A Whole New Level

Published on Tuesday, 31 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Technology is taking everything to a whole new level. What we knew of existing only tangibly before, now exists in "soft copy" and in the digital world. And I don't mean just songs, videos, pictures, documents, books, etc. Yes, the digital world really is taking everything to a new level-- now that even stalkers and bullies lurk around online. 

If it was bad enough to have to face them in real life, how and what more can we possibly tolerate of them now? Also, if I may add, the job of stalking and bullying seems to be made easier for them because of the convenience of using the World Wide Web. The benefit of staying faceless and un-identifiable may be theirs, but the burden of utter discomfort is definitely on us.

Although this might be the case, the last thing I would want is to scare off my readers (Hello! If you guys actually exist)! As every problem works, it is always easier to prevent it from happening and blowing up first. The stalking, bullying, and discomfort wouldn't even take place if we don't provide potential predators firsthand with information they can use to act sinister, now would it? This is why keeping our personal information private and our publicly available information limited is the best safety measure we can take. And of course, let us not be afraid to report these stalkers and bullies. Social networking sites are actually and already taking their part in ensuring our online safety and privacy by providing a "Report" button in every user's profile for us to click on if the identified user threatens us in any way. 

Also, thanks (again) to ZoneAlarm, I have included in this post another info-graphic, this time on "The Online Reality of Stalker and Bullies". Same old drill: click on the image to enlarge. 

Happy helpful and informative reading! 

While Teens Share, Parents Care

Published on Monday, 30 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Any teenager would just like to fit in. At first the want to fit in only applies in school with peers. If you wore this latest trend, read this popular series, liked this band, had this gadget, you were good to go. However and with the growing popularity of social networking and sharing sites on the internet, teens today are faced with the added pressure of sharing personal information online. 

Have you ever lied about your age online? Guilty as charged, I did so once. Hey, I was 11 years old and I wanted a Neopets account. I never thought that it would do me any actual harm (and thankfully it didn't). I mean, I did it just to get the same Neopet privileges as 13 year olds and people older! Also, I remember not really wanting to bother my parents to give their consent and approval upon entering the site. And now I realize how wrong what I did just sounds. It may have not been a big deal for me then, but seeing all the possibilities and dangers that could happen over the net today, I wish I'd known better. And I could only wish that kids today know best. 

Sharing (not to mention, lying) over the internet can more likely lead you to negative experiences online."For some teens, sharing personal information is a sign of trust. The good news is that a large majority of teens and parents say they have had a conversation about what not to share online". Thanks to  ZoneAlarm, I am able to provide you guys with yet again another helpful info-graphic. This time, the graphic examines the online activity teens engage in, and at the same, explain how we can avoid different privacy issues. 

Don't forget to click on the image to enlarge and read on! 

Protect Your Privacy

Published on Sunday, 29 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Currently, Facebook is the number one social networking site known to generations across the world. We use it to connect, to re-connect, and to catch up with family and friends. And today, along with the rise of Facebook's popularity and registered users, comes, thankfully, the rise of attention given to protecting the privacy and management of a person's Facebook account. 

With this blog post, I present to you guys an info-graphic reporting the safety management measurements that have been taken by Facebook users, male and female, young and old. Find out the quirks of privacy for these users and get tips on how you can manage your social media privacy by clicking on the image provided at the left side of this blog post. 

Hope you guys find the graphic informative, reminding, and helpful! 

Like, Reblog, Tweet, Post, Repeat

Published on Saturday, 28 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Nowadays, logging in on social networking sites is second nature to most of us; specifically and especially, to the kids- or should I say teens, of my generation. 

We "like", "reblog", "tweet" and "post" all over the internet, whenever and wherever we are. Of course, it helps that our mobile carriers and devices now provide 24/7 internet access and applications to our most preferred social networking sites. Everyday, we share almost anything and everything that fits our opinions and interests which are basically, and usually, the most personal and private pieces of information relating to our lives. 

True, communicating with our peers digitally has never been easier; sharing our lives online has become so rampant among us. I admit, even I go online everyday to check my Facebook, update my Twitter, and reblog on Tumblr. However, sometimes I ponder on the fact of how us being so dependent and "at home" with social networking has inevitably reduced our rights to privacy.

I'm pretty sure that you have the same, if not, to some extent, similar sentiments as mine. However, I would still very much like to hear it directly from you. 

What seems to be simple fun and leisure for us could actually turn out to be, in all honesty, quite the opposite. That is why, in my few next blog posts, I would be talking about social networking, its benefits, probable dangers, tips and tricks. 

So I suggest you guys stay tuned… or in the case of you guys finding this blog post at the time the entries are already posted… then keep reading! 

Teens and Online Sharing Sites

Published on Friday, 27 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Honestly, don't you think that sharing online among us teenagers is getting a little out of hand? From all that's being reported in print and online, it seems as if us teenagers are on a high rate of sharing just about anything on the internet. And with the rise of various applications and social networking and sharing sites, the peer pressure to join in never ever seems to dissipate. But apparently, and due to the rise of these various online tools, we not share every other aspect of the has-beens of our lives, but we document and save them for the future as well. And the sites we use in order to make documentation and sharing of our personal lives today possible are listed below. Read on to find out what these e-Journals can do, and if you would like, you can read my personal take on them too!

1. Evertale - is a digital scrapbook of your real life, and it does this by writing itself through your mobile phone updates. Evertale uses your phone’s locations, meetings, music and calendar events to create a digital scrapbook of your life automatically.

I haven't used this one, and after reading a little bit more on this app, I'm not planning on using it anytime soon. From the description, everything just seems so automatic. Writing itself through your mobile phone updates using locations, meetings, and calendar events? Even though only I can have access to all these pieces of information recorded, I don't see the point of using this application. I mean, yay for the technological advancement of having your phone remember everything you do in person. But really I don't see what this app can do for me. If anything, for me, applications like these are only a waste of space. Don't hate ok, this is just my personal opinion. 

2. Tumblr - is a free blog hosting platform where users can upload, tag and save photos, music, diary entries, videos…you name it you can save it on Tumblr. I hear many teens mention Tumblr when they talk about kids who keep online journals.

Tumblr is my kind of online sharing site. It is my personal favorite website, up to date. It's the site where I can both post and re-post my likes and interests, without giving away much personal information. In fact, sometimes, I derive inspiration and motivation from the posts in Tumblr and from the people I follow. So far, Tumblr has been the safest online sharing site for me. 

3. Facebook - Teens use Facebook to store, share and save pictures. Many teens have told me that their Facebook is like their parent’s hall entryway–they have all of their most important pictures to show visitors.

Personally, I only ever use Facebook to get in touch with my groupmates and schoolwork nowadays. But yeah, Facebook was once like that (pertaining to the description above) for me as well. In later blog posts, I will be talking more about Facebook and privacy so be sure to keep checking! 

4. Flickr - is a photo sharing and photo management website. Many teens who are avid photo takers and not huge writers love using Flickr to keep track of their photos.

I've never really owned a Flickr account. But I think it's a great way to receive credit and appreciation for one's photography and art! The people  there seem nice enough as well. 

With the rise of so much e-journals and social networking sites as such listed above, what do you think is the reason for them mushrooming? Or perhaps, the better question would be, why do teens love to share online so much? 

How about for you? Any thoughts, comments, violent reactions, personal opinions on this post? Just leave a comment and we'll talk! :-) 


Reasons To Keep Your Personal Information Private

Published on Thursday, 26 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

(click image to enlarge)
Adapted from Reputation.com

Privacy Boosters

Published on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Nowadays, web privacy isn't that much of a guarantee. Hiding your presence on the internet has become quite a concern for many. In fact, a simple search on the net makes your computer automatically transmit and store information such as search terms, IP addresses, and the date and time you landed on a site. In sum, your browsing activity is pretty much being tracked and recorded via the search engine (e.g. Google) and the browser you used. 

Well, the tracing of search data may not necessarily pose as a problem for some;  unless of course they'd rather keep their searches private from others. But when along with our search terms, personal or account information happen to be tracked down as well, there arises then the problems regarding web privacy, security, and identity. 

Usually, the problem can be solved by just deleting your browser history for those who like to keep their search activity private. But if you want to go the extra mile in protecting and/or erasing any of your web trail marks, CNet has provided us a list of Freewares to boost the privacy of your online experience and reduce leakage of sensitive information. Check them out and click on the links for free downloads:

Disconnect is a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari that stops tracking from sites like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. It aims to reduce the clutter and tracking that slows down your browsing experience and take control of your shared data.


BetterPrivacy is a Firefox extension that prevents Flash cookies from being stored in system folders. Once installed, BetterPrivacy will sweep out all Flash cookies stored on your system after exiting the browser.


NoScript for Firefox is another extension that prevents JavaScript, Java, and other plug-ins from being automatically executed without approval. This extension is packed with many security features and is a must-have for Firefox users.


HTTPS Everywhere is exactly just that: it enables HTTPS to all the sites you visit, even for unencrypted sites. HTTPS Everywhere is available for Firefox and Chrome.



The Tor Browser for Windows bundle allows you to anonymously browse the Web through a virtual network of encrypted tunnels. Use this only if you want the most bare-bones experience of browsing the Web or be as untraceable as you can.

Spies and Fishermen

Published on Tuesday, 24 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Apparently, the phrase "be careful of those who lurk in the dark" not only applies in real life. Today, we have to take into account the phrase when using the internet as well. Similarly, threats also exist in the digital world. These threats come in the form of Malware, Cyber-Criminals, Trojan Horse, BotNet, Viruses, Worms, SpyWares, and Phishing. In line with the topic of privacy, and the possibility of having someone or something monitoring your every activity and hacking your identity online, we'll focus on the last two threats, namely: SpyWares and Phishing.


From the names themselves, you could tell that these programs are indeed, suspicious. An info-graphic (original) has been provided by ZoneAlarm in effort to explain to us what the other mentioned threats above exactly are.

How to protect yourself from these threats? ZoneAlarm has also provided some tips as to how we can do so!

Tip 1: At a minimum, protect your computer with a two-way firewall and anti-virus/anti-spyware software.
Tip 2: Keep your computer software up-to-date with the latest security patches.
Tip 3: Create strong, unique passwords.
Tip 4: Beware of open, insecure wi-fi networks. It's best not to connect to them.
Tip 5: Trust your gut instincts! Don't click on suspicious links, attachment, and downloads. Always go to reputable sites directly to lo gin to accounts or download software.

Cookies, anyone?

Published on Monday, 23 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Are cookies bad? Well, the edible ones, maybe, to some extent, yes. But how about the cookies that function on the WWW? 

Contrary to the popular belief of them threatening your web privacy and online identity; most cookies are actually harmless. 

So what is a cookie, exactly? Cookies are text strings that a Web server can store on a user's browser. "Cookies allow a Web site to store information on a user's machine and later retrieve it. The pieces of information are stored as name-value pairs" (via HowStuffWorks)

The most common use of a cookie is to store a user ID. For example, the cookie might containing the following string: ID=96352398
Amazon.com is one site that uses this technique. When you order a book, you fill out a form with your name and address. Amazon assigns you an ID, stores your information with that ID in its database on the server, and sends the ID to your browser as a cookie. Your browser stores the ID on your hard disk. The next time you go to Amazon, the ID is sent back to the server. The server looks you up by your ID and customizes the Web page it sends back to you. The page might say, "Welcome back, Joe Smith!"-HowStuffWorks
Cookies allow a site to store information on your machine. They are often used by websites to remember what state your browser is in (how many times you have visited the site), the pages you have view, the different things you add to your "cart" as you shop online, and the information you have given to the site.

They also do not transmit any computer viruses, and they cannot be manipulated and modified to get any personal online information you have keyed in. In fact, you can even open them up for yourselves to see what text strings are being saved into your drive. 

Overall, cookies are simply little text files that make your internet browsing better by enabling a server to remember any customized information you have set. So no need to get paranoid every time you come across some cookie files in your drive! Most cookies exist to help us use websites who are supposed to be of help- not pose a threat to our online privacy.

 But I did say most cookies, didn't I? We can't expect all cookies to be just of good use especially now that we live in an age wherein we don't exactly know the breadths of technology capability. Sad as it may be, there are new types of cookies, namely Third Party Cookies and Flash Cookies. These cookies have been known to deliver our online history to online advertising networks- which then in turn, sends us numerous pop-up ads.

 Not to worry though! To every problem, there is a solution. Since this blog post is getting pretty long, you can find the solution to these bad cookies in my other blog post, Privacy Boosters! Just click on this link, and you're all set! 

Double Whammy

Published on Saturday, 21 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

Is your WiFi connection password protected? Well, if not, this video may as well change your mind about its lack thereof. 

A heavily-armed police SWAT team broke down the door of a house in Evansville, Indiana, smashed windows and tossed a flashbang stun grenade into a living room.. all because of an unsecured WiFi connection. With a second suspect identified at a different house on the same street, police took a more softly-softly approach. This time not using a SWAT team or grenades, but instead using the tried-and-trusted traditional method of knocking on the door. -NakedSecurity
It's quite an alarming video, isn't it? (Going a bit off topic here) Although personally, I saw the police team's carelessness in terms of conducting such operations, (now going back) and although I'm not exactly sure if online activity in the Philippines is as securely monitored as in the United States, we should still take extra precautions to better our safety, not just online, but as proved in this news report, offline as well. 

For the whole predicament that happened to the Evansville public, two points need to be cleared and noted:

1. Secure your WiFi connection
Because we just won't really know what the connection leech is capable of sending and posting over the internet using our WiFi addresses

2. Think before you click, or in this case, before you post terrorist threats online 
Because in this day and age of advanced technologies, I wouldn't even try. Not that I, or we, would consider doing so in the first place… 

…unless we'd actually want to see the SWAT Team outside our doors. Of which I'm sure, of course, no one really would want that to happen! 

To Agree or Not To Agree

Published on Thursday, 19 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

You know how in real life and in even television, it's always made a point to thoroughly read a contract before a person actually signs it because the fine print might contain something you won't ever agree to? Say, for example, the deal, hidden from your knowledge, actually being life-binding (ok, kind of unrealistic, but it gets the point across!) in nature, or something like to that? You do? Okay, good. Well I just found out- and I never knew this before- that the "Terms of Service" window that pops out of your computer screen when you make online purchases, install new softwares, or even join a social networking site? Yup, it serves just the same purpose as a real-life, legitimate contract. 

Most people (I admit, myself also included), do not bother to fully read the terms of use or privacy agreement. According to Jeff Sauro, founding principal of quantitative research firm Measuring Usability, no more than 8% of users typically read terms of service agreements in full before accepting them.

And then there's me, according to Sauro's research, who belongs to the 70% of users who grow impatient after 12 seconds of scrolling through the terms. Hey, it's still a little better than the 21% who admit to just clicking on the "Agree" button immediately. 

But even though Online Agreement Terms may not bear the threat of being bound to life with a contract, it could contain some hidden- and less than pleasant- items of agreement. The Business Insider has identified some of these items, and they are in the terms of: 

  • Giving up your right to file class-action lawsuits against the company (Business Insider points to new clauses inserted by Sony for its PlayStation network and Microsoft for its Xbox Live site).
  • Agreeing to repeat billing of your credit card, once your annual subscription to a service is up (without your renewing and/or authorization).
  • Authorizing a site to share and/or sell your information.

Issues like these make us think twice about making a dash for that "Agree" button. However, and in our defense, companies should also at least try to make their written terms of agreement less complicated, confusing, and time consuming. Others have already taken the step and have pushed for simpler formats which are easily understood by consumers. 

I hope this blog post was as eye-opening for you as it was so for me. So the next time you're about to agree to some term of condition, remember to stop and read, or at least, take a skim at it first before you agree! 

Original article and photo from here.

You Have the Right to Remain Private

Published on Wednesday, 18 July 2012 Leave your thoughts »

The surge of digital media and social networking together with the increasing amount of sensitive data being stored online brought Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerburg, to claim that "people no longer have an expectation of privacy".

A lot of us trod around the internet on a daily basis. However, many of us are not aware that as we do so, we can leave our digital footprints; wether it be through the information we publish, the sites we visit, or the files we share. 
If we are not in the least bit mindful of the security of our own online activity, undoubtedly, someone, or something, might already be watching our every move online. 

Think of this then, as having to live in the Big Brother House. Only, this time, you have so much more at stake rather than just the grand prize. Scary, huh? 

But even though privacy is not anymore considered to be a "social norm", it still is very much desired among active users of the World Wide Web. Still, much contemplation and extra precaution must be taken when it comes to securing our personal computer data.

This blog is a class project for one of my major subjects, Communication Technology. Through this blog, and in 21 posts, I hope to share with you the what's, why's, when's and how's in being mindful as far as digital security is concerned.  

So stay tuned, yes?

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