Chapter 8 – Our Electronic Crystal Balls

There are certainly some gifted individuals today who gaze into crystals and see images. I have never had this ability, so I can only counsel caution from a standpoint of practical wisdom. However, for the masses of us who use the internet for our communication and gathering of information, I can speak from extensive experience. The internet gives the average person access to more knowledge than anyone has ever had in previous generations. This includes life-saving medical information, sound financial investment principles, home repair instructions and professional data useful for anyone’s career development. In a fashion, it makes wizards of all who dare to use it. The dangers, though, run the gamut from trivial to deadly.

The most subtle danger is that of bias. The artificial intelligence algorithms that run through the internet were programmed by marketing professionals who seek to profit by selling goods and services online. These run through social media platforms and advertising pop-ups. They started out as programs designed to place ads in front of the viewer based on previous buying or browsing history. If you buy a clothespin online, you will likely see ads popping up with clothespins of all sizes and colors in your drop-down ads…until you buy something else! These programs have broadened out and become more sophisticated as time went on. I see this on my phone. When I sweep the main menu to the right, I see links to news reports and various articles. I can scroll down and see maybe a couple dozen. As I scroll, it is obvious that these stories are not picked at random. They are all related thematically to stories I have surfed and read online in the past. The internet is not only giving me the ads I want to see, it is also giving me the “news” I want to see. At first glance that sounds convenient and efficient. However, what this means for society is that our individual spheres of perception, our unwelts, to use the old term, are shrinking over time. We are seeing more and more of what we want to see, and as a result, an increasingly factious society is taking hold with various groups having less common ground as time goes on. Divisions are becoming more pronounced. This is material for a different chapter, but the danger to you and I, as users of the internet, is that we perceive less and less of all that is being said, of all that is going on. We have the illusion of gaining more knowledge, but that knowledge is becoming increasingly skewed. Getting out of this trap will involve either recourse to more objective sources of data, such as print or television news, or else deliberate internet surfing that runs counter to our inclinations. As a last resort, we might consider actually talking to one another again! Subjects such as religion and politics, which have been taboo in mixed company, might to well to make a civilized and genteel comeback. Referring back to balance and moderation, it is not recommended that one’s computer time eclipses social interaction and friendship. Your “crystal ball” can be as addictive as a drug!

Misinformation, whether due to error or deception, is also a real danger when using the Internet to gain knowledge. Be wary of any representations made by websites which are selling goods or services. Promises of cures for erectile dysfunction, baldness, diabetes, dry skin, obesity, old age and the inability to fly are usually hoaxes designed to bleed the unwary for money. More dangerous are the herbal remedies sold online, some of which can interact with prescription medications in a harmful way. I am able to say this because I have done a bit of research into herbs and use some of them myself. Educated use of herbs can have many beneficial results. Before you make a purchase, do your homework, which, thankfully, is made easy by internet access. Furthermore, I have found that it is riskier buying online from foreign companies than from domestic ones. If they don’t bother sending you what you purchased, you’ll have a hard time suing them!

Sadly, I have found that political misinformation is just as abundant online as the sales variety. I need not take sides in a debate to see that websites abound with “proofs” of the truth of this side and that side and they can’t both be true! It is a source of distress to myself and to all those with devotion to order. Even if there were no outright lies to avoid, it is a grief to see the polarization of thought in my society, probably in all societies. Mature citizenry ought to be able respectfully engage in dialogue and genially concede valid points made from “across the aisle.” I pray that my fellow devotees of order share my eagerness to act as a mediating element when political or philosophical debate turns to hostility and pettiness. Also, I implore you not to limit your own viewing to sites that already agree with you. Take some time to read the views of someone you disagree with. Back in the seventies we spoke of “mind-expanding drugs.” A safe and healthy way to expand your mind is to expose yourself to a range of ideas. He whose vision is broadest sees farthest.

Another danger of cell phones and internet involves the traps and snares set by scammers and identity thieves. It’s not much use sticking with a budget and saving money over time just to have internet bandits steal your nest egg. You’ll find most of these servants of evil are sending you emails, although they occasionally give you the courtesy of a call or text instead. In many cases, their goal is to obtain credit card information from you. Many of these ruses are laughably obvious, although others have been so professional looking that I have been on the verge of clicking before I decided to get external confirmation first, and was glad I did. One of the more devious strategies is when the culprit hacks an email account, or copies a social media account, and you are led to believe that a friend is sending you a request, or a link to something cool they found. Always be suspicious when a “friend” sends you a link in a message with no personal content. Give your friend a call and verify it with them before you click, download or respond directly.

Another noteworthy ploy is the use of special characters in place of certain letters. For example, I received an email with the text “Your ?ccount h?s been blocked?!” Note the use of the Greek letter alpha instead of the lower case a. Email spam filters will look for keywords commonly used in pfishing (e.g., those who “fish” for your personal data) or spam emails and the word “account” is one of them. In this case, substituting a special character will bypass the filter. Anyone sending you a legitimate message will have no need of playing this sort of game.

A few rules of thumb will help you minimize the risk you face from scammers and phishers. First, whenever you receive an email from an unknown source, look carefully at the sender’s email address. An email that looks like it is coming from the government, or a service provider of yours, but is being sent from “joeblow at email.com” is clearly a fake.  Secondly, is the email message reasonable? If you get a message “We have unclaimed assets that belong to you!” don’t buy it. The State doesn’t go to the trouble of hunting down owners of unclaimed assets. If you think you might have some, go to the State’s website yourself and surf to the appropriate webpage for information. Third, before you click on ANY link sent to you via email, even from a friend, leave the message and go investigate. If the source appears to be from a government office or business you know, call them up (don’t use the number in the email) and verify it. If the source is from a friend with a message like “Wow! Look what I’ve found!” Call them as well. Don’t just click.

While you’re at it, Don’t just click.

Did I forget to say? Don’t just click.

Another common attack you may receive through electronic medium is a virus delivered via a possessed (i.e., infected) website. Simply viewing such a website may result in a download of a virus. A common attack I have seen involves a type of pop-up window which will say something like “YOUR PC HAS BEEN INFECTED WITH A DESTRUCTIVE VIRUS. CALL US AT 1-800-EAT-SHLT SO WE CAN REPAIR YOUR DEVICE!” You will discover that you cannot close the window. In some cases, there is a virus and they just want you to pay them for removing a problem they gave you in the first place. In other cases, there is no virus, they just want you to call so you can grant them access to your computer. Then, they will download any personal information you have stored, remove the pop-up and then charge you a fee for your trouble. Very often, all you actually have to do is turn off your computer and reboot,[1] and the pop-up will no longer be there. In the nasty case that this does not work, run your device over to a computer repair store. You’ll have to pay for the debugging but at least they will not steal your identity.

A very different form of online theft consists of those who create fictitious charities or simply get on their knees and beg for money. I have been friended by strangers on social media who quickly tell me stories of tragedy which has recently struck their families and their poor mothers cannot afford pain medications or life-saving surgery for their three-year-old daughters. In some cases, they were just unable to get food or clean water for their children. Then they sent me pictures of starving children or wretched adults and begged me to send money. I usually responded by asking what town or city they lived in, then I surfed online to find local charities where they could find help. After that, I wished them well and sent them on their way. The utterly tragic thing about this is that there is some fraction of these unfortunate beggars that are actually telling the truth! The preponderance of liars makes it harder for these people to find help rather than easier.

As wicked as these perpetrators are, they pale in comparison with the truly vile “sirens” of the world. These are the predators who entice and lure people, both children and adults, via social media into deceptive relationships. Their end game involves abuse, rape or a parasitic relationship that takes without giving. A proper defense against these demons includes not believing what strangers say online, not meeting in private places until you build a proper level of trust, and keeping a very close eye on your kids!

This chapter is a decent summation of common internet threats as of the time of this writing. Newer and more devilish dangers will no doubt have been created since then. Always be wary, always be skeptical, and may you never surf upon treacherous waters!