Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Ain’t Too Proud to Beg

—

by

Peter Galuszka
in

temptationsBy Peter Galuszka

The World Wide Web is a wonderful thing. It can provide useful, nearly instantaneous information, build communities and topple dictators.

It has also wreaked havoc on how journalists and commentators gather and disseminate original content. Tens of thousands of journalists have lost their jobs because the old business model that paid them has collapsed.

Blogging, fashionable for two decades ago, is, of course an offshoot of the Net. It is based on slicing and dicing other people’s original content.

Jim Bacon and I do that on this blog, but we also accomplish a lot more. We create our own original content that often is unique. Between us, we have more than eight decades of experience and hope that shows in our work.

We have been working mostly for free, but we need to pay our bills. Some blogs and Net services have paywalls or require subscriptions.  We’re not asking for that, but we are requesting that you consider making a contribution so we can keep on doing what we have been.If you would like to contribute you can do so by looking at the payment icon on the upper left of the home page.

Many thanks.

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Comments

8 responses to “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”

  1. larryg Avatar
    larryg

    totally support it and would ask that ya’ll take a look at how VPAP
    does it

    http://www.vpap.org/about-us/donate/

    which gives folks the option of recurring or one time and then for each of those a variety of different levels of support.

    Some folks like to do one time payments from time to time based on how their cash flow is at any given time.

    If I get a refund or have lower expenses one month – I tend to share it with VPAP or Wikipedia and now you guys – and glad to – but would like flexibility.

    and I apologize for answering first… and promise to not comment again unless in response…

    okay fellow blatherbutts – batter up.. put your money where your mouth is!

  2. Peter Galuszka Avatar
    Peter Galuszka

    LarryG,
    Thanks for your support and comments. I think Jim will be tweaking the contribution system to make it more flexible.

  3. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    Larry, Thanks for the advice. VPAP has structured itself as a non-profit, which allows people to make tax-deductible contributions. Bacon’s Rebellion hasn’t taken that step yet. If I get enough feedback from people that they’d like to take a write-off, it’s something I will consider.

  4. DonR Avatar
    DonR

    Gents:

    I have to use PayPal?

    Sorry, but no thanks.

    http://thehackernews.com/2014/12/hacking-paypal-account.html

    Happy t send you a check or use my credit card but I am not getting a PayPal account.

    Sorry for the inconvenience.

  5. larryg Avatar
    larryg

    well.. I’ve had 3 credit cards hacked. One I’d not yet used. My Credit Union ATM card was hacked and I get a notice from Home Depot .. etc….you get the picture.

    I’m been using PayPal for 10 years without a hack… just saying..

    but I would urge the following:

    1. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER click a link that you are not expecting and even then if it is from someone you know but was not expecting it – DO NOT CLICK IT!

    2. your password should ALWAYS be a combination of letters and numbers with a Capital .. and it should be something you do not need to write down because you can easily reconstruct it because you use things in it like your Street name with first 3 letters of your license plate or the last 4 digits of your phone… etc.. things you can easily verify without having to write it down.

    3. – learn what 2 factor authentication is and use it ..

    4. – set up your credit card and bank accounts so that they will text or email you when a transaction exceeds some threshold.

    5. – always use a pattern lock code on your phone – and know ahead of time exactly how to disable it remotely if it does get lost.

    6.- use a different credit card for online that offline.. and pay attention to the transactions …

    7. – when using your card in a service station or a restaurant – be aware that if you do not have to provide a separate PIN or zip code – that your card can be “cloned” fairly easily by someone who works at the station or restaurant.

    8. – never give your Social Security number to anyone unless you are dang sure about the person or organization getting it.

    9. – never give out info over the phone – no matter if the caller says they are law enforcement or even the Pope or God.

    10. Be advised in spades – that online/internet/cell phone security in the 21st century is not your father’s Oldsmobile!

  6. Malcolm Baldwin Avatar
    Malcolm Baldwin

    I’d like/want to contribute, but I can’t make Pay Pal work . How about giving us an address where we can send checks from time to time? This is an invaluable resource and my wife and I read it regularly, even when I don’t comment!

  7. Acbar Avatar
    Acbar

    Concerning PayPal, I doubt there is ANY internet payment method out there that’s completely beyond the reach of determined Russian hackers – but it’s folks like those at PayPal who have the greatest incentive (and I hope have also acquired the greatest capability) to stay at least one step ahead of the bad guys, and to limit the damage even if they fall behind. The only alternative to this risk is don’t do anything financial over the internet, which is hardly realistic today.

    Moreover, if you’ve ever suffered a credit card security breach and had a new one issued with a new number, etc., or simply a new expiration date, you know what a convenience it is to have only ONE place where you must update the card on file, rather than updating your account data over and over with dozens of individual merchants. (Make that two places, since Amazon still refuses to take PayPal).

    I’m with you on this one, Jim, and hopefully DonR and Malcolm will find a way.

    1. larryg Avatar
      larryg

      in terms of hacking.

      You don’t have to have ANY online accounts – AT ALL – to be a victim of hacking! If you are doing business with an insurance company or a stock broker or a bank or a credit card company – you can do ZERO online and STILL get hacked!

      Ask the folks who had Anthem insurance.

      this is in the category of “you can run but you can’t hide”.

      because all modern commerce is conducted on computers connected to the internet whether you yourself do online or not – your company does.

      there is an obvious solution but it will require additional effort and it’s called encryption.

      Ironically – the government is opposed to it because it will make it harder for them to “snoop” and “catch bad guys” but before this is over with – the data will not only have to be encrypted – it will be considered irresponsible for any company to not encrypt it’s data.

      it will make it harder not only for the hackers but for legitimate users.

      think of it like a key to your car or home.. we think nothing of it 99% of the time until you lose your key – then it’s a disaster – so you have to have backup keys! And in the online world – we’ll have to have backup encryption keys.. which will be a little bit like when you call your credit card or prescription drug company and they ask you for the last 4 digits of your Social security as well as your mothers maiden name and your favorite pet name!

      this is the world we now live in. We can wish it otherwise and swear off Paypal or Facebook or whatever – but it won’t change the course of things.

      you’re riding this bus whether you think so or not.!

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