Does anyone here use WHATSAPP ?

[Phil Perry]

I don't. My Daughter does though and she passed on this post via email. Might be rubbish, might be something in it.

 

An IT colleague has advised that a video comes out tomorrow from WhatsApp called martinelli - do not open it , it hacks your phone and nothing will fix it. Spread the word.

 

If you receive a message to update the Whatsapp to Whatsapp Gold, do not click !!!!!

 

Now mentioned on the news - this virus is difficult and severe

 

Snopes say this is Crap by the way. . . . . . . I've never had a virus on my phone,. .. possibly because I don't use it as anything but a phone and a wifi hotspot . . .

 

 

[yampy]

I’m like you Phil , my phone is a phone only . My wife has Whatsapp on her phone and finds it particularly useful for contacting her family in the UK , and also in the reverse way in contacting our kids in Australia when we are overseas .

 

I like the ads for modern mobile phones , they can do all sorts of things apparently , video , games , even watch TV , but they never mention the ability to actually make a phone call . I still use a iPhone 4 , it’s ancient but it works , so I’m happy .

 

Thanks for the info regarding the virus , and I’ve never been infected either .... not by a computer anyway .

 

Dave

 

 

[Jaba-who]

I have it on my phone (WhatsApp) but rarely use it. My wife uses it all the time with her relatives in South Africa. The big plus is that it uses the internet rather than the phone system per se. She can talk with video for hours with her sister for essentially no cost.

 

I’ll mention to her about this potential virus. Even if it’s a hoax this time if she knows at least she can be vigiilent if something else arises. Thanks

 

 

[rrogerramjet]

Well if you're clicking on unknown attachments from unknown senders then you probably get what you deserve.

 

There's some really simple practical actions people can take which improve online security 99%. If you don't know the sender, didn't ask for it, or are presented an 'upgrade' 'install' or 'offer' that you didn't ask for then don't click on it. Those rules alone will see you safe of 99% attempted attacks.

 

Surf safe!

 

Ramjet

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Guys,

 

Drop everything and get WeChat on your phone now. Forget about the rest, WeChat is the biggest in the world and expanding rapidly, and will be a part of your lives that you don't even know yet.

 

There isn't a shop, restaurant, hotel, taxi, Uber ... you name it that you can't walk into or use in China and pay for any product or service by simply opening your WeChat, scan the DataMatrix code and you're done in seconds. This has literally changed the entire payment process in all of China in under a year. There are some shops that even refuse to take cash now.

 

And they are just about to hit the entire world. They are having the same impact as smart phones did - and you know how many of you, including me, said you would never use a smart phone ....

 

And that's besides the free calls or video calls, text messages, pictures (well with any WiFi anyway).

 

There isn't a person alive in China who doesn't have WeChat, I go weeks without actually making an actual phone call because I do 98% of everything through WeChat, messages, calls, video calls to my Missus and Kids in Oz, etc, including business conference calls etc.

 

You can or not, upload your own pictures, with mini blogs if you like, it's like Facebook but only the people who you have added can see, and you can limit them to if they see that info or not. A girl added me last night for business (3D printers, get your minds out of the gutter) and I could see her personal pictures just after she added me, then a minute later they were blocked from my eyes.

 

Numbers of people use it to sell product in that manner, but you don't see any of that unless you specifically click on that person and then you can chose to add or not, there's no PopUp Adverts or any other encroachments.

 

You can search for friends usually in a 20km radius, Female or Male filters if needed, although that will yield 95% Chinese people at the moment until WeChat gets more established outside of China. The people who show up have their friend search on also.

 

There's Group Chats as well, bunches of RAA or Rec Flying Members can be in contact constantly. That's not for me though, I hate looking at my phone and seeing 58 unseen messages.

 

If you want to test it, download and install it, then just add me after you install it. - Mongrel99 I'll tell you where to go, then you'll really know it's me!

 

WeChat - Free messaging and calling app

 

By the way, WhatsApp is pretty good, but not a patch on what you will be using WeChat for very soon, that you don't even know you will be yet.

 

 

[rrogerramjet]

Yep and the Chinese govt can review every single thing you do on the platform. No thanks.

 

Data safe,

 

Ramjet

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Yep and the Chinese govt can review every single thing you do on the platform.

You mean they will know I texted my worker today to say I will be there in 10 minutes, and sent my Wife a kisses and cuddles emotion???

OH MY GOD!!!!!!

 

 

Firstly, so what, who cares.

 

Secondly, if you think every Western Government doesn't do it, then I got some very bad news for you, I suggest you Google Australia Data Retention Scheme. Wait, the bliss of ignorance might be a better call.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

And as the current Facebook and Cambridge analytica saga shows it’s not just governments but private companies who get and use your data. Sure some they sell to governments but some will use the data for their own ends.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

And as the current Facebook and Cambridge analytica saga shows it’s not just governments but private companies who get and use your data. Sure some they sell to governments but some will use the data for their own ends.

And it has absolutely no effect at all other than if you're 90 years old you get a Depends advert and if you're 25 you get a Hyundai i20 advert, again, who cares.

I can't believe anyone feels they are important enough that any Government gives 2 tosses about you, you're not, they don't.

 

Here's my lot for today;

 

to my worker I will be 10 minutes late

 

to my wife a hugs and kisses emotion

 

a friend in Australia about doing my back in yesterday morning but better today

 

a video of my Grandson from my Daughter

 

a business conversation about a 3D printer purchase.

 

a decision to move that stolen uranium to Nth Korea by submarine or not

 

WHO CARES.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

hello good friend, I Bex am good enjoy China country best!

 

i have holiday now long time not see while for see sights best in China, I happy not worry me absent.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

And it has absolutely no effect at all other than if you're 90 years old you get a Depends advert and if you're 25 you get a Hyundai i20 advert, again, who cares.I can't believe anyone feels they are important enough that any Government gives 2 tosses about you, you're not, they don't.

Here's my lot for today;

 

to my worker I will be 10 minutes late

 

to my wife a hugs and kisses emotion

 

a friend in Australia about doing my back in yesterday morning but better today

 

a video of my Grandson from my Daughter

 

a business conversation about a 3D printer purchase.

 

a decision to move that stolen uranium to Nth Korea by submarine or not

 

WHO CARES.

For most of us oldies (making some huge assumptions about the assembled masses there) you are of course completely correct.I personally put very little information on line, I have a few friends on Facebook and purposely have not added any for years despite the constant harassment to add more. I don’t click likes and I don’t respond to many things except for denegrating CASA every chance I get.

 

Having an internet footprint like that is pretty much devoid of usefulness to a third party.

 

However to play devil’s advocate that apparently is not how the majority of users treat the internet these days. Apparently very large numbers of users do put significant amounts of personal detail on their profiles in various platforms from which much demographic data can be gleaned. Then their browsing and click habits etc give both a general and a person specific picture of their likes, habits, pastimes and political leanings.

 

In an open democratic society their general data gets used for demographic stuff - census like stuff, political leanings, likelihood of their voting patterns. In a closed totalitarian world there’s nothing to stop them being used more sinisterly. Like being put on a list of potential enemies based purely on derived likely political leanings. Even if they are not overtly rampantly political. Apparently they have worked out stuff like how many likes and agrees in particular directions tells whether you are conservative or left wing. And a few more tells how far and how likely you are to vote that way, how likely to take to the streets or cause social disruption in pursuit of your cause.

 

In the commercial world. Everyone’s data is useful. As evidenced by discussions on this forum in the past. Click on something commercial and you are bombarded by ads for similar stuff for weeks after. There are now, as we sit here, companies who use your individual data to direct advertising to your webpages based on what the webpage companies know about you as an individual. Is that a problem?

 

Could be if your life insurance company decides your internet clicks reflect your life risks and refuse cover. Your health insurers may do the same. Could be if you try to search for something to buy you never get the full story because the company who sells the object that really suits your need don’t pay the browser company enough and only the big spenders product gets pushed toward you.

 

When I read the reports of what Cambridge analytica were doing and how they and similar companies tie innocuous sounding information together and generate complex pictures of individuals it is quite scary.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Then their browsing and click habits etc give both a general and a person specific picture of their likes, habits, pastimes and political leanings.

Yes, I find that annoying only in that I am very diversified and often seek information on a wide variety of subjects. What this means is I often sign out of Google and use the same search terms without Google thinking it knows what I want based on previous searches.

Scary? .. no it's not.

 

Like being put on a list of potential enemies based purely on derived likely political leanings. .

America has been doing that for decades before the internet came along, the Senate Communist hearings for example it's just easier for them now.

McCarthyism - Wikipedia

 

The "greatest free country in the world" (sic) hey ...

 

 

[pmccarthy]

We McCarthys cop a lot....!

 

 

[Birdseye]

I just wonder if I might not prefer the Chinese government reading my posts to Facebook and Google doing the same.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

I just wonder if I might not prefer the Chinese government reading my posts to Facebook and Google doing the same.

As a general principle I would prefer it.The Chinese government aren’t likely to swamp my pages with ads for things I looked at a month ago or places I’ve visited recently.

 

That’s something that really bugs me.

 

My wife and I recently went back to the resort where we were married, for our anniversary.

 

I emailed the place direct and have not done a search of any sort on line. No need. Have the contacts, know what it’s like, know the room we had and got it again.

 

But every day since I get ads and video clips of the place on Facebook, YouTube etc.

 

I don’t need the ads and they are only sh..ting me off. I’m more likely to never go again because of the ads rather than be enticed to go again soon.

 

Frankly I’d rather see some ads for places in China I have never been!

 

 

[Birdseye]

My pet hate is the hotel booking places offering me hotels in Perth. Why would I want a site to tell me about hotels in Perth, I live there!