social media privacy | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Since WordPress no longer allows me to ‘press’ a post and therefore schedule into this 6pm slot without converting to the new block editor, I have resurrected by reblog heading. It is not going to stop me sharing the good stuff!

We are under surveillance, not just in the outside world but in our own homes… Debby Gies shares some scary examples and some simple steps to increase your privacy.

Scary Alexa – Digital Footprints – All eyes on us by D.G. Kaye

Lord knows with the amount of time I spend on the computer, I’m enabling my digital footprints to stretch far and beyond. We’re caught in a web of our personal lives, living somewhere in the digital library of bits and pieces of everyone, somewhere. We are losing that ability to remain anonymous as digitalization progresses. Privacy is quickly becoming obsolete in today’s digital world.

Do you ever think about the fact that anytime we go out in public we are susceptible to being videoed and/or recorded? Anyone, anywhere can take our picture and use it however they deem. Nary a public place is without a camera for their ‘security’ purposes, but nonetheless, we’re recorded. Personally, I feel there’s wayyyyyy too much information for strangers to have access to and then to do what they please with it. I don’t like it!

Maybe we’re just getting too complacent and don’t pay enough attention to it anymore, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. There is nowhere safe anymore it seems. And this isn’t just about once we step into the outside world, but we invite the same into our own homes – some unknowingly and others quite willingly. Just think about all the digital gadgets we all have in our homes. From computers with webcams and microphones to our phones tracking our every move, and Smart TVs – there are potentially eyes on us if we don’t remain cognizant about smart digital use such as turning off mics and covering up webcams when not in use.

And as if we don’t have enough technological spyware following us, enter Alexa. I refuse to have one in my home. I feel there’s enough ‘big brother’ going on in our personal lives and I’m doing my best to keep from being spied on as best I can in the cyberworld, but let’s face it, if we work on computers daily, the best we can do is help minimize the invasions. All these digital methods come with way too much convenience in exchange for our digital footprints being sold to third parties to be shared, often exploited, and lord knows who else, so they can follow us around on our digital apparatus and flash advertising at us.

Head over to read the post in full and check your own susceptibility to an invasion of privacy: D.G. Kaye – How Many Eyes Watching Us..

About D.G.Kaye

If you are a regular visitor you will have met Debby before as a contributor writing The Travel Column for two years and now The Realm of Relationships 2020. Debby also co-hosts the Laughter Lines twice a week.

Debby Gies is a Canadian nonfiction/memoir author who writes under the pen name of D.G. Kaye. She was born, raised, and resides in Toronto, Canada. Kaye writes about her life experiences, matters of the heart and women’s issues.

D.G. writes to inspire others. Her writing encompasses stories taken from events she encountered in her own life, and she shares the lessons taken from them. Her sunny outlook on life developed from learning to overcome challenges in her life, and finding the upside from those situations, while practicing gratitude for all the positives.

When Kaye isn’t writing intimate memoirs, she brings her natural sense of humor into her other works. She loves to laugh and self- medicate with a daily dose of humor.
I love to tell stories that have lessons in them, and hope to empower others by sharing my own experiences. I write raw and honest about my own experiences, hoping through my writing, that others can relate and find that there is always a choice to move from a negative space, and look for the positive.

Quotes:
“Live Laugh Love . . . And Don’t Forget to Breathe!”

“For every kindness, there should be kindness in return. Wouldn’t that just make the world right?”

When I’m not writing, I’m reading or quite possibly looking after some mundane thing in life. It’s also possible I may be on a secret getaway trip, as that is my passion—traveling.

Books by D.G. Kaye

One of the recent reviews for P.S. I Forgive You on Goodreads

Jul 29, 2020 M.J. Mallon rated it Five Stars it was amazing

This is a very personal account of the author’s experiences of coping and coming to terms with the emotions experienced after the death of a narcissistic mother. D. G Kaye’s mother is herself a product of the terrible parenting she experienced as a child. My own mother struggled with many heartbreaking problems as she grew up. She overcame these and was and continues to be a wonderfully caring mother. I have a deep, unbreakable bond with her which I also have with my daughters.

As I continued to read further into this memoir I kept on comparing our circumstances. How sad and damaging such an uncaring, selfish parent is to her children. How can a mother behave in such a way? P.S. I Forgive You is an important read for all of us. This memoir is about letting go, releasing the emotional turmoil which begun in childhood.

It is a compelling read. It courageously deals with the extremes of family relationships. Relationships are complex and difficult even in what I would deem to be ‘normal’ families. There are many who struggle to understand or relate to their son or daughter, sister, brother, wife or husband.

But this memoir takes those problems to a whole new level that no one should have to experience. After such a damaging upbringing, D. G. Kaye has suffered but has learnt to forgive. She lives a happy, fulfilled life. That is a wonderful testament to her strength of character and her can do attitude.

I’d recommend this memoir to us all whatever our circumstances

D. G. Kaye – Buy: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Blog: D.G. Writes – Goodreads:D.G. Kaye on Goodreads – Twitter: @pokercubster – Facebook: Debby Gies

Thanks for dropping by Sally.

I trot this post our once a year as a reminder that you are being watched… even when you are not in front of your computer screen. It is not only thieves and vagabonds you need to worry about who might have designs on your empty house, but also trying to claim on your health insurance for some unfortunate mishap that took place while you were having fun in the sun.

If your social media is plastered with you indulging in risky behaviour you may be hearing he words (non,no,nein,niet) from your insurance provider.

Depending where you go at home or abroad, it can be expensive, especially at peak times, but there are also other costs to take into account resulting from our online exposure.

We have all read the stories in the press of teenagers planning a get together whilst parents are away for the night and five thousand turn up on the doorstep and then trash the house.. Every parent’s nightmare.. Yet we adults also have to be careful about what we post on Facebook that might invite unwanted guests into our home. We also have to be savvy about what we post while we are away, as this too might end up costing you thousands.

Apart from swearing children to secrecy about their much anticipated two weeks away from August 1st to all their friends. (I am not suggesting for a minute that they might harbour criminal intent), we also need to guard against announcing our time away online to our ‘friends’ on Facebook and other media. I am always clear when I am going away that there is someone in the house, electrified fencing and a python loose in the garden!

As we head towards the summer holidays and millions of us board planes and ships to travel around the world, the first thing that we want to do is share our wonderful experiences. With the world-wide web you can post your images to Facebook and other sites every day as you relax on your tropical lanai and watch the sun go down. Clearly this is not Northampton……

First and foremost of course is the little matter of telling the world that you are on holiday and that your house is more than likely empty except for all your worldly possessions. Not only that, in your ‘farewell and be back in touch in two weeks’ final message to all your ‘friends’ on social media you have also given potential thieves the time scales so that they can schedule you in to their calendar.

These days you only have to pay a small amount to a site that provides addresses such as 192.com or even the online telephone directory to track your house down and then criminals have all they need to go on their own little spree.

Your home insurer will (say no ten times before finally giving in) check your social media, and if they discover that you have announced to everyone that you are going to be leaving your house vacant for the dates in question, they are likely to deny any claim you might make.

Secondly, travel and medical insurance is a large expense today and the natural inclination is to get the basic and hope for the best. With ski holidays you have to be fairly specific about your risk factors which is understandable, but what about your lovely two weeks in the sun where you might lose your luggage or your wallet but not your health or even life.

We have all had that moment when that last cocktail has provided the courage to sky-dive, para-glide, wind surf, scuba dive, swim with dolphins or sharks, jump off the highboard or any other activity that we thought we would never attempt….After all we are only young once and life is for living!

And you can be sure that if you have a pre-existing condition that this will be taken into consideration when your claim is assessed. And if you have thrown yourself out of a plane and have a history of angina which results in an episode requiring medical treatment, you will find yourself paying the cost of it.

The insurance company will also be checking your Facebook and Instagram and those photographs of you enjoying a few cocktails by the pool with your family and friends and they may be used against you.

Recently in the headlines, couples and families who have claimed that they were unable to enjoy their holiday due to stomach upsets caused by the food in the hotel or the bar, have been caught out.. Photographs of them clearing the all you can eat buffet and enjoying para-gliding everyday on their holiday told the true story. This proves that your every move is being monitored and that parting an insurance company or holiday firm from their profits is not so easy these days. The minority who try to buck the system turn us all into perceived criminals unfortunately.

This does not just apply to family holiday but is particularly important if you have teenagers heading off on holiday with a bunch of friends. They are far more likely to post photographs of everything that they do on holiday and not just on Facebook but across the board. They are at greater risk of doing themselves harm and also of having problems with their insurance.

So, if you are going on holiday, do not tell the world on Facebook or on any other blog or social media site, unless it is absolutely clear that you have left people in charge in your absence. Post your holiday photographs when you return safe and sound and no longer have need of your medical insurance and then you can share that amazing moment you threw yourself out of a plane at 15,000 feet.

Some signs that your house may be targeted

On the note of housebreaking. Apart from giving prior notice of your absence on social media for any reason,be careful of putting death and funeral notices in the paper.

If you live in the house you may find yourself getting late night or early morning calls that are hang-ups. Someone is trying to find out if after a bereavement the house is empty and vulnerable. Also check outside for anything out of place in the front garden or any strange marks on garden walls, gates or even on the walls of the house, probably in chalk. These are signs left to indicate that the house is empty. My advice is to leave someone at the house during a funeral and after a bereavement for a couple of weeks at least. The same applies when you are on holiday.

When we had Sam we had a wonderful house/pet sitter and if we are both away at the same time she would come and live in looking after him and the house. You may find that a family member would love a bit of a break themselves and move in for your time away and it saves a fortune if you have pets rather than put them in kennels.

Here are a couple of sites you might find useful. Established sitters come with references and in some cases are bonded. Many are people who have retired and want to see the world will cover their travel expenses and in most cases do not charge as they are happy not to pay accommodation costs.

http://www.mindmyhouse.com/ and https://www.petsit.com/

The key is to be safe on holiday and make sure that all your activities are covered by your insurance.. Look at the small print and only post your party shots and sky dives when you get home safely!

Thanks for dropping in….