Online Archives - Blowing It

December 17, 2019January 2, 2020

Deep Fakes. Avoiding Blowing It #239.

Soon The Internet Will Be Fully Awash In Deep Fakes And Even Deeper Lies. That We Won’t Be Able To Believe Anything That Comes From It.

Imagine a day where you might be a world famous actor or actress having never acted a day in your life. You might just cheaply sell your likeness to a production company that makes hit after hit with a computer generated model of you. You never make it to the big screen but deep fakes of you might. That is the direction we may be heading in.

We Should Copyright Our Image Now.

Soon we may have to copyright our own image as to require others to pay for the right to use it in any capacity. That means if a social media site wants to use your image for financial gain. Which is exactly what they do currently, with all the images we post for them. They would be than be required to pay you for that right. If you had a copyright of your personal image. I’m surprised we’re not there already.

We should be able to copyright ourselves. That way no one could ever use it without permission and or paying us. How is a face public domain? No photographer should have the right to take images of you without that permission and a cut of whatever they make on your face or body. Seems only natural to me.

Lyft Driver

Just recently a Lyft driver in a very unsuccessful attempt to be kind to a sick passenger in his car. Explaining that he and his wife just got over a cold themselves and they find essential oils useful to clear up nasal congestion. He offered her a napkin with peppermint oil.

Now anyone within five feet of that napkin could deduce that strong scent is peppermint. Yet this passenger assumed she was about to be drugged or something. And instead of giving the driver the benefit of the doubt and handing it back saying no thank you. She decided to blast his image all over social media claiming no one should ever except a ride from him, that he is a creep.

She should never be able to use this man’s image, let alone drag his name through the mud without a proper investigation. It’s slander and she may have taken away this man’s livelihood in the process. If you feel threatened, get the cops involved. Don’t simply try to ruin someone because you have followers. Either way it’s high time we take back control of our work, our image, our life and our bodies. No one else has the right to them.

August 7, 2019August 10, 2019

The Scam App #210

If An App Cost Money, Don’t Buy It. It Could Be A Scam App. You Can Always Get Something Similar Or Better For Free.

A report came out that the Apple app store was home to nearly 2000 scam apps. These are apps that promise one thing for a monetary fee and deliver nothing in return. The company selling a finger print heart rate monitor that was selling for $85 US dollars. And had earned over $400,000 dollars in one month.

This is incredible, both the lucrative nature of the scam and that people would pay such an atrocious amount for something you could check yourself for free. Or they could buy a working heart rate monitor for a quarter of the cost probably even less off amazon or their local sporting goods store. That’s only one example of a scam. There are so many more that you can find alternative solutions too. Rather than purchasing.

Apple Scam App Detection.

How do these apps slip past the watchful eye that is hired to detect such illicit activities? They apparently submit legit looking code to the app store. Than insert the corruption upon entry. Sad thing is the app store themselves do make a cut off these illegitimate application.

What’s 30% of 400k?

A pretty nice money haul for any company. That’s what Apple earns off one of the millions of apps out there. Hard to shut it down until there is enough uproar. On top of that these companies that build the scam operate through out the world making it near impossible to prosecute or seek retribution. So really this falls to Apple to make right with customers and banish the scams before they even begin.

What Can We Do To Prevent This?

All in all apps are predominantly free. You do not need to purchase any. If you absolutely love an applications service and they offer in app purchases, go for it. That is if you feel so inclined to upgrade a service you already trust. But don’t simply buy an app without doing your due diligence. Researching the cost to it’s actual value and looking for alternatives. Also if reviews are filled with broken English you know they are fake reviews. Just be conscientious when spending money on a unknown resource.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read our post. If you like what you read, or even if you don’t, we would love to hear from you. Please join our email list here. Or if you want to comment on this article, or write your own in our Forum. Please sign in here and if you are new to the site you can register here. This website is not intended to be a blog. We want it to be a place to help others grow and learn from mistakes and the Forum is where that begins. Please tell us your stories.

July 2, 2019July 17, 2019

Making False Reviews Online #203.

A Woman In Australia Was Ordered To Pay $370,000 Plus Legal Fees To A Plastic Surgeon. She Made False Claims About in a Google Review.

Be sure to get your story straight when writing reviews, or it could cost you. Although this seems like a fair outcome from spreading false information about a business and costing that company clients. It does set a scary precedence for freedom of speech in Australia. Liberty is consistently being challenged all over the world. To think something as innocuous as an online review could have such ramifications. It’ll make you think twice before you go and drag someones name through the mud. And rightfully so.

Where Is The Line Drawn?

What I’m curious about is what if this woman didn’t make false claims but gave a negative review out of her own personal biases and it still cost this business money. Would she still be protected at that point? I would like to believe so, because that’s happening all over the internet. Reviews are endless, Amazon, Google, Yelp. Yelp is strictly reviews, so can every business in Australia start suing everyone for defamation that gave them a bad yelp review? Reviews keep industries honest. Take that away and bad business wins.

So where is the line drawn when it comes to defamation? And what is the media to do to protect themselves against these lawsuits? Write a disclaimer for every story that the claims in the article could be wrong? Seems like a logical albeit problematic approach. At that point, you really wouldn’t know what is true and what is false but it sounds like laws are forcing that hand. But to be on the safe side just review honestly.

Disclaimer For My Reviews.

Disclaimer: all articles on this website are the expressed written opinions of the writer and his printed biases and not every article is always 100 percent factual although he tries his best to be accurate. Please be sure to do further research on anything you read here or in the media. There’s my hopefully unnecessary disclaimer.

June 19, 2019July 17, 2019

When Bad Movies Break Records, That Doesn’t Mean You Have a Success. It Means You Have a Content Failure #196.

Bad Movies Are Breaking Viewership Records On Netflix.

Recently Netflix released another gem from Adam Sandler. Sometimes the man can hit his movies out of the ball park and sometimes its just another strike out. I do have the utmost respect for the man. He keeps creating and we keep buying. He is a very talented doer and has stayed relevant for nearly 30 years.

However this newest Sandler installment staring himself along side Jennifer Aniston might be one of those strike outs. The story line is way over the top and grossly reaching for humor. The movie is called “Murder Mystery” and to me its no mystery why this movie is breaking records on Netflix.

Have We Ran Short On Things To Watch?

People have simply ran out of quality programs to watch on the platform. That when something as bad as “Murder Mystery” comes out, almost all Netflix subscribers will waste the two hours to watch it for the sure fact that the rest of Netflix content isn’t good enough to detour our television watching escapism to that of superior programming.

Changes To Be Made.

It’s not all on Netflix either, we the viewing public will devour a great show in the matter of days with binge watching marathons. And once we’re finished we’re left with the hangover of longing for what’s next. Maybe what Netflix could do is release just four episodes of a new show right of the bat, because that’s roughly how long it takes to really get into a new show. Than go old school and release a new episode once a week for the next 6 to 10 episode. It would keep people coming back and excited for the next release. Also it would delay gratification which is a lesson we could all use a little more of in this age of instant everything.

Lessons From The Sandman.

It’s a lesson for all of us, follow in Adams footsteps, be a creator, you will find an audience. Also watch less television, I could adhere to this better myself. Lastly if you are in search, find better content, and if you can’t maybe spend that time that you would waste on bad movies more wisely.

August 10, 2018July 2, 2019

Body Dysmorphia (Blowing It Scenario #133)

Fixating So Intently On Perceived Flaws Throughout Your Body, Is Truly A Losing Battle.

Body dysmorphia is a mental illness that involves an obsessive focus on perceived flaws in ones appearance. Many throughout the years have developed these complexes through advertisement within media. This one has fuller lips, a bigger butt, better breast, prettier eyes, more pronounced check bones, tighter skin, more chiseled abs. The list goes on and on. Fixate on any one of these things and you can send yourself down a rabbit hole of reduced body image to the point where you’re body shamming of yourself as well as others. And when you do that it perpetuates this ceaseless self inflicted harm. Harm that you could control just by accepting yourself as well as others in all our forms. When you create an environment of acceptance, all perceptions blend to create a wholesome view of the world around you. Perception is simply what you make of it. You no longer envy what others have, you are uniquely you, and they are uniquely themselves and it’s a beautiful thing. Life itself is the gift. The grass may sometimes seem greener on the other side. But value your lot higher before assessing others. You might be missing tremendous unseen worth.

Recently a story came out that more and more people were experiencing this phenomenon of body dysmorphia. It came by way of Snapchat filters that can distort your image to look like what one might perceive as better or more attractive. Like they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So individuals are getting plastic surgery in the attempt to look more like their computer generated images. It’s almost like walking into a hall of mirrors and choosing the image that best fits. Completely neglecting the authenticity of their, perfect the way it is, image. Apps are now destroying self image with the click of a button and people are buying into the lie. Don’t fall into this trap. Nor any other form of media that tells you need to be anything other than who you are. If you are easily influenced and tend to succumb to such pressures of image, avoid these sites all together. Trust me you will be far happier when you’re not worrying about what others may think of you or carrying the load of a distorted view of yourself. Instead let it go. Be happy in your skin.

It’s healthy to want to improve but there are limits to all things, moderation is key. Do it naturally do it organically and don’t base it off false perceptions of yourself and or others. Lastly as a disclaimer, those who truly have issues they need to repair on their body. This does not pertain to you. Fix what needs fixing. It’s the superficial flaws I discuss here.

April 24, 2018June 1, 2018

Blowing It Scenario #82-Too Much Screen Time.

The Belief That Interacting With a Screen Is The Same As Interacting With An Individual.

Now I’m sure most of us don’t assume this to be true, but it is how we treat most of our lives. Screens have become our intermediary to the world. From texting on our phone to social media to email. We are not having conversations with other people we are having conversations with ourselves which are directed at another and facilitated through a third party. In most cases this is our computer, phone, or tablet. As I’m writing this I’m not having a conversation with you, it’s a conversation with myself that I hope you eventually read and respond to. I’d prefer to have this conversation in person but this has a much farther reaching potential. And that is why we use this third party we call a computer.

It is what drew us to the siren song of computers and the internet in the first place. The ability to interact with millions if not billions of individuals all around the world with just some text, video, or audio, all at your finger tips with just the click of a button. We are losing our ability to communicate with others without having our intermediary devices. Our computers, phones and tablets have become our side kick, wing man, and crutch. Many now freeze up and cower at the first sign that they will have to talk in person with another individual. It’s no surprise so many claim to have social anxiety. We literally reinforce that belief with every single text or email we send. We are saying we would much rather interact through this device then have to talk person to person.

Often its the most convenient form of communication. You can send an email and the receiver can check it at their earliest convenience. But hopefully you are using it as the tool it is. And you working towards obtaining future communication in person or at the very least over the phone. Because that is what these devices were meant to be. Simply a tool to advance society and share information. Not to aggrandize our vanity or flock to our hovel only to hide behind our screen to denigrate others. It’s tool intended to better humanity, we must use it for that purpose, all else is just complicating our lives.

Further more a concern we should keep an eye on, is chat bots are becoming more and more advanced by the day. Soon you may not ever be chatting to another human on the the other end. We won’t even have to communicate with another if we don’t want to. The days of asking a friend, parent or loved one an answer to a question are already fast becoming obsolete. Why ask when you have Google, Siri, and Alexa? I’m not saying it’s all bad but like with anything that can become addictive, practicing moderation is paramount in order to not fall into the abyss. When it’s sheer terror to you to have to interact with another, it’s time to put down the device and practice relationship skills again. Oh and while your at it, call your mom more too.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read our post. If you like what you read, or even if you don’t, we would love to hear from you. Please join our email list here. Or if you want to comment on this article, or write your own in our Forum. Please sign in here and if you are new to the site you can register here. This website is not intended to be a blog. We want it to be a place to help others grow and learn from mistakes and the Forum is where that begins. Please tell us your stories.

March 22, 2018June 1, 2018

Blowing It Scenario #54-The Con That Allows Full Access To Our Personal Lives.

Why Must We Scarfice Our Intimate Moments For The Right To Use Websites.

I get personal data is somehow as good as gold these days. Sure it may be free to use your favorite app or website but what is the true cost? I’m not sure any study has been made or can be made.

Silently individuals are being destroyed left and right all because a website here or simple app there. All designed to make our lives easier or happier and more well connected. Yet they slowly drive a wedge that pushes us further apart. And while that wedge is being consistently hammered home. Our personal and most initmate details about ourselves are slowly being collected and sold off to the highest bidder or stolen from the best hackers. And we could care less. Why? Because we’re so distracted by these products they created for us. So much so that it’s even difficult to manufacture unifed dissent against it.

We’ll be upset for maybe a day sometimes we can keep the fire for a week. We’ll get on board with the latest hashtag promoting our new found dissonance. Then in a week’s time a new article will come out touting our frustration with you name it. And we’ll turn our attention towards that. Completely disregarding our last crusade to change the world. I know because I write about the new found problems everyday. They will simply fade out favor in due time. And in a distracted world that tends to happen at break neck speeds.

They hurt us more often then not and we often don’t even see it coming most of that time. Loss of credit, loss of insurance, loss of money, loss of loved one’s. This stuff has immense power over us and we casually allow it too. At least now we are becoming more aware of it and can make better consious choices. That doesn’t change the fact that a lot of it is still very addicting. It’s a play right out of the drug dealers handbook. Give the first one away for free and they’ll be hooked for life.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read our post. If you like what you read, or even if you don’t, we would love to hear from you. Please join our email list here. Or if you want to comment on this article, or write your own in our Forum. Please sign in here and if you are new to the site you can register here. This website is not intended to be a blog. We want it to be a place to help others grow and learn from mistakes and the Forum is where that begins. Please tell us your stories.

January 23, 2018April 24, 2018

Blowing It Scenario #5-Netflix

Netflix Created A Market, Now That Market Is Over Saturated.

There was a time I absolutely loved my Netflix membership. Movies and shows on demand. We should be so lucky. We are spoiled in every since of the word with technology. As the years wore on and new players came into the market. Netflix managed to create a much worse market, where cable is now a mini mortgage payment and every competitor has it’s own on demand service.

Now if you want to watch Game of Thrones or Westworld you need to pay for HBO. If you want to watch The Man In The High Castle you need to buy Amazon Prime. If you want sports there’s an app for that, not to mention each sport is broken down in to it’s own network. So on and so forth in to the endless sea of on demand monthly payments. Netflix was once the all encompassing service, or as close to it as any one service got to it. And it still is some what.

However, Netflix is slowly turning away from the outsider shows and movies from other networks, and building the platform in their own vision of what they feel their viewers want. I can’t tell you how many countless hours I have wasted in search of something somewhat decent to watch. Only to find myself wasting even more countless hours on some crappy B-movie that Netflix presented, that was apparently 5 stars. In the past I could at least waste my time happily, with hilarious sitcoms that I don’t have to put my full attention into. But those are dropping like flies too. I’ve already lost It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Bob’s Burgers, and Family Guy is slipping away as well. And what do we get as replacements? Bo Jack Horsemen, or Orange Is The New Black? A show that already jumped the shark 3 seasons ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I still use the service and they still put out some great movies and shows. I know they’re trying to please the masses and make a dollar at the same time. However we’re about 2 show cancellations away from only using Hulu. Not that they are a perfect service either. I may just have to embrace an endless revolving door of cancelling one service each month, and subscribing to another. Or just quit T.V. altogether. That would probably be the best move for all of us.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read our post. If you like what you read, or even if you don’t, we would love to hear from. Please join our email list here. Or if you want to comment on this article, or write your own in our Forum. Please sign in here and if you are new to the site you can register here.