tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post3982916169229983504..comments2024-03-29T08:01:26.952-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: Thwarting data-miners and privacy-invading snoopersPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-45273617290723454902017-06-27T11:50:27.774-05:002017-06-27T11:50:27.774-05:00Seems a good political campaign theme -- really en...Seems a good political campaign theme -- really enforcing the do not call list.<br /><br />On the subject of data mining, etc. I'm still not impressed. I've yet to see website ads that do much more than advertise whatever I last looked at on Amazon or some commercial web site (I got ads for FLIR for a couple months after I looked them up before going to a free booze and appetizers event they sent me an email about). I routinely get ads (or Amazon "maybe you want to buy this" emails) for things I just purchased, including books (I assume most people don't routinely buy a second copy of a book).<br /><br />When advertisers can figure out some new product I might like based on what I've searched for in the past I'll worry about data mining (at least, commercial data mining).Thomas Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05701283200252131890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-71473010082088285102017-06-25T10:00:39.847-05:002017-06-25T10:00:39.847-05:00How about bounties on robocallers and boiler-room ...How about bounties on robocallers and boiler-room telemarketers? <br /><br />One office in each major city, bring in proof you're on the do not call list, proof you got called, and the severed head of a robocaller, get $5K. May not be the right robocaller, but, hey, <i>someone</i> will get the right guy. Eventually. <br /><br />You might have to book international travel for the big money, but there's sightseeing and native cuisine as a bonus. Think of all the retirees who'll be chasing the $5K overseas for supplemental retirement income and not cluttering up our traffic. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-82415346375310816132017-06-25T08:00:53.507-05:002017-06-25T08:00:53.507-05:00CarlS: Alas, in the VoIP era, identifying the sour...CarlS: Alas, in the VoIP era, identifying the source of the calls is highly problematic. The telephone companies allow calling-number spoofing, so the Windows Technical Department boiler room in India can appear to be calling from Fremont, CA.<br />Last week, Cardholder Services (or whatever they call themselves this month) called my cellphone, apparently from my own cellphone number. The telephone company, it seems, is totally fine with this.<br />So, unless the caller gives you his real name, or the real name of his business (which, come to think of it, might - I say might - be the case with the endless parade of remodeling contractors, though my understanding is that every legitimate remodeling contractor in this area is fully booked for the next several years), or he's foolish enough to use his real phone number, good luck with finding any true identifying information.<br />And the rules for robocalls, the do-not-call list, etc.? Legitimate businesses operate in terror of these, as they're crazy restrictive and carry dire penalties. Scammers happily ignore them, as the likelihood of being tracked down and apprehended is basically nil. And there seem to be exemptions for many of the most annoying callers.Eric Wilnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04351991168469225129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-39898049008575541412017-06-25T06:28:36.374-05:002017-06-25T06:28:36.374-05:00I have to echo CenTexTim here. Some of this is mea...I have to echo CenTexTim here. Some of this is mean trick to play on other people. I think it falls somewhere in the Proverbs 24:29 realm, and certainly comes under " Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. "<br /> <br />I have generally found that not giving out my phone number and an email address everywhere keeps me off all of the nuisance lists. Works pretty well; my name doesn't come up in a google search.urbane legendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12699110758399432397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-58269925631144793582017-06-24T22:05:26.060-05:002017-06-24T22:05:26.060-05:00Very nice CarlS, this is the way to play the game ...Very nice CarlS, this is the way to play the game back at them... :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-35040453179525154882017-06-24T20:33:48.334-05:002017-06-24T20:33:48.334-05:00What I have done, successfully, in the past is to ...What I have done, successfully, in the past is to ask politely that the caller remove me from their calling list. It usually works. But one time, this guy asserted that what he was doing was legal and that I would just have to live with it. Some days later, after having received 2 calls a day from the same person, I took the time to trace the caller, verify his identity and "work" phone, gain his easily accessible SSAN and Drivers License numbers, and then I installed some old call routing software on my older Windows box, connected it to a modem I just happened to have lying around and instructed it call his (verified) number once every 4 minutes. The very next day, I got a call from an unidentified number and it was him. He demanded I stop. I reminded him that he assured me such tactics were legal and hung up. I ignored his calls fro a day or so, then answered. He was oh so polite and asked me to stop because it was afecting his "business". He assured me he would remove me from his list, and you know what? He did. None of this is hard to do, and once the system and software are up and running, it's easy to add other assailants to the "Call Until They Drop" list. See "the Google" for instructions.CarlSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-9237059904031162652017-06-24T12:05:37.479-05:002017-06-24T12:05:37.479-05:00Unfortunately data mining has massively evolved in...Unfortunately data mining has massively evolved in the last years and can "see" beyond these relatively simple countermeasures. Even using older (or perhaps established would be more accurate) algorithms like neural nets or naive bayesian the end result depends on the number of data samples included in the analysis. While the listed countermeasures would somehow skew the end results, most algorithms include plausibility validation. To really have a measurable effect you would need to provide a lot of random distributed samples - like ensuring you have a LOT of personal mail traffic on EACH of the fake addresses you intend to use, and that's gonna cost too much.<br />Better to stick to plain old, plain old methods: use cash for what you don't want tracked, use anonymous landing email addresses over proxies (i.e. hmamail or similar), browse using TOR (although that's probably not that secure anymore given the governmental increasing acquisition of TOR servers), etc.<br />CGR710https://www.blogger.com/profile/15505866142053585054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-68895002057771668582017-06-24T11:05:22.205-05:002017-06-24T11:05:22.205-05:00It is not you or your type this is diected at. Do ...It is not you or your type this is diected at. Do you not unseratand that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-52689232341105925582017-06-24T10:17:58.050-05:002017-06-24T10:17:58.050-05:00How appropriate that this thread got spammed. ;) T...How appropriate that this thread got spammed. ;) Telemarketers are a plague. There isn't a day goes by here without half a dozen or more junk calls. The No-call list is useless. The only people who do this work are desperate lowlifes, tweakers and junkies who can't hold a real job. There's a gambit going on wherein a cold caller will claim to have been at my house for an estimate on some repair work. Imagine the audacity to begin a sales pitch by lying outright to a stranger. Who would do business with such a creep? I'd love to see the whole business outlawed. I used to curse them a blue streak, when they call. Now If I pick up the phone and hear the 'bloop' sound I wait until the creep is on the phone and just scream in their ear. Immature, yes. But it gets the frustration out. <br /><br />JWMJWMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05564732483476859555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-42261266626003618092017-06-24T09:58:34.560-05:002017-06-24T09:58:34.560-05:00Seems like a mean trick to play on the innocent pe...Seems like a mean trick to play on the innocent people whose addresses you use as part of the scam. I get enough junk mail already. The last thing I need is some inconsiderate jerk sending me his.CenTexTimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04026518638421849111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-76602479830091230992017-06-24T08:25:02.225-05:002017-06-24T08:25:02.225-05:00Waste of time and money Pete. And free advertising...Waste of time and money Pete. And free advertising for the bad guys. Everything is automated so all you're doing is justifying more invasive and aggressive marketing.<br /><br />As a sales guy myself my priorities are<br /><br />1. The guys that actually buy from me<br />2. The guys that are THINKING about buying from me<br />3. The tire kickers<br /><br />All the rest comes after that. If you sent me money - even a small amount - I would think 'Hey - what other products would these guys be interested in? Can I up-sell them? Maybe this guy warrants a personal sales call?' Generating phony sales leads will only encourage these guys. (For the record I am a sales professional - and understand that irritating my clients is NOT a good sales tactic. In my market I only address potential customers who would have a use for my products and services).<br /><br />Personally I don't mind the odd ads that pop up and get past my filters. They're all for stuff I'm interested in. Fact is, YOUR site could do with some gun ads from our friendly neighbourhood arms makers and suppliers😆👍Glen Filthiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03256741311142364722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-7262181484779237752017-06-24T08:19:49.626-05:002017-06-24T08:19:49.626-05:00There are about 315 million people living in Ameri...There are about 315 million people living in America; if 32,000 - 1/100 of 1 percent - did this it would sufficiently corrupt the data as to make it largely worthless. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com