Seems like at least once a week one of my (numerous) Facebook friends joins a group “protesting” that Facebook will start charging some nominal fee per month.
Facebook isn’t going to start charging users a monthly fee. They are (for now) advertising supported, and user fees would radically reduce the user population, which further reduces the value of those ads. There may be an equilibrium point, as with cable TV or satellite radio, where the for-fee premium experience (ad free, better content) returns more revenue than the ad-supported “broadcast” equivalent, but for now, these groups are bad behavior magnets.
In a word: Don’t join them. Ever. Because I own this t-shirt. And I intend to use it.
Huh?
Groups like this contain links that look innocuous, but when you click on them, the target site attempts to install malware, spyware, virus vectors, and other badness onto your machine.
How do you defend yourself?
- Check snopes.com. The same riffs keep repeating. It’s like a Miles Davis solo before the solo part.
- Think before you click. This goes for ads offering free iPads, links in groups that are shortened (why would you shorten a link in a Facebook group unless you were trying to hide the real destination?), or anything else that isn’t obvious. Same thing for links in emails claiming to be from your bank, credit card, or Yahoo!
- Use anti-virus software. And keep it updated, and run regular scans, and try to stay ahead of the bad guys. A good defense beats a script kiddie offense, most of the time.
And if you doubt any of this, well, please send my regards to the Nigerian bank officials and the those who are warn you that the Internet is filling up and need your password to delete unused traffic.
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