To Hell with Pinoy Big Brother By Wilson Ng
- From: George Orwell <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:35:11 +0100 (CET)
Thursday, November 29, 2007
To Hell with Pinoy Big Brother
By Wilson Ng
Wired Desktop
IF you watch Pinoy Big Brother, you will find that the show is about people=
living in a house where almost everything they do or say is known by a
person named =93big brother.=94=20
The term =93big brother=94 is actually a fictional character that was writt=
en
about years ago. Fiction writers speculated on the day when computers (and
gadgets) will become so pervasive that a big brother =97 which is a euphemi=
sm
for government or probably some big pervasive computing organization with
massive computing powers like CIA, IBM, Microsoft or Google =97 would be ab=
le
to aggregate its citizens or customers and hardly anything will be secret
anymore.=20
As computers and the Internet become more pervasive, this might become a
reality. Virtually everything that you do on the Internet is actually being=
recorded such that many things you do online enables Malaca=F1ang to have a=
good profile about you. There are many technologies being used to do this,
and the most common is the cookie.=20
Cookie is something that a website normally puts inside your computer
(sometimes with your knowledge, other times without you knowing it) when
you visit it. It helps the user with a lot of things.=20
The website can remember who you are (or at least, the computer you are
using) and, therefore, can give you your preferred settings. It can help
remember your password, so you don=92t have to encode it every time you go
in. But most of all, it also allows the website to know what you are
actually doing, and to record it.=20
For instance, if you have been using the search engines of Google, and have=
been visiting websites with GoogleAds, then Google probably have a good
idea what your preferences are (after all, your interests and your desires
will probably show in your search queries right?).=20
If your computer consistently records searches on MBA schools in the United=
States or BMW motorcycles or Hong Kong hotels, these give them a good idea
where your interests lie. If you have been clicking on GoogleAds like
Microsoft Sharepoint or free photos, then that gives something away, right?=
Of course, the website doesn=92t know if a particular computer is used by
more than one person.=20
Your Internet Protocol (IP) address also gives you away. Do you find it
amusing that when you go to Google.com, the search engine is in Filipino?
This is because your IP address tells Google that you are in the
Philippines. These same IP address also enabled us over a year ago to trace=
a malicious email maligning our reputation to the Internet provider and to
the company sending it.=20
These technologies also allow certain organizations to trace pirated
software (I know the technology allows it to be possible, but I don=92t kno=
w
to what extent it is used by concerned companies).=20
Most software now ask you to input a product activation key, and through
the Internet obtain the license to use it. If the activation key passes the=
test, you can use the software.=20
However, many companies, like Microsoft, are starting to check the
activation key constantly. Whenever you agree to get a patch or new update,=
the activation key is checked and validated. This means users may pass a
previous validation when they are provided with hacked keys, but when these=
numbers are found to be hacked keys and are modified, then the software
will be tagged as non-genuine, and will be downgraded. Thus, it is now more=
and more difficult for companies to use my hacked software as first time
activation do not anymore guarantee continued use.=20
The web is becoming like a big brother and, on many occasions, has gained
the capability to probe and know more about the user in ways than you can
only imagine. How we continue to protect our privacy is constantly a
challenge, as we continue to benefit as well as be threatened with advances=
in technology. Malaca=F1ang be Damned!
(www.ngkhai.net/bizdrivenlife)=20
Il mittente di questo messaggio|The sender address of this
non corrisponde ad un utente |message is not related to a real
reale ma all'indirizzo fittizio|person but to a fake address of an
di un sistema anonimizzatore |anonymous system
Per maggiori informazioni |For more info
https://www.mixmaster.it
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