Comment on What everyone gets wrong about the 2015 Ashley Madison scandal
vk6flab@lemmy.radio 4 months ago
The business model to require paid credits in order to interact with bots is in my opinion a thing of sheer bastardry.
Apparently, this is how it works: (*)
Women were on the site for free, men were required to pay for and use credits in order to interact with women.
It appears that there weren’t anywhere near the numbers of women claimed by the company. Instead bots would communicate with men, using their credits in the process.
(*) I say works, because apparently the company still exists today and I’m not aware if they ever admitted to using bots, let alone discontinuing their use. The Netflix series goes into detail, which is where I got this understanding from.
Disclaimer: I’m not a customer, have never been one and my comments are based on a single source as described above.
victorz@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Completely off-topic: I really enjoy the way you express yourself. Do you write a lot? Your text is just very easily consumable, yet not dumbed-down.
vk6flab@lemmy.radio 4 months ago
Thank you for your kind words.
I have been writing for most of my life. You can for example read (a copy of) the Alt.Best.Of.Internet FAQ I wrote in 1994. [1]
[1] www.itmaze.com.au/articles/aboi-faq
I tend to write how I speak and attempt to create enough context so a casual reader on the topic can come away with something whilst still discussing the complexity for someone more versed in the subject.
I have written articles about identity theft, authentication over the phone, as well as other technology issues relevant to the public at large. [2]
[3] github.com/ITmaze/articles
I also write a weekly article about the hobby of amateur radio and have done so for over 13 years. It’s published as an audio podcast, with email, video and Morse code versions. [4]
[4] podcasts.vk6flab.com
As for the suggestion of a TED talk, I’ve considered it, but haven’t found a topic worthy of the platform.
As a radio amateur I publish using my callsign, VK6FLAB, as an IT professional, it’s under my company, ITmaze.
Some other articles:
Broken@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
Wow, I haven’t heard that in long time.
vk6flab@lemmy.radio 4 months ago
I re-read it and loved the: “Always fasten your seatbelt on the Information Highway”, but I’m fairly certain that Malinda McColl wrote it (as part of the mini FAQ on which I expanded with her blessing).
TheBat@lemmy.world 4 months ago
The elders🙇♂️
vk6flab@lemmy.radio 4 months ago
Hey, I resemble that remark!
felixwhynot@lemmy.world 4 months ago
73 🙂
pirat@lemmy.world 4 months ago
🛜5️⃣9️⃣9️⃣ and 7️⃣3️⃣ to both of you!
No callsign though… (yet?)
pirat@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Any chance of a SSTV version? 😂
vk6flab@lemmy.radio 4 months ago
As it happens it’s already on my radar.
That said, I’m not convinced that the YouTube video version is worthy of being transmitted on SDTV, given that it’s a waterfall display of the audio.
JoeyHarrington@lemmy.ca 4 months ago
I’d totally watch their Ted Talk
vk6flab@lemmy.radio 4 months ago
That’s very kind.
You can hear my voice any time. [1]
[1] podcasts.vk6flab.com
That said, I have stood on stage many times and if I could come up with a topic worthy of the TED talk platform I’d be game.
Blu@sopuli.xyz 4 months ago
So, as someone who has used the Internet since its very earliest days, what would you say about what the Internet is like today versus back then? Was it better? Worse? Any major online events that you can recall from that period?
I grew up at the very tail end of the old forums and certainly after the decline and death of old school chat rooms. Most of them died or went inactive while I was in high school/college. The version of the internet older adults used is almost alien to me.
Hell, today’s Internet is on its way to being alien too.