Women Hifi owners...

[Pigmy Pony]

Well, we're up to page 14 of this "women hifi owners thread, and not a single woman has posted. Probably because their too busy enjoying their hifis. Or maybe they're just not fans of Citizen Smith

There was another thread recently which 'evolved' in much the same way, using the same words (smartphones, insidious, controlling, brainwashing), and I asked a question along the lines of "What are we supposed to do with this 'information', or is it enough to be aware that it exists? (Sorry Mike, if my quotation marks are all over the shop). I don't think the question was answered.

I would be genuinely interested to know what I should be doing to keep myself and my money safe. To facilitate this, here's a bit of self-profiling:

I have a smartphone a refurbished iPhone 5, bought for £60 from Amazon, used with a £13 a month sim-only contract. No one has tried to persuade me that my phone is cack and needs upgrading. I use the Sat Nav, BBC Weather, and sometimes the alarm to get me out of bed. Oh and I take the occasional photo.

I buy stuff off Amazon sometimes (or rather Mrs. P does it for me. Using the laptop.

I've bought a few Makita power tools recently, on the recommendations of workmates. Perhaps it's a conspiracy to brainwash me, but more likely it's because they're good tools

Don't read newspapers, and Sky Plus my way through TV adverts.

My total personal debt is £620, which is the last 4 repayments for my van. And I'm overdrawn about £300 on one of my accounts.

SHOULD I BE WORRIED?

Should we be doing something, or is it enough just to be aware? Or should I be spreading the word to 3 others, bit like pyramid selling?

[Macca]

Really Martin, I don’t think I should need to answer this, web site control and information management, basically propaganda and restricting free speech.

Okay, I was wondering if they had some other angle on it that I didn't know about and hadn't thought of.

[Pigmy Pony]

But surely they always have done? From the Rolling Stones 'Get Off My Cloud' (1965):

'Well I'm watching my TV when a man comes on who tells me
How white my shirts could be
But he can't be a man cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarettes as me'.

That's how advertising has to work: 'product A is better than product B, thus if you use product A you are a better person than those who use product B'. What I don't quite grasp is how advertising iPhones is any different from advertising any other product. Clearly if you have no interest in any sort of smartphone you will be immune from such advertising, but you are deluding yourself if you think that you are immune to all advertising unless you live in a shack in the back of beyond, grow your own food and weave your own clothes.

Smart-arse alert! (sorry Joe)

Think that song was "(I can't get no) Satisfaction".

[Joe]

Smart-arse alert! (sorry Joe)

Think that song was "(I can't get no) Satisfaction".

Indeed. I wondered why it didn't show up on the lyrics for 'Get Off My Cloud'. That song had the bit about 'my kind of detergent pack'.

[Pharos]

It is important regarding adverts to, as Mac OS 9.1 and earlier, have an input filter with which to remove stuff you know is trying to 'push your buttons'.

When watching TV, and the noxious ads, see if you actually buy any of the advertised items, I seem to buy none.

Lastly my law, arrived at some years ago and derived from; "Possession is nine tenths of the law",
"Self possession is nine tenths of achievement." Be self possessed.

[Mikeandvan]

Sorry; posted mine before coming across yours, which does indeed paint the picture. However, I think you're being somewhat benevolent in their portrayal as 'Blairites'. It is, as you say, reminiscent of student activism or just 'chip on the shoulder' politics. However, I'm gregarious in any good company regardless and it IS a very good audio forum, after all; not a political platform. (Marco, pls delete if inappropriate to the spirit of forum decorum).

Yeh its a good audio forum, but the off topic room is hardcore, as soon as dissenting views are aired they are jumped on viscously! You should have seen the furore over Boris' 'Humbug' comment in parliament, dark mutterings about the onset of fascism! I call them the PFM fainting ladies.

[AJSki2fly]

SHOULD I BE WORRIED?

Should we be doing something, or is it enough just to be aware? Or should I be spreading the word to 3 others, bit like pyramid selling?

It sounds like your exposure to advertising, internet and social media is limited and at a nice controlled level.so hopefully you are getting minimal spam emails, and just ignore any stupid adverts that happen to pop up. So in answer no you don’t need to worry, but maybe you should persuade you children/ grand children, if you are so blessed, to show similar restraint.

By the way this morning I got an email offering me free trial of a drug to help with nerve pain related to peripheral neuropathy, how anyone knows I have this issue is beyond me. But I suspect somewhere in the digital ether there is an email or comment relating to me and my medical problems, or other medical issues and associated the two. Alternatively it was probably an age related spam email trying to get access to my personal info. Quite insidious and worrying IMO.

So remember be aware and be cautious about what you say and do on the WWW on any platform.

[Pigmy Pony]

It sounds like your exposure to advertising, internet and social media is limited and at a nice controlled level.so hopefully you are getting minimal spam emails, and just ignore any stupid adverts that happen to pop up. So in answer no you don’t need to worry, but maybe you should persuade you children/ grand children, if you are so blessed, to show similar restraint.

By the way this morning I got an email offering me free trial of a drug to help with nerve pain related to peripheral neuropathy, how anyone knows I have this issue is beyond me. But I suspect somewhere in the digital ether there is an email or comment relating to me and my medical problems, or other medical issues and associated the two. Alternatively it was probably an age related spam email trying to get access to my personal info. Quite insidious and worrying IMO.

So remember be aware and be cautious about what you say and do on the WWW on any platform.

The worrying thing is the possibility that your (confidential) medical records can be accessed. I'm not saying that the drug companies themselves can directly gain access, but may be willing to pay an unscrupulous third party for such information, and as with a lot of things online, accountability is thin on the ground. And from what I can see, no one seems to be trying very hard to deal with this.

[AJSki2fly]

The worrying thing is the possibility that your (confidential) medical records can be accessed. I'm not saying that the drug companies themselves can directly gain access, but may be willing to pay an unscrupulous third party for such information, and as with a lot of things online, accountability is thin on the ground. And from what I can see, no one seems to be trying very hard to deal with this.

It’s probably not that, more likely that an unencrypted email sent by some one with my name on or in it with some comment about my medical conditions. So that could be from anyone, medical or non-medical, a relative. Possibly some remark on some social media, like Whatsapp, Facebook or similar, then it gets picked up and associated and bingo you get some email or advertising your way. This what I and Marco are highlighting plus other stuff.

[Marco]

Yeh its a good audio forum, but the off topic room is hardcore, as soon as dissenting views are aired they are jumped on viscously! You should have seen the furore over Boris' 'Humbug' comment in parliament, dark mutterings about the onset of fascism! I call them the PFM fainting ladies.

Lol... It is a good forum, run in the correct manner by someone dedicated to the task, who had a vision for what he wanted to create, and duly created it. The politics-heavy nature of the off-topic room is entirely due to Tony, as it's his passion (he's a rather political animal), and he nurtured it. That's not to say though that he necessarily agrees with some of the more extreme views expressed there!

Forums will always inevitably reflect the interests and passions of their owners, especially the off-topic sections, where away from hi-fi discussions, you often get to find out what makes 'people tick' [it's often the 'beating heart' of a forum, and where a genuine community and friendships are built], and which is why the off-topic section here is so different from the one on pfm...

I'm far more interested in talking about food and drink than politics!

Marco.