So this one is new and sort of interesting: I am one of the last three people on the planet to have an actual wired phone (a landline) and it has been pesky with bottom- feeder calls. With the blocking feature on the phone itself as well as nomorobo, the problem is down to an acceptable if not great level. But I have been getting a new one lately that is pretty attention- getting: quite a few (multiple times per day) phone calls from..... wait for it..... me. Yep, Caller ID identifies the caller as me, by name, along with the phone's 10 digit phone number. As I have VOIP, I looked this up on my account and sure enough, I have been calling myself a lot. This just started a week ago or so.
I know Caller ID can be 'faked' in that an incorrect name and / or phone number will show but I cannot imagine why anyone would want to try spoofing me by pretending to be... me? I mean, I KNOW it is not me calling, right?
This is actually more interesting than annoying and the first really different type of phone scam I have seen in years.
I have also been getting threatening spam e-mails from somewhere accusing me of doing disgusting (matter of opinion, right?) things with underage fe- persons, and having video of same, along with my entire contact list. The threat of course is that unless I send (usually around $5,000) via BitCoin w/in two weeks, they will send said videos to everyone on my contact list. I have even gotten repeat threats from the same entity reiterating that they are not kidding, I will suffer, etc., etc.. Hey, it beats being badly wooed by a Nigerian businessman, right? Although frankly, I personally would alter the threat just because I do not find it all that threatening and not at all imaginative but hey, that is just content, not the actual idea, which I found refreshing.... the first couple times anyway.
Brian
Have you tried answering those calls from yourself?
About one minute in...
http://youtu.be/jMyD3TSXyUc
Don't answer those calls from yourself!!!
The call is coming from INSIDE the house!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkcGm-pWwsQ
"A fifth of British teenagers believe Sir Winston Churchill was a fictional character, while many think Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur and Eleanor Rigby were real, a survey shows."
".... The study also shows a marked change in how people acquire their historical knowledge these days. More than three-quarters of those polled (77 per cent) admitted they did not read history books, and 61 per cent said that they changed channels rather than watch historical programmes on television."
This according to a Telegraph poll on 4 Feb 2008.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1577511/Winston-Churchill-didnt-really-exist-say-teens.html
But I bet these folks are right up to speed on FaceTwit, and these same people get to vote.... over and over again.
Brian
Yeah, well it's probably the same over here with kids too.
I found that somewhat reassuring at first, that it wasn't just us (USA). However, I realized that it was just my nationalistic side being reassured. My logical side (not as large as I wished it would be) knew that wide spread stupidity isn't better than local stupidity.
Stupids, like assholes, are a standard percentage of the population, wherever you go.
We have just as many as a percentage of the population as you do, but because of Farcebook, Twatter, and other Social Moron-media the Stupids now have a global audience with which to share their Stupidity.
Do I worry that these people get to vote,.... yes.
Do I want to do anything about it,.... yes, I want to teach them to think for themselves, to research the facts and make up their own minds, but far too many of them just can't be bothered to do any of that and seem quite happy letting power hungry demagogues and vapid self-serving "Influencers" make their decisions for them.
Then later on, when the sh!t has hit the fan because of their lack of involvement, they will claim that they were duped and conned and that we can't blame them for it. A large part of the population of Germany did EXACTLY that in the 1930s, and they are still trying to crawl out from under that burden of guilt 90 years on.
Stupids, like assholes, are a standard percentage of the population, wherever you go.
<snip>
The same has happened with cable TV, which is yet another tentacle of the pipeline: it deteriorates to the lowest possible point until what used to be real bearers of information, such as The History Channel, no longer contains any real or useful information but garbage 'reality' shows not only do not contain any content but are not even 'real' but staged abortions.
Exactly, what used to be my favorite channel.... now crap. Which is exactly what happened to the "Learning Channel" and "Discovery Channel", both were excellent many years ago. Now they are full of reality crap. I am so pissed I have to pay over $100/mo to get what few shows left I watch. And they wonder why people are dropping cable left and right. I am sure the Science Channel is going to go the same way.... just waiting...
This is the wrong thread but just to add a thought to the above
I find myself watching a lot of YouTube lately, again due to content.