Are You Over-Committed?
Yes, you are an over-committed over-achiever.
How do I know with such certainty?
- The chances are very high that you are reading this on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s weekend instead of spending time doing all of the life-balance things you constantly promise yourself you will do (maybe in last year’s New Year’s resolution).
- You wouldn’t have continued past the title of this article if you weren’t at least a little bit over-committed, trending toward an over-achiever.
- Pretty much all of us are over-committed in this 24/7, hype-connected, information-addicted country we inhabit (having lived in other countries, I know that to a large degree, this is an American phenomenon).
We over-commit based on false assumptions: we think that saying “no” shows weakness or inability to pull our weight, or because we are flattered to be asked and honored to be validated. But the strongest, most successful people I know are masters of saying NO to the wrong projects/requests/responsibilities/people so that they can say YES AND DELIVER POSITIVE RESULTS in situations that move them in the right direction (as defined by them).
Opening Pandora’s Privacy Box
I am a huge fan and frequent user of Pandora, the internet radio station that plays songs based on learned music preferences (if you like the Avett Brothers, it knows you will probably also like Dave Matthews, etc.). Pandora is an overwhelmingly popular online radio network app for computers, smart phones and the iTouch. It provides listeners with an informed collection of songs and play-lists based on a comprehensive analysis of over 400 qualities of a song that make it specifically appealing to you. While the financial cost to users appears at first site to be nothing (if you don’t mind the occasional ad), the privacy cost can be exponentially high with Pandora selling your web-surfing habits to advertisers.
Pandora clearly states in its FAQ that they are sharing information such as your age and gender with advertisers.
“…the free version of Pandora is mostly supported by advertisements, and we want to be able to show the most relevant ads to our listeners… Since this means that you’re more likely to see an ad that’s relevant to you, we hope it’s a good thing for our listeners as well as for our advertisers, and therefore also for Pandora as a whole.”
Facebook Reveals the End of Privacy
The many changes that Facebook has been making recently have users nervous. Nervous because they are lacking the control that they once had over their privacy on the social networking site. While Facebook has never been the mecca of privacy, the recent and swift changes they are making has created more of an issue for users. One by one they are voicing there concerns with the new features and why they feel Facebook is slowly revealing the end of your privacy.
Here are a few of the new features – although they are snazzy – they have many users concerned.
User IDs. With only your email address on hand, data miners can easily match it with the new user ID that has been issued yo you. Basically, the ID provides your name and profile picture no matter how your privacy settings are set. This can also include your hometown, photos, friends, and more depending on how strict your settings are. This gives companies the ability to advertise to you. If you are a young female living in Austin, Texas, there are literally thousands of products that can be marketed to you just using that information alone.
Online Privacy Needs A Federal Office
According to a recent New York Times article, the government may be creating a department solely dedicated to strenghthening privacy policies within the United States and other countries. A recent report details why such a force is necessary. Although this new office would lack enforcement authority, they would work directly with the administration and necessary agencies to attack and solve privacy issues.
“America needs a robust privacy framework that preserves consumer trust in the evolving Internet economy while ensuring the Web remains a platform for innovation, jobs and economic growth,” the Secretary of the Commerce, Gary F. Locke, said in a statement. “Self-regulation without stronger enforcement is not enough. Consumers must trust the Internet in order for businesses to succeed online.”
The policy task force already suggested we make visible exactly what information is collected online through a “Privacy Bill of Rights.” Companies that collect this information will then have increased accountability and limits on what they can do with information collected.
The FTC would remain in charge of consumer privacy issues, but privacy concerns extend beyond borders and need to be handled with other countries. Information gathered from a 2009 study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau found that Internet advertising is responsible for approximately $300 billion of economic activity a year.
Financial Speaker Sileo Shares Story on Fox & Friends
Financial Speaker John Sileo Appears on Fox & Friends
John recently appeared on Fox & Friends to debunk myths about electronic pickpocketing. After the show, Fox host Steve Doocy asked John to stick around to talk about his personal experiences with identity theft, data breach and fraud. Having experienced these crimes first hand, John became a professional financial speaker with clients including the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Pfizer, Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Federal Trade Commission. To see John in action, visit his Financial Speaker page.
Internet Explorer 9 Privacy Feature Limits Tracking
Microsoft has announced that the latest version of Internet Explorer will offer users a new anti-tracking privacy feature. This will help prevent marketing and advertising companies from watching where you surf and what you do online without your consent. Users will be able to set their preferences to prohibit companies from obtaining sensitive tracking information. This is a first step in the right direction – browsers should step up as the first line of defense against unwanted information collection.
This comes at a time where advertisers want to reintroduce the use of deep packet inspection in order to more closely watch and market to consumers online. This method reads and analyzes raw packets of your personal data as they travel across the Internet – for obvious reasons deep packet inspection has been the subject of much controversy. Internet users are becoming more aware that what they do online is not private and are beginning to ask for tools to protect their browsers from spying.
Internet Explorer already offers InPrivate Filtering, a feature that works on blocking third-party scripting and tracking devices. This is only a temporary solution that is not very reliable because it often fails to block many tracking devices.
Sileo Deflates ePickPocketing Hype on Fox & Friends
John appeared on Fox & Friends this morning to set the facts straight about the real and perceived risks posed by Electronic PickPocketing.
It is true that Identity Thieves are able to steal your credit card information without even touching your wallet. The technology exists, is readily available and can be assembled for under $1,000. But that doesn’t necessarily make it an efficient means of stealing credit card numbers.
RFID, or radio-frequency identity technology was introduced to make paying for items faster and easier. All major credit cards that have this technology have a symbol (pictured below). It means that your card can communicate via electromagnetic waves to exchange data (your credit card number) between a terminal and a chip installed inside of your card (or passport). Thus, by getting within a few inches of your credit card, a thief is able to obtain your credit card number, expiration date and maybe your name.
So we have established that stealing credit card numbers this way is possible, but is it feasible?
The Electronic Pickpocketing video circulating around YouTube makes it look that way. But the reality is a bit different. First, take into account that the news story in the video was focused around a gentleman and a company that makes money by raising your fear about this type of theft. The gentleman they interview runs a company that makes shields for your credit cards and passports to stop electronic pickpocketing. I’m not saying that the products don’t work or aren’t somewhat valid; I’m saying that you have to take the context of the story into consideration before buying the hype.
Sileo on Fox & Friends Tomorrow – Electronic Pickpocketing
Join Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade as they interview John Sileo about electronic pickpocketing and the viral video that started the hype. Tune in Thursday, December 16th (time TBD) on Fox News (National, not local).
Sileo will discuss the true risks of electronic pickpocketing. Is RFID technology a huge threat to credit card holders? Is it something we should be worried about, or just a scare tactic to boost sales of card-protection products? Tune in to hear more!
John Sileo is the award-winning author of two identity theft prevention books, Stolen Lives and Privacy Means Profit (Wiley, August 2010) and America’s top Identity Theft Speaker. His clients include the Department of Defense, FTC, FDIC and Pfizer; his recent media appearances include 60 Minutes. Contact him on 800.258.8076.
Cyber-Bullying and Social Networking Identity Theft
With the meteoric rise in cyber-bullying, parents are desperate to find a way to shield their children. Unfortunately, most parents are far behind their child’s proficiency with technology. Many don’t text, aren’t on Facebook, and are oblivious to the many ways in which kids can taunt each other with technological ease. Although children may be quick and nimble with technology, they lack the maturity to understand its consequences.
A recent article in the New York Times on Digital Bullying (read the MSN version here) addressed these very issues and gave true and heart-wrenching accounts of how parents were left helpless at the hands of their children’s online bullies. “I’m not seeing signs that parents are getting more savvy with technology,” said Russell A. Sabella, former president of the American School Counselor Association. “They’re not taking the time and effort to educate themselves, and as a result, they’ve made it another responsibility for schools.”
Kids have a great deal of anonymity on the internet if they want it, and can easily impersonate another child or steal their identity. This modified form of identity theft (character theft, I tend to call it), allows the bully to hide behind his or her computer with no real consequences for what they are saying. A scathing remark made in passing by one child can haunt another child for the rest of their lives.
Electronic Pickpocketing Hype Banks on Your Fear!
Electronic Pickpocketing is Possible, but Over-Hyped.
There is a new wave of hi-tech identity theft that allows thieves to steal your credit card information using inexpensive technology to intercept credit card (and sometimes even passport) information without even touching your wallet. Watch the video to the left or read our Electronic Pickpocket post to learn the basics.
And make sure you pay attention to the fact that the person they are interviewing for the news piece in the video MAKES MONEY FROM YOUR FEAR OF ELECTRONIC PICKPOCKETING! The gentleman they interview runs a company that makes shields for your credit cards and passports to stop electronic pickpocketing. I’m not saying that the products don’t work or aren’t somewhat valid; I’m saying that you have to take this gentleman’s perspective into consideration before buying the hype. He benefits from your fear, so do a little more research before you go gettin’ all paranoid.
The amount of hype this old form of theft is receiving (yes, this has been possible for years, despite all of the attention it’s getting now) is a bit overblown. Here are just a few reasons why:
- The person being interviewed in the video benefits from your fear of electronic pickpocketing.
Sileo In the Media
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