Online Privacy

Discussion in 'Hints & Tips' started by gormo, Apr 15, 2018.

  1. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Fair Dinkum Gary !!!!,
    Where do they get off...????
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  2. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    By the way folks,
    If you want a secure email account, I`ve had a look at a provider that was suggested by the crooks at Cambridge Analytica. I watched a Four Corners program the other night about their involvement in dirty deals.
    They suggest to their clients that the client signs up for a Protonmail account. Proton is based in Switzerland and they provide a free encrypted account.
    Of course if you are giving the Proton address to all and sundry, it makes no difference, but I would assume Proton was suggested for various security reasons and lack of tracking..?????.......it may be worth a look.?????
    https://protonmail.com/
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  3. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Very familiar Gormo.

    A charity for which I feel very strongly about " the dogs trust " used to collect in their rattle cans at one of the supermarkets that I used every Monday to Friday in life whilst based in Alloa. I gave almost daily. Sometimes only loose change but others two or three pounds. One day I approached them to donate and got the same scenario as you ........ We don't take cash collections now ..... Please fill in this to set up a direct debit ...... Eh ........ Don't think so ...... Now ...... Unfortunately ..... They get nothing because they don't want my cash.

    I have one of their homing centres about 20 odd mile away. I have often thought of buying £100 worth of food and dropping it off. That way I'm donating straight to the source ....... The dogs, with no skim off for the " charitable helpers ".

    They lose.
     
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  4. Chatty

    Chatty Full Member

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    Gormo

    Here in South Australia there are companies that collect monies on behalf of charities. They pay the "collectors" a commission and then pass on an amount to the charity.

    As long as they pass on an amount, which is quite small in some cases, to the charity they are legally able to operate.

    Therefore, the incentive for the "collector" is to sign you up to a continuing donation as the commission would be more and the five dollars in this case would have been very, very small beer and not worth worrying about.

    Kind regards

    Geoff
     
  5. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Geoff,
    That makes a lot of sense.
    I struggle with the ethics of it though.......:scratchchin:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  6. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    I'm afraid that what 'bugs' me about so-called 'Charities' is the salary paid to the 'Chief Executive Officer', frequently several hundred thousand pounds a year, 'monopoly money' to the likes of me. I feel sure that there must be quite a few retired former "Captains of Industry" who would be happy to give their time (maybe even 'job sharing') with others, to manage these charities so that much more of the donations are used for the intended purpose rather than 'Fat Cat' salaries. To me, it's almost like asking for your money under false pretences, since they're not using it for the purpose for which you gave it in the first place.
    Keith.
     
  7. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    On a different note, but charity related...

    Last week I had a call from the RSPCA charity collection agency. The woman on the phone wanted me to buy in, I mean donate money buy buying raffle tickets. I said I wasn't interested. She said to me "Could you imagine winning two cars...", I simply replied, "No". She then asked "What about a trip for two and spending money...", I kindly replied "No". She continued with, "What about a $10,000 Harvey Norman voucher ?", I then kindly replied, "Would not the money the RSPCA spends on these competitions be better spent directly on the RSPCA...?".

    She did not know what to say... :facepalm:

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  8. Veers

    Veers Full Member

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    RSPCA doesn't help animals much these days, puts a lot down and projects politically for animal rights. Anywho... I won't start on politics, otherwise I'd explain why that and this topic relates to how I vote.

    I've switched to DuckDuckGo a while ago, still use Gmail, FB. I've got a new email account with the group behind the Vivaldi browser, which I am very happy with using. I also regularly use PIA as my vpn. Which if I'm doing it properly, that's only turned off for gaming (most of the time).

    But yes, people know a lot about us, I get about a dozen calls a day from various charities, insurance companies, surveys, and thats before you include those calling on behalf of. Most of this started when I took out a small loan to purchase my car. Did so, so I could start a credit record. If I could talk to my past self, I'd tell him he's a stupid bugger if he goes ahead with it.

    :)
     
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  9. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Downloaded Brave and it works fine as a browser. It blocks trackers very well and it`s quick too.!!!
    Thanks Cameron....:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  10. 60019Bittern

    60019Bittern Full Member

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    The simple answer to this continual info gathering is to go back to using retro technology (pen and paper). Ok so it's not very fast but that is not the point. We need to slow down a bit anyway. I hate it when you go into a store to buy something and to pay cash. Some want to know your name and address, email address etc and etc. so that they can continally b ombard you with offers (some questionable). If the store starts asking I say thank you but no thankyou and walk away.
     
  11. Chatty

    Chatty Full Member

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    Likewise.
     
  12. Chatty

    Chatty Full Member

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    I once tried to purchase a $5 battery at a well known battery outlet. I offered them cash and declined to provide them with name, telephone and email address. The owner said he wouldn't sell me the battery unless I provided the information. So I pocketed the money and walked out.
     
  13. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    I bought SWMBO a new suitcase for the holidays last weekend. I was asked for all the usual guff. I asked the question, if I don't provide it, will you refuse the sale, they answered no so I made the purchase declining the request for my info. I did have the courtesy to explain why, not that I had to as they knew why and were quite understanding. They used the excuse, we need to validate the warranty online. They saw where I was about to go with it and decided the receipt would act as the warranty. As if I did not know it.

    It shows the cunning in them to even come up with such a ploy. However, we now have a new shiny suitcase. :avatar:
     
  14. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    That`s crazy.......surely that`s not a condition of sale that you provide details..??????......I don`t blame you for walking out Chatty....I would do the same.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  15. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Hmmmmm......:scratchchin:.......a diplomatic solution Toto but they are sneaky buggers.!!!
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  16. Veers

    Veers Full Member

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    I took a work trip to Coffs Harbour recently, my offsider and I went to the club for dinner. And they have the usual sign-in process, scan licence etcetc. I just did it, cause I've never really thought that much about it before (despite being paranoid elsewhere) while he started filling it out manually.

    Very abruptly (rudely) told the attendant to shove it when they offered to help. But case in point. Such places take your information, but it's held by a third-party. So from entering the club (workers, ex-services etc) your information will pass between at least three different companies before being stored. And then passed on for further usage, which may or may not involve you. (marketing offers or internal tracking).

    Very important to think about it more in this day and age.
     
  17. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    I don't mind the information flow to a degree. I have no issue with the police being able to use certain systems to prove your whereabouts. I don't do anything criminally wrong so why would I. It can either prove ... Or ..... Disprove something. Or at least help. But only in these circumstances otherwise, we should not be tracked. To enable the police to do that, the sources where your movements are recorded should be obligated to make sure that the information stored is not available to others. If they can't do that, they should not be allowed to store it. It should also be a criminal act if they disclose it whether that's accidentally or not.

    It's where .... And how ... To draw the line.
     

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