2 computers. But I do think people make waaaaay too biga deal of this stuff, and have yet to see evidence to the contrary).
Edited by: Aldarion Shard at: 4/27/04 1:15 pm
Quote:It's because 90% of people are too stupid to protect themselves so we encourage them to get something that does it for them.
Ever been war driving? Most linksys routers and other routers come with wireless access. Your average joe schmo just plugs in the router and goes about his business.
Now Im not gonna explain war driving, because I dont want to get in trouble hehe. But needless to say, the people that I know whove gone only get hits from those homes. Its so rampant, that at Phreaknic (con in nashville) they actually have war driving contests with the person with the most hits winning (just bragging rights as far as I know).
Now as I said, if you do business on the net I understand having a firewall. But if you just go out, buy a router with a built-in firewall, plug it in and think you are safe.. You are sadly mistaken. Ironically the paranoia of being hacked have made a lot of people more vunerable than they previously were.
Clailya Registered User
Posts: 79
(4/27/04 1:28 pm) Reply
Re: I hate companies that prey on ignorance...
P0rn can give you STDs (Stupid Tittie Diseases) and hello viruses.
on that note, I hadnt checked my computer for viruses in like a year (since I got it) grabbed a free trial of mcafee, found 14 trojans, then did that other net scanner and found like 5 more.
You are talking to someone who NEVER downloads porn, sometimes MP3s, everyonce in a blue moon I DL a game linked to here.
Those trojans were eating up my resources really badly. =( so yes.. i think the virus issue also counts for the firewall/hacker issue. I am very preventative but it still didnt stop the viruses.. Pulling out just dont work.
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