Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems

Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems - www.kevindayhoff.com Address: PO Box 124, Westminster MD 21158 410-259-6403 kevindayhoff@gmail.com Runner, writer, artist, fire & police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist & artist: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, technology, music, culture, opera... National & International politics www.kevindayhoff.net For community: www.kevindayhoff.org For art, technology, writing, & travel: www.kevindayhoff.com

Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Facebook is now offering journalists the same tools as celebrities – or maybe not.


Facebook is now offering journalists the same tools as celebrities – or maybe not.

September 15, 2015 Kevin E. Dayhoff

On September 10, 2015, I was intrigued to read, “Facebook is now offering journalists the same tools as celebrities” by Benjamin Mullin, on Poynter.

The article began, “Pop quiz: What do Kim Kardashian and Bob Woodward have in common?

“If that question were posed Wednesday, the answer might be that both had written books — one about selfies, the other about presidential self-destruction. But as of today, Kardashian and Woodward have something else in common: both have access to the same suite of exclusive social media tools, privileges that have also been extended to thousands of other journalists.

“Earlier today, Facebook announced it was allowing journalists and others with verified profiles to use Mentions, an app originally intended to empower celebrities to manage their social personas. After Mentions launched in 2014, news outlets dutifully chronicled the list of actors, musicians and professional athletes that flocked to the app, then dubbed a “VIP only” service.

“Now, journalists and public figure whose profiles have been verified by Facebook — as indicated by a little blue check mark — will have access to Mentions. Using the app, they can monitor Facebook chatter about various topics and hold question-and-answer sessions from their phones…”


I immediately took the time to process a Facebook request for be verified as a journalist.

All the while, I kept thinking about the Franz Kafka 1925 classic dystopian fiction, “The Trial.”  

My request was immediately denied… This by media that recognized folks such as Kim Kardashian as an accomplished “authentic public figure,” that meets “Facebook's standards for notability…”

Meanwhile I had posted the Poynter article on my Facebook page… To which a journalist friend, Steven R Berryman, on Facebook remarked, “Yeah right Kevin like where are we going to find any journalists anyway?”

To which I responded, “LOL, Steve, apparently Facebook agrees with you and denied my request for verification as a journalist. ‘On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 3:10 PM ... Hi Kevin,

‘Thanks for your request. We've reviewed this account and found that it's not eligible for verification at this time.

‘While the profile or Page may represent an authentic public figure, brand, business or organization, verification is also based on Facebook's standards for notability. We hope you continue to connect with and grow your audience on Facebook...’”

To which I responded to Facebook, a faceless existential entity often confused with the enigmatic prosecutorial entity in “The Trial.”

"Hi, Thanks for your response to my request for verification as a journalist. Thank you for your time.

“I sent in my request for verification in response to an article I found in Poynter, ‘Facebook is now offering journalists the same tools as celebrities,’ by Benjamin Mullin, Published Sep. 10, 2015 12:59 pm.


“The article left me with the impression that ‘Facebook's standards for notability,’ now included writing for a major newspaper. Of course, my critics may not feel that I am a journalist and that the Baltimore Sun is not a major newspaper, but I have in fact written for the newspaper for 12 years.

“I would like to qualify for a verified account, so that I and other "journalists may decide to use Facebook as another avenue for reporting and engagement, thereby solidifying the social network’s place as an arbiter of news."
Please advise. Thanks for your time.”

I never heard back from Facebook. No word if the flogger will appear at a later date… now that I have been rendered a first judgement…

Then as failure piled on to failure, I had tried to leave a comment on Poynter and failed… If I had been successful in posting my comment, this is, in part, is what I wanted to say…. I have since added to it, since I did not need to be concerned with brevity…

Days later, I went back to the Poynter article just to confirm as to whether or not I really did read the article or if it was a manifestation of my over-active imagination – and if I had read the article correctly.

I was amused to see a comment, “And this is a good thing?”

At that point, I did notice that my comment was finally published…

Anyway, my elaborated response reads:

Mr. Benjamin Mullin,

Thank you for this article. As a result of your article, I visited the page for Facebook.com/about/mentions and saw that in order to get the “Mentions” app, I needed to be verified on Facebook as a public figure. I immediately applied for a verified account with Facebook, along with a jpg of my government-issued identification card and a link to 12-years of articles in a major U.S. newspaper - - and was promptly denied.

The threshold of my amazement has been moved once again.

Have you applied to be verified as a journalist by Facebook?

Although I have navigated the internet and computers for decades; with Facebook I find myself occasionally adrift in a sea of ever-changing byzantine rules of which I simply lack the sophisticated and intercultural competence to navigate.

I was excited to read your article for many reasons. Time and space do not allow me to elaborate. However, I have worked at my journalism skills all my life. I take great pride in my profession. Yet, I sometimes bristle at whom Facebook has deemed to be worthy of its “standards for notability.”

Let’s just say that I was amazed to find the names Kim Kardashian and Bob Woodward in the same sentence in the context with a discussion about Facebook “allowing journalists and others with verified profiles to use Mentions, an app originally intended to empower celebrities to manage their social personas. After Mentions launched in 2014, news outlets dutifully chronicled the list of actors, musicians and professional athletes that flocked to the app, then dubbed a ‘VIP only’ service.”

The fact that, to date, Mr. Woodward is not considered “public figure” and Ms. Kardashian is – can be fuel for much discussion. Let’s just say that I was happy that the profession of journalism was getting some recognition.

To be certain, I’m not sure that I am looking at Facebook for indemnification for what I have done with my life. I am not always the most confident writer …. And of course, my critics may not feel that I am a journalist and the paper for which I write is not a major newspaper, but I have in fact written for the newspaper for 12 years…

I guess that I was simply excited about “the latest overture from Facebook to the world of media, and [that] it signals that the social media giant is looking to strengthen its position as a destination for news….” I am always looking for new outlets and keep hoping Facebook will grow to be something more than a vehicle for rants or what to have for dinner.

Sometimes the greatest hoax in life is the hope for safety

J.K.'s last words were, "Like a dog!" Just saying
*****

++++++++++++



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Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art www.kevindayhoff.com: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, music, culture, opera... Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem. “Deadline U.S.A.” 1952. Ed Hutcheson: “That's the press, baby. The press! And there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing!” - See more at: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/#sthash.4HNLwtfd.dpuf

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Facebook rethinks the fate of your posts after you die | PCWorld

Facebook rethinks the fate of your posts after you die | PCWorld: "

By Zach Miners @zachminers Feb 21, 2014  

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2100400/facebook-rethinks-what-happens-to-your-posts-after-you-die.html#tk.nl_today

What will happen to your Facebook account when you die? Facebook has been giving it some thought, and it’s come up with what it hopes is a better way to deal with a sensitive issue.
When a Facebook user dies, the person’s mourners can ask Facebook to memorialize the account. Until now, if an account was memorialized its visibility was restricted to friends only.
“This meant that people could no longer see the account or any of its content unless they were Facebook friends with the person who passed away,” Facebook said in a post explaining the changes.
But starting Friday, memorialized accounts will be left as they are, so that posts are visible to whomever the user intended.
'via Blog this'


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Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff

Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/ “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

Thursday, February 06, 2014

Facebook marks 10th birthday with personalized 'Look Back' videos

Facebook marks 10th birthday with personalized 'Look Back' videos
By Salvador Rodriguez February 4, 2014, 1:24 p.m.


Facebook turned 10 Tuesday, and it's letting users get in on its birthday celebration with a new feature that creates personalized videos highlighting users' top content over the years.

The feature is called "Look Back" and can be accessed when users go to facebook.com/lookback. That link takes users to a video created from their history on the social network.

The personal movie starts by recounting when users joined with one of their first profile pictures. It continues by showing users their "first moments," meaning some of their popular early posts, followed by their most liked posts, including pictures and status updates. From there, the video shows users' popular pictures they have shared over the years.


The videos are a bit cheesy, but it's an enjoyable bit of nostalgia that's only one minute long. Facebook also allows users to share their videos by clicking on a "Share Your Movie" button located at the top right corner of the page.




  • What's in Facebook's new app name? For rival iPad app Paper, a lotWhat's in Facebook's new app name? For rival iPad app Paper, a lot
  • Boom! Facebook #winning on mobile lifts stock to record highBoom! Facebook #winning on mobile lifts stock to record high
  • Facebook's 10th birthday: Zuckerberg reflects, looks to futureFacebook's 10th birthday: Zuckerberg reflects, looks to future


  • +++++++++++++++++++++
    Sorry, Today Isn't Facebook's 10th 'Birthday'

    The Huffington Post | by Dino Grandoni



    Exactly 10 years ago today, Mark Zuckerberg opened thefacebook.com to every student at Harvard. Today, the $150 billion Internet company that the little campus website would become commemorates that moment as its birthday. But that doesn't mean you have to.

    Facebook pumped a lot of energy into the timing of its Feb. 4, 10th anniversary, including the release of a new iOS app and a rare interview with CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The PR effort paid off. "Paper," which converts News Feeds into an iPhone-sized magazine, was well received, while Zuckerberg came off as affable and was able to erase some of his bratty image in his talk with Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

    But like any website -- or, really, like any big, complicated project that people undertake -- Facebook was not "born" on a specific day.

     Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/
    Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff
    Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/ “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

    Saturday, April 10, 2010

    Recent work on Investigative Voice by Kevin Dayhoff

    The wheelchair has been located. After I complete my current assignment, I'll do an update..

    Investigative Voice


    For the folks looking for an update on this case; there isn't much happening at the moment. However, there will be more news soon.

    investigativevoice.com
    By Kevin Dayhoff Maryland State Police brought Anthony T. Soligny, of New Windsor in Carroll County, back to Maryland yesterday to face allegations that he allegedly attacked his wife with a hammer on March 2. ...

    Investigative Voice

    investigativevoice.com
    Alleged to have assaulting his wife with hammer. Thursday, 04 March 2010 By Kevin Dayhoff A Carroll County man who is alleged to have beat his wife with a hammer is behind bars today after being quickly apprehended while on the run in Georgia. ...
    Kevin Earl Dayhoff

    Kevin Earl Dayhoff

    In this photo:
    Investigative Voice Feb 24 Baltimore crime panelists included (left to right): Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Ed Norris, Retired Homicide Detective Irving Bradley, NAACP Baltimore City President Marvin L. 'Doc' Cheatham, Baltimore City Paper Reporter Anna Ditkoff,... and Union Square Community Activist Chris Taylor, and former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. Photomontage By Kevin Dayhoff February 24, 2010 [20100224 IVAnnivPrtyPanelcomp sm] Investigative Voice Feb 24 Baltimore crime panelists included http://tinyurl.com/ye6kkc4 http://twitpic.com/15lc5c http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/415008229/investigative-voice-feb-24-baltimore-crime http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/416032763/investigative-voice-feb-24-baltimore-crime
    See More
    February 27 at 6:49pm · View album
    Kevin Earl Dayhoff

    Kevin Earl Dayhoff

    In this photo:
    Investigative Voice co-founder Stephen Janis questions the panel about the role of the media with respect to crime in Baltimore City at an event last Wednesday night hosted by the new media news website. Photo by Kevin Dayhoff February 24, 2010. [20100224 IVAnnivPrty (...12)c smJanis] Investigative Voice SJanis qs panel re media role w respect 2 crime n Baltimore http://tinyurl.com/ye6kkc4 http://twitpic.com/15kzi5 http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/414945556/investigative-voice-co-founder-stephen-janis
    See More
    February 27 at 6:46pm · View album
    Kevin Earl Dayhoff

    Kevin Earl Dayhoff

    In this photo:
    http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/02/investigative-voice-celebrated-birthday.html “An evening with Investigative Voice” Collage by Kevin Dayhoff February 24, 2010 [20100224 IV party collage 2sm] Investigative Voice celebrated a birthday Wed night By Kevin Dayhoff ...Feb 25, 2010 http://tinyurl.com/ye6kkc4 #art http://twitpic.com/15hxtx http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/416112944/an-evening-with-investigative-voice-collage-by
    See More
    February 27 at 5:04pm · View album
    Kevin Earl Dayhoff

    Kevin Earl Dayhoff

    In this photo:
    February 27 at 4:00pm · View album
    Investigative Voice
    kevindayhoff.blogspot.com
    February 26 at 6:10pm · · · Share

    *****

    Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

    Monday, October 12, 2009

    Recent The Tentacle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

    Recent http://www.thetentacle.com/ columns by Kevin Dayhoff

    October 7, 2009
    Always Remembered, Never Forgotten
    Kevin E. Dayhoff
    Last Sunday, friends and family from all over the country gathered at the New Windsor fire company social hall to pay their last respects to Guy Babylon, Elton John’s keyboardist for 21 years. Guy Babylon, 52, died at his Los Angles home on September 2.

    September 30, 2009
    Revealing Ike
    Kevin E. Dayhoff
    Of all the presidents of the United States, the one which Frederick and Carroll Counties may have literally the closest connection is President Dwight David Eisenhower, known affectionaly as “Ike.”

    September 23, 2009
    Big Media Missing the Point
    Kevin E. Dayhoff
    Everyone who bickers about the size of the crowd in Washington on September 12, or what network covered it and what media did not cover it, or whether the protest was the work of conservatives or un-American racists is sorely missing the significance of the entire event.

    September 16, 2009
    Enough Already…
    Kevin E. Dayhoff
    In the last week, we have witnessed a full-court press by President Barack Obama, in his efforts to push forward broad sweeping health care reform. He’s everywhere. He’s everywhere…

    September 9, 2009
    Two Plus Two Equals Five
    Kevin E. Dayhoff
    By now we have all had an opportunity to either read or watch President Barack Obama’s national address to our schoolchildren that aired yesterday at high noon.

    September 2, 2009
    The Perils of Facebook
    Kevin E. Dayhoff
    For better or worse, new social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are here to stay – that is, until something new comes along – like, tomorrow.

    Kevin E. Dayhoff
    Biography
    *****
    *****
    Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
    My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

    Friday, September 18, 2009

    Kanye West speaks


    Kanye West speaks

    September 16, 2009

    This Facebook page is pretty good, and I’m gonna let you see it, but Clifford G. Cumber has one of the best Facebook pages of all time!


    Monday, August 10, 2009

    How to lose your job on Facebook

    How to lose your job on Facebook

    August 10, 2009

    Simply amazing! For a larger image click here: http://twitpic.com/dendz

    How to lose your job on Facebook Hat Tip: “London Interesting” http://twitter.com/LDN Be careful what you post on Facebook http://bit.ly/COt9X (via @dudleywild) Find it here on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/topgold/3807697268/

    20090810 How to lose your job on Facebook
    http://twitpic.com/dendz How to lose your job on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/mlqmv3 Full http://tinyurl.com/npk4ot

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/topgold/3807697268/

    http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-lose-your-job-on-facebook.html

    *****



    Monday, April 27, 2009

    Could more changes be in store for Facebook?


    Report: Facebook to open up to developers by Steven Musil April 26, 2009

    Facebook plans to announce at a developer event Monday that it will open up user-contributed information to third-party developers, according to a
    report Sunday in The Wall Street Journal.

    […]

    The move seems a continuation of APIs (application programming interfaces) Facebook
    launched in February that let developers access content and methods for sharing in Facebook apps including Status, Notes, Links, and Video.

    Of course, all this hinges on persuading Facebook's 200 million users to share their personal data, a topic that ruffled some feathers in February. Facebook users threatened to revolt after the company
    announced changes to its terms of service

    […]

    But facing a rebellion from thousands of users and a
    possible federal complaint from the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the social-networking service returned to its previous terms.

    Read the entire piece here: Report: Facebook to open up to developers by Steven Musil April 26, 2009

    20090426 Report Facebook to open up to developers by Steven Musil

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10227816-93.html

    Steven Musil is the night news editor at CNET News. Before joining CNET News in 2000, Steven spent 10 years at various Bay Area newspapers. E-mail Steven.

    Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
    Kevin Dayhoff Art:
    http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
    Kevin Dayhoff Westminster:
    http://www.westgov.net/
    Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)


    Saturday, February 07, 2009

    What Career Service Office Advisors Should be Telling Law Students About Social Media [Part 1/2]

    What Career Service Office Advisors Should be Telling Law Students About Social Media [Part 1/2]

    Feb 5th, 2009 | By Josh Camson | Category: Facebook, Lead Article, LinkedIn, Twitter

    If you're new here, and interested in using social media in the legal profession, you may want to subscribe to the RSS feed or follow me on Twitter @Rex7. Thank you for visiting SocialMediaLawStudent.com.

    A friend of mine attends a top 20 law school. At the beginning of his first year this past fall, his Career Services Office (CSO) told the entire 1L class that if they wanted to be employable, they should remove themselves from social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. That way, potential employers will not come across any damning information about the student.

    To me, and I’m guessing to anyone who reads this website, that advice sounds well-intentioned but bad. We are well into the 21st century. Law students and CSOs alike need to realize that the internet is a tremendous tool at every law student’s disposal. It is true that like any tool, if the operator is not careful, there can be dangerous accidents. However, law students should be utilizing the internet in their job search and networking efforts to show others that they are a more rounded individual, and a better applicant. Law students should no longer cower in fear, worried that a potential employer will see the drunk shenanigans they got up to last weekend. Instead, they should use the internet, and social networking in particular, as a tool to aid them in their efforts.

    This pair of posts will look at the three largest social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn. I will show you how to keep (or start!) using these services while protecting the information intended only for your friends from getting into the hands of a potential employer.


    Read more: What Career Service Office Advisors Should be Telling Law Students About Social Media [Part 1/2] | Social Media Law Student

    http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/79962.html
    Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

    Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

    Friday, December 05, 2008

    CNET News: Koobface virus hits Facebook


    CNET News: Koobface virus hits Facebook by Robert Vamosi December 4, 2008

    Top: “Cyborg Stare” Dec. 5, 2008 Kevin Dayhoff

    Photo credit: A new mass-mailing virus targeting Facebook users directs victims to a site asking to download a Trojan masked as an Adobe Flash update. (Credit: McAfee Avert Labs) Actually this is a cropped version of the McAfee Avert Labs photo. I have the same image in my main computer, that is not available at the moment as I am still working on restoring all my data files and operating system after the “Facebook Koobface” virus infected my system in the early morning hours of December 4, 2008.

    This message could lead you to the Koobface virus, say security experts.
    (Credit: McAfee Avert Labs)


    This is another good article that explains how the “Facebook Koobface” virus works…

    A worm responsible for sending Facebook users malicious code appears to be limited in nature, although the social engineering attack may be used again, say experts.

    Facebook representative Barry Schnitt said the worm isn't new; it dates back to
    August, although the variant that first appeared on Wednesday targets only Facebook users.

    Craig Schmugar, threat researcher for McAfee Avert Labs, confirmed this in a call with CNET News and said that, in general, Koobface strikes only social-networking sites.

    After receiving a message in their Facebook in-box announcing, "You look funny in this new video" or something similar, recipients are then invited to click on a provided link. Once on the video site, a message says an update of Flash is needed before the video can be displayed. The viewer is prompted to open a file called flash_player.exe.

    Schmugar said the prompt for a new player should be a warning. "The messages you tend to get from these sites don't look quite right." For instance, IE will tell you where the update is coming from, and usually it's not an Adobe site.


    However, the message “a message says an update of Flash is needed before the video can be displayed,” is effective as many Microsoft users are aware that Microsoft and Adobe do not get along and that appears that Microsoft inhibits using Adobe products in Windows operating systems.

    Many technology users maintain a hope that Microsoft will eventually stop attempting to inhibit Adobe products and we are always looking forward to “an update of flash” that will finally run easily in a Microsoft environment…

    Another underreported dynamic is that the virus just breezed by Microsoft’s vaunted security update program. This program has been the source of much aggravation for heavy users; and now when the situation presents, that is why we put up with the obnoxious pesky persistent updates – it fails to work.

    So the questions easily rises to the surface – why participate in the Microsoft update program?

    If the viewer approves the Flash installation, Koobface attempts to download a program called tinyproxy.exe. This loads a proxy server called Security Accounts Manager (SamSs) the next time the computer boots up. Koobface then listens to traffic on TCP port 9090 and proxies all outgoing HTTP traffic. For example, a search performed on Google, Yahoo, MSN, or Live.com may be hijacked to other, lesser-known search sites.

    Schmugar said this version of Koobface includes a bot-like component that could install other malicious apps at a later time.


    […]

    Meanwhile, many articles repeat, “Facebook has posted instructions on how to remove the infection.” No it doesn’t. The information posted on the Facebook security page is so deficient and underwhelming, one could easily mistake it for humor.

    According to a December 4, 2008 Reuters article, “Social network MySpace, owned by News Corp, was hit by a version of Koobface in August and used security technology to eradicate it, according to a company spokeswoman. The virus has not cropped up since then, she said.

    If “MySpace” can protect its users, then why can’t Facebook?

    […]

    Read the entire article here: Koobface virus hits Facebook

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10113981-83.html


    20081204 Koobface virus hits Facebook

    I have a sad face today after being attacked by the Facebook Koobface virus


    I have a sad face today after being attacked by the Facebook Koobface virus

    Thursday, December 4, 2008

    Related: Reuters: Destructive Koobface virus turns up on Facebook By Jim Finkle Thu Dec 4, 2008

    I’m working on a backup computer because I have fallen victim to the “Facebook virus” that is making the rounds as it is described here – and in a Reuters’ article:

    […] “McAfee warned in a blog entry on Wednesday that its researchers had discovered that Koobface was making the rounds on Facebook…

    “Facebook's 120 million users are being targeted by a virus dubbed "Koobface" that uses the social network's messaging system to infect PCs, then tries to gather sensitive information such as credit card numbers.

    “It is the latest attack by hackers increasingly looking to prey on users of social networking sites…

    “Koobface spreads by sending notes to friends of someone whose PC has been infected. The messages, with subject headers like, ‘You look just awesome in this new movie,’ direct recipients to a website where they are asked to download what it claims is an update of Adobe Systems Inc's Flash player.

    “…users tend to be far less suspicious of messages they receive in the network. ‘People tend to let their guard down. They think you've got to log in with an account, so there is no way that worms and other viruses could infect them,’ Boyd said.”

    Another excellent post about this may be found on the Schipul Blog: Facebook Users Attacked by Trojan Virus November 7th, 2008

    Over 24 hours later, and after considerable work, the virus has been removed; however it irreparable damaged the operating system, in spite of the highly touted Microsoft security update system...

    Fortunately I have backups. However, in spite of an excellent backup system, I temporarily have no access to any of my data, research, notes, preliminary drafts of future columns, writing or art files, because of the thoroughly destructiveness and ingenuousness of this particular attack and how complicated it has been to restore my data and operating systems.

    Fortunately my next column is not due until tomorrow and only missed some relatively minor deadlines today, for which, everyone is being very supportive and understanding.

    Of course, it is not Facebook’s fault that it was attacked by a virus, with perhaps one pause for thought, as mentioned in the article: “Social network MySpace, owned by News Corp, was hit by a version of Koobface in August and used security technology to eradicate it, according to a company spokeswoman. The virus has not cropped up since then, she said.”

    I’m an intense internet and technology user and for twenty years I have safely avoided a serious attack. Although in hindsight I understand how and why I make such a stupid mistake.

    Nonetheless, the Reuters article points out that “McAfee has not yet identified the perpetrators behind Koobface, who are improving the malicious software behind the virus in a bid to outsmart security at Facebook and MySpace.

    "The people behind it are updating it, refining it, adding new functionalities," said McAfee's Schmugar.”


    Over 24 hours later and a lost day of work, I will have to re-evaluate using Facebook. I have to consider that since Facebook is not a component of how I make a living, and that statistically, Facebook users will remain a target of the hackers, I may have to err on the side of avoiding exposing myself to this phenomena in the future.

    Between the spam, the phishing, and the hackers, it would appear that the criminals in the internet world are making considerable inroads in eroding the benefits that internet technology can provide to our everyday quality of life.

    The ratio of spam to real emails on one of my email accounts is currently 50 to 1. It is not fun worrying about every other click of the mouse…

    I wish that somehow, there was some hope that solutions are being developed to combat the criminal element on the internet, however, the technicians I spoke with today, seemed just as pessimistic as I feel at the moment.

    20081204 A sad face over the Facebook Koobface virus.

    Kevin Dayhoff Westgov.Net: Westminster Maryland Online