Security, gun use & ownership, and tracking by Google

[Member 5605]

Slightly off-track, but maybe not......

What about all those "bots" , like "Google Bot" that you see logged onto sites (like this one).... are they capable of "mining" all the information in a site ? IE...threads, "private messages", the "show us your guns thread", personal contact information embedded in your profile, your ISP ID.....ETC......

Those actually scan threads and index the site. So if you searched the web it would search the data it mined.

What it doesn't do is search beyond its permissions. It cannot.

 

[2A2Dend]

Let's all revert back to 25 years ago!!

 

[ob1]

Those actually scan threads and index the site. So if you searched the web it would search the data it mined.

What it doesn't do is search beyond its permissions. It cannot.

So "permissions" are specified by the particular site administrator, the "Bot" owner, Michael Bloomberg....

 

[Brutus57]

my experience....I look at a product on Amazon or another selling site, even the MFGer.... Guess what item pops up HERE in the ads as well as on Facebook. The fun part...they get so used to the signal, the data, they don't know WTF when it goes black.

Brutus Out

 

[Heywood]

I just beat the system by never ever getting on the Internet ...ever.

 

[Member 5605]

So "permissions" are specified by the particular site administrator, the "Bot" owner, Michael Bloomberg....

Bot access is determined by it being a "public" user on a website. Such as since it cannot post on this website for example; it cannot enter restricted areas such as your private messages which only Joe could do through a backend and a pain in the bubblegum method (as he has stated before), or unless bots are given 'godlike' permissions which no forum owner would do. So maybe relax and ease up off the kool-aid. At least on this site there isn't much they are going to see. I've hosted and ran a few forums in the past so unless technology has completely changed I'm not too far off track here.

 

[Pops1911]

OMG! I used my iPhone to show me to TWO new gun stores, a cigar shop and a new bar! I am on a LIST now! Wait! I was already on the list. Never mind. I was never here.

LOL

 

[edslhead]

 

[Certaindeaf]

So "permissions" are specified by the particular site administrator, the "Bot" owner, Michael Bloomberg....

You spelled "company store" wrong.

 

[Certaindeaf]

OMG! I used my iPhone to show me to TWO new gun stores, a cigar shop and a new bar! I am on a LIST now! Wait! I was already on the list. Never mind. I was never here.

LOL

It's a passive thing.. even if it's actually turned "off".
anyway, it's not like it's anything new to anybody, handjive boi.

 

[P7M13]

Yawn...
I know my OP came off as alarmist. My intention was that folk should look, see, and turn off. Better to be aware than ignorant. As @Certaindeaf succinctly states, that's going to do it?
Dozens of times per year, I am asked what our lives would be like without computers & the internet. My answer:

• We would actually work less time and be more effective, because when we left, our work would stay behind us;
  
• We would be more present and our lives probably more fulfilling;
  
• Our connections would be real, in person, and we would value them more;
• Our memory would work better - we would remember dozens/hundreds of phone numbers;
• Our reality and sphere of influence would be much closer to home;
• Our lives would be simpler.

It's undeniable that with computers, we can do more, produce more, and effect greater efficiency. However, I am not convinced that more is better.

On an aside, the amusing thing I found while digging around in my "activity profile", was that one of my kids likes visiting PornHub. They are the only other people who access my 'puters and I have never, ever visited that site.

 

[Flopsweat]

Yawn...
I know my OP came off as alarmist. My intention was that folk should look, see, and turn off. Better to be aware than ignorant. As @Certaindeaf succinctly states, that's going to do it?
Dozens of times per year, I am asked what our lives would be like without computers & the internet. My answer:

• We would actually work less time and be more effective, because when we left, our work would stay behind us;
  
• We would be more present and our lives probably more fulfilling;
  
• Our connections would be real, in person, and we would value them more;
• Our memory would work better - we would remember dozens/hundreds of phone numbers;
• Our reality and sphere of influence would be much closer to home;
• Our lives would be simpler.

It's undeniable that with computers, we can do more, produce more, and effect greater efficiency. However, I am not convinced that more is better.

On an aside, the amusing thing I found while digging around in my "activity profile", was that one of my kids likes visiting PornHub. They are the only other people who access my 'puters and I have never, ever visited that site.

And I would be dead. Seriously, my life was saved with the use of some very high tech equipment. I was told "10 years ago, you would have died in the ER". Also, I'd be making a lot less money. And I would not know of you, nor you of me. You can count that as a plus or minus as you see fit. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and call it a plus.

 

[Pops1911]

Like probably several of our forum members I grew up in the 1950's and 60's. It is a totally different world now. Some of it is better but the loss of our corporate individual liberties is dramatic to ponder. Can you imagine a 16 year old today taking off on foot with a few basic survival items and a long gun telling one's parents, "I'll see you in a week or so". Never drew a negative comment. Today the news would be all over that with child abuse stories. Yes times do change and I have aged. Lots of the Tech stuff is nice and has improved lives. Some of it not so much IMHO. Thanks all for being on our forum. Lotsa good stuff posted.

 

[RicInOR]

I saw an article in the past week about RFID tags. The author who worries about such things noted that the coverage dropped off. As did announcements. What had happened he mused.

We all got 4G Smart Phones.

We volunteered to track ourselves.

 

[pdxRealtor]

I look at the entire Google thing, city cameras, cell phone tower tracking, etc.... as a bonus to me.
I use it to help me, or turn it off to help me. I never turn it off, because as the OP stated in his OP..... I'm a law abiding citizen, pay my taxes, blah blah. All these tracking measures can only help me should God forbid I'm falsely accused of something major or minor. Or, what if I disappear? My family knows there's at least three ways they can instantly see my last moves on a map, last phone calls, last voice recording (yes Goggle voice to text records and stores your voice!).

And, lol @ the pornhub thing. I too keep an eye on my kids Google activity from time to time.

To add to that... if my kid goes missing the first place I'm going is Google activity location information. Then I'm going to research phone calls, text messages, and so on to further narrow it down.

Most of us only stand to benefit from the 'eye in the sky'. And I suppose if you need to benefit in other ways well then you'll still be able to use it to your advantage.

 

[Mark Torrence]

I have diligently stayed away from Google just for this reason. It isn't entirely avoidable but in general they don't track me. I went to the site suggested here and the only stuff on it was internet searches and activity. NOTHING about where I have been nor what I have done. Looks like that diligence is paying dividends now. However if you really believe that "they" can't track you are fooling yourself. The only way for that to happen is to go digitally dark. Abandon ALL electronics. INCLUDING many of the newer automobiles. Very scary stuff indeed!

 

[dude23]

There is no escape, at least without living your digital life like Jason Bourne and ONLY running secure web services on a custom encrypted OS. The only other way to avoid tracking is to wrap your phone in foil and put it in a thick Mylar bag. Turning off data/wifi only makes the location less precise. Taking out your sim doesn't help, turning your phone off doesn't help as there's a backup designed to ping towers for 48-72 hours after your phone dies.

It's already been proven gov watchers lie about what they track. Even if they aren't currently anyone with money and skills can access all stored data with a hack.

Check these out for something to creep you out:

Is your smartphone being tracked? We asked an expert

Google tracks you. We don't. An illustrated guide.

I suggest at a minimum using Ixquick, Startpage or Duckduckgo for your web searches as they're encrypted and don't track you like Google, etc. And get off Facebook! Never use your phone to pay for purchases at a store, use a card or better, use cash.

Don't go willingly into the Orwellian future/present. Fight the boot seeking to stomp your face forever.

 

[Brutus57]

I have diligently stayed away from Google just for this reason. It isn't entirely avoidable but in general they don't track me. I went to the site suggested here and the only stuff on it was internet searches and activity. NOTHING about where I have been nor what I have done. Looks like that diligence is paying dividends now. However if you really believe that "they" can't track you are fooling yourself. The only way for that to happen is to go digitally dark. Abandon ALL electronics. INCLUDING many of the newer automobiles. Very scary stuff indeed!

No gmail account here. Use google search at work, home not so much.
I have lived many years without cell phones, used them off and on now. It won't bother me in the least to toss mine when I feel the urge.

Brutus Out

 

[mjbskwim]

No gmail account here. Use google search at work, home not so much.
I have lived many years without cell phones, used them off and on now. It won't bother me in the least to toss mine when I feel the urge.

Brutus Out

I have mine primarily for my son in socal.
I'm guessing he will give me the last call before I give him mine. I'm sure he'll know before I do when real SHTF for all of us
Otherwise it's in the river

 

[Member 34319]

Interesting thread. Good info, and thanks for the read.

I'll leave this one thing here for you to pounder...

Ever come to thought that NWFAs is a data farm?

Just look at the threads Joe has started recently.

What car do you drive.

What gear did you buy recently.

What gun stuff did you buy recently.

Not to mention threads like, what did you do to prep today.

Hell, a 3rd grader with basic internet knowledge and this website could likely figure out a good deal about just me alone, much less the gun owners of the Pacific NW.