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Where does it all end?

[lZakl]

Someone that I know, (who is close to me) is convinced because she “read on the internet” that you must disconnect your ethernet cable from your modem when you are powered-down. She is convinced that as long as the cable is connected, someone can see what’s on your computer, especially when it is off, because the firewalls aren’t running. Now I think this is just short of good ‘ol Mel’s performance in a well known movie that includes “invisible black helicopters” and placing bottles on the doorknob of the apartment. I tried talking sense, while biting my lip (I really was trying not to make her feel bad for believing such nonsense), but she kept coming back with “it’s been proven, they can do it!” So I said ok and changed the subject.

My point: I know the internet is filled with more false information than true, but for people to believe online identities like “Aussie Bloke”, and later find these “facts” to be falsified, and then turn and believe another pile of mush.... Whatever happened to “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...”?

My dream: World peace? Sure, but I’d like a cleaner internet too. After all, the internet is controlled by the “New World Order” didn’t you know? Couldn’t we just call and tell them to clean it up? If only it were that easy, with all the boneheads out there.

Would it be ethical to “police” anything that is “proven” to be false? I am all for free speech. But when you have a 70-year-old woman, who lives alone (and has for many years), is reading bs on the web, and believing it, where do I place the blame? Her lack of common sense? Or the person who writes in a semiprofessional manner, getting the naive to believe every word they say? Just a thought...

-- Zak

[vkaryl]

I get your point Zak, but there's nothing harmful in what she's doing, and it makes her feel safe as well as proactive so where's the harm?

Now if she were to believe the dingdong who was posting about ingesting small amounts of arsenic here a while back, that would be another thing entirely.

It's all relative.

[lZakl]

Up to the point where her children want to put her in a nursing home because they think she is crazy? She literally believes ANYTHING posted on the web, so yes, if she read that ingesting small amounts of arsenic can in fact reduce your risk of heart disease, I have no doubt she’d at least consider trying it. I’m not kidding. How serious she takes what she reads on the ‘net is astounding. She figures if it’s out there, no one would lie for millions of people to read... Why would anyone do that?

She’s not crazy, and she’s not stupid either. She just lacks the common sense to see what the internet really is. -- I have learned to leave it alone though, it’s just really frustrating at times... Seeing someone with witt, be tricked into believing things.

Did you know that there is a 10th planet in our solar system? It’s exactly the same size as Earth, and on the same orbit, and probably has humans on it. But we can’t see it because it’s always on the other side of the sun. ;0)

-- Zak

[Syzygy]

As a BTW:

Did you know that there is a 10th planet in our solar system?

There are 10 'planets' in our Solar system [news.bbc.co.uk] (in fact, wasn't there an 11th that was postulated some while back?).

Syzygy

[HowlingWizard]

I get your point Zak, but there's nothing harmful in what she's doing, and it makes her feel safe as well as proactive so where's the harm?

I have seen a couple over used jacks where the contact wires lost their spring and became intermetant. Also she will break off the little plastic tab.

The more fun 'solution' would be to create an automatic cable disconnect device for her. relative simple to build - short USB cable, various electronic parts and roll of electrical tape - connected in middle of ethernet cable. Plug in to USB port and tell her it automatically disconnects the ethernet cable when the PC is turned off.

You can even documents the 'design' on the web to help those people getting information from that the site your friend read.

[lZakl]

Syzygy,

Is it exactly the same size as Earth, and on the same orbit, and probably have humans on it. But we can’t see it because it’s always on the other side of the sun?

-- Zak

[Syzygy]

Nah. If memory serves me well, you're referring to the Planet X, or Nibiru... Although 'they' are not syzygistically aligned with us and the sun...

;-)

Syzygy