You'll know you have it right when your computer shuts down. Reboot should fix it. (okay, i'm on self-ban for tonight for this)
Well... ummmm.... yes, by definition an online forum stores whatever you post. And if you send a PM, that is also stored too so it can be read - until you and the recipient delete it. And the site would also record your IP address when you post - that is also known. The guys running the site would have access to all of this info. Who exactly are you referring to as 'Big Brother'?
Degree in IT does not mean you're necessarily good on a computer. "IT" is about as specific as "Mechanic". Diesel Mechanic? Transmission Specialist? I'm a paranoid SOB but I am confident that intelligence in this country is leaps and bounds BEHIND that of the US. Yes the laws are there in place for them to be able to access this information, but it's not as simple as them logging in and reading the forum data through a back end (like they can on Facebook). That said, if you want to keep something private, keep it off of the internet. Common sense to most but some just don't get it.
It is interesting that I wondered about this same subject of 'Big Brother' yesterday and wrote a post on this forum. I wonder if Administrator can say if he is required by law to keep copies or backups of all forum content (including Private Messages) for any length of time? Whether required by law or not, does he do this? Greatest Big Brother weapon is IP address. Does administrator store IP address of each user? This is what Big Brother would want if he wanted to make trouble for any forum member.
Do every post has IP address stored with it? I would think not. Perhaps last login for each user has IP address recorded. Only Administrator know this for sure
The proposed legislation is that telcos would be required to store Meta data. What time the message was sent, from where and who to (where they are as well). The message content would not be stored. If this is the truth of it I wouldn't really care. The problem is I don't believe for a second they would not store content. Also, it's then a smaller step to the next intrusion and the next until we are all chipped like dogs.
@errol43, your encounter is interesting. If I could share two opinions though. Firstly, PC screen black outs can happen to perfectly good computers. They are usually caused by the graphics components, be it the driver or the video card itself. Computer parts are subject to heat and motion, which causes wear and tear over time. At times, it can be caused by a loss of power on the graphics card alone. Also, IT professionals are usually software-centric in nature and lacks the proper tools to diagnose computer hardware in nature. The really good hardware experts are usually those who worked in computer engineering and are more commonly known as computer engineers. They don't make things as lasting as they used to be now. But then again, in the beginning, you have to read a file from storage media multiple times hoping that one of the reads would be successful. In this regards, you probably have nothing to worry about unless there's third party Trojan monitoring your keystroke. Secondly, the bad news is, there exist more sophiscated and coordinated ways to monitor you than messing around with your screen. Technoligcal backdoors exists as old as technology itself. I remember one old article pointing to the c compiler saying that a back door was built into the compiler. People in the know could then gain access to your program no matter how you compile, instead of trying to infiltrate every program. And that was in the 60s/70s. Fast forward to today, our mobile phone is probably be a bigger privacy threat than computers. My 2 cents worth Revlisify
Consider the following: "backups" is irrelevant, this information is not stored in the backed up copy but the "live" copy. Without this the forum simply wouldn't have the data to display. The Administrator is not required to keep any backups (however would be crazy not to in case the host gets hacked/goes bankrupt/loses their hardware and doesn't backup themselves). IP addresses are indeed stored by most forum software (I imagine this one is no exception). It allows the admins to en-masse delete spam posts, get rid of trolls and so on. Keep in mind that your IP address is likely dynamic and not static. This means that it could potentially lead someone to your ISP but not you. Your ISP would need to join the dots between what IP and what user on which day/time to identify a username on a forum to a person. They would not likely do this without a big stick being waved at them. I know things have changed and I'm not up with current legislation, but half of the smaller ISPs out there don't log as much as they probably should - it's an additional overhead to maintain and they are barely making a profit as it is. I 100% agree with this statement. I am as vague as it gets while on my phone.
Your mobile phone is a personal tracking device any time it is turned on. Even without GPS, your approximate location can be determined by which cell you're connected to, such as which direction, and a "at least but not further than" distance. I was working on a project for Telstra about 12 years ago that used this concept to provide location-based services. Obviously phone technology has improved in the last decade. This forum is only a threat to your privacy if people post material that draws attention, such as how to avoid tax, posting pics of or talking about possessing counterfeit currency, or references to firearms if you're Australian. No doubt freeman/sovereign man type discussions will fall under this sort of attention one day too, they already do in the US.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWs5r_BcnLk I tried to embed this video but couldn't find the youtube button on SS as how it was explained by the admin I guess if I cannot say freeman there is no freepostage either
The reason I got spooked was the fact that the screen went black at the exact moment I finished typing a particular word. Regards Errol 43
A few days ago I ask if state agencies such as the tax office had the right to intercept internet/phone records in Australia to spy on its people and was told that they need a warrant to do such. This story tells a different truth. It seems like the state has created its own structure to issue "warrants" - effectively bypassing the judiciary. Perhaps I am too sensitive of such things because of my heritage, but this should make a big alarm to all Australians. Not very unlike Nazi regime in the 1930s. If you have worse police state than United States then all alarms should be going off! (18 times is a lot worse!!)
Not that I'm in any way supporting this, just weary of media sensationalism.. How many of those people were "spied upon" in order for them to be cleared for their work? ATO, Defence, AFP, etc..
