Ahira's Hangar

You know, a couple of years ago my Scotch/Irish temper would have send me over the edge if something like this happened, but, oddly enough I'm OK with this, I'm highly disturbed but I'm OK. I will recommend this, however: if you're on facebook you should highly consider whether you want to delete your account or not. I just noticed this with my beloved Ranyhyn image in my sig at Kevin's Watch gone. Well, two days ago I got a compliment on facebook for uploading 96 photos new photos to photobucket and then I saw that this had happened twice. I never uploaded anything. Just now I went to photobucket and found that all my photos and images were gone. Looking at all the author forums here I wasn't surprised that all the banners I re-posted since the move from EZBoard were gone as well--only to be replaced by the word: Image.

It happened at the same time the reported immanent break between Zynga and facebook and the hush-hush meeting of facebook officials occurred that on one hand said it was setting up strict security v. hackers that sought out our personal info to sell to 3rd parties (like advertisers and who the hell (cough *CIA?*whatever)) else, and they may have sold us out anyway. It's all highly disturbing, it's my own conspiracy theory that the "powers that be" don't want intelligent people questioning the BP oil disaster that's actively killing our planet. On one hand I don't think my photobucket hack is connected to that-probably just a wanked hacker who could prove he could do something like that before facebook could trace him or it instituted it security reforms-if it happened to a buch of facebook users I wouldn't be surprised. If the hacker(s) were funded by the "power that be" or big oil then I wouldn't be surprised either, but why bother to destroy fantasy/sci=images and photos...it really makes no real sense. In any case they followed me through facebook to photobucket and took me out.

You probably know my feeling towards My Space and facebook is not really shaping up much better, but like the horrid spam infiltration of Obama's original website and proposed legislation to disseminate internet information to entities like corporations I can't help but be suspicious. You heard me mention Zynga before-Zynga's cool but kinda like crack with it's Farmville and Mafia Wars games. I love mafia Wars, in fact the fantasy series I'm reading right now (up to the 8th book in Burst's Vlad Taltos' series) almost parallels Mafia Wars it a hell of a lot of fun reading and playing MW at the same time. I'm not worried about the Hangar, but I am worried about the intrusion of our information on facebook. I've always used a fictional name on the computer, be it fantasy football, KW, here or whatever. I am worried that our lines of free-speech may be starting to be compromised.

Why, well when on facebook when I post stuff form groups such as Credo or MoveOn.org that support, relatively, truthful reports about what's going on in the world and the US government, for that matter...this not only goes out to your walls but to close to 3000 of my MW 'friends' and of course they can relay it to all their 3000+ friend or whatever. As I said on my crazed, slightly drunk post on facebook last night I worry that when the proverbial excretion hits the fan as it has for the evil BP & friends they may work to actively shut down as many means of free-speech and "truth" as possible. I'm disturbed, but not too worried, that this may be happening. Internet savvy people are known for finding alternative means of communicating, and gods forbid we fall back on using forgotten means of communication, such as the US Postal system, well then they'd have to shut that down too...riots in the streets would, probably ensue--but that would probably just go along with the biblical versions of Armageddon that originates with a horrible black beast (oil) arising up from the sea.

I'm really not trying to scare anyone or sound looney, just vent my concerns (instead of anger) and looking for possible solutions. I'm starting to ask Nature and God(s? or lack of) what is the right path I need to follow--I'm very mellow now (the calm before the storm?). Storms are probably part of the greed disease and a trap I should no longer allow myself fall into, I'm sure the 'powers' would love me to fly into a rage...your thoughts?

(oh crap--now my avatar is gone too...)

That sucks. Pesonally, I don't do FaceBook.

I think I've got copies of the EZ board banners btw.

Take it easy, and, as I've just said to somebody else, try not to take Grilli too seriously. That way lies madness.

--A

Thanks for the words of comfort. Everything aside there probably really is a hacker screwing up photobucket accounts through facebook, Cagliostro is on facebook and I noticed that his famous 'girls' sig disappeared about the same time as mine. Coincidence? (hum...my Avartar is back? interesting better check the Watch and photobucket again to make sure it wasn't some major glitch with them and that this was all over nothing...)

OH crap...everything's back, just a major photobucket freakout....never mind...

All's well that ends well. But no more mixing booze and conspiracy theories, okay?

Actually, I have been getting pretty paranoid about Facebook myself. Haven't used it in a week or so. They seem to be constantly changing the privacy settings, with the new defaults always making you less and less private.

Glad to hear it. Yeah, I keep in touch with the people I want to mostly. Everybody else, I don't wanna have to talk too. Besides, between here and the Watch my online time is plenty.

--A