A BABE IN THE WOODS AND IT'S ME
BACKGROUND
Friends I am here to tell you I have discovered at the tender age of 63 that I am a babe in a clearing in a great big forest. Huge trees surround me and I see eyes peering at me in my small clearing. I am not always sure to whom these eyes belong. They may belong to friend or foe, to wild wolves or fairly tame creatures. I’m in a brand new world and I find it very eerie!!
Please don’t misunderstand my cries of fear I bought my first computer in 1997 and I’ve used the Internet ever since. It’s just that until August of 2009 I never dove so deep into the cyber world. Like everyone else I made posts on Internet forums, but the most that ever showed of me was my screen name on AOL and I had no profile information with that account. Then on August 30, 2009 I took the plunge head first into the scary cyber world of hubpages at the urging of what I thought was a friend. I only commented at first on hubs of others but eventually after my beloved pet cat Spooky died I needed a new raison detre and I published “Boomers Unused Resource” on hubpages.
MY CYBER EXPERIENCE TO DATE
The great body of my online work had been professional such as emailed attached files and such things as specifications and drawings in AutoCAD. I had no reason for deception in these endeavors. I had a job to do and I did it the very best I could. I didn’t want anonymity in my work because my boss wouldn’t have paid me my monthly salary. As I stated before there were occasions I went online to comment in various forums but then I had anonymity!!!!!!!!!!
After joining hubpages I was a happy man I was also very naive and trusting of others. I know I always told the truth even in my hubpages profile. I am who I am and I stated such on my profile. I understand some of you want to stay anonymous and that’s your business. I don’t want to pry and be intrusive. I never questioned motives of anyone or the fact that some who stay anonymous have evil intentions of deception. I learned that lesson only recently and it’s very eerie!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m not in this for money I wanted friendship and community I even assured myself I could publish hubs of a non-commercial nature with an email to hubpages as shown below with their reply. (I don’t make judgment on those who write for money!!!!)
MY EMAIL
On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 8:50 AM,
Tom Whitworth (via HubPages) wrote:
I have been hesitating about publishing a hub. I do not want to do so for any money. Is there a way to publish and op out of money making?
Tom Whitworth
RESPONSE
Yes, there is. You have not signed up for Google AdSense, so already you don't have any way to make money on HubPages. If you don't want Ads on your Hubs, simply uncheck 'this hub is commercial' and set the Ad level to 'None' when you create your first Hub. Thanks,
Team HubPages
MY FUTURE CYBER EXPERIENCE
I have learned a very tough lesson and it displeases my sorely. Some folks can’t be trusted, but I have a method to disclose those with bad intentions!!!! Every one of you can do the same as I do. When you get a comment remember the IP address shows by the comment of the commenter!!!!!!!! Right where the little accept reject buttons are located the intruder leaves his identity. Once that identity is learned you can do a Google search and find the area of origin of the intruder. I could slink back to the safety of my previous existence but I’ll make my stand here and now. Any future attacks on myself or any of my friends will result in NAMES BEING NAMED AND EXPOSED YOU HAVE FAIR WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I also keep emails in separate folders so I can blow the whistle if it’s necessary!!!
I don’t want to have to write part 2 of this hub but I will if it’s necessary!!!!!!!!!
Related
Comments
AUTHORfrogyfish,
Do whatever you need to do to defend yourself. That's my advice.
Goodness, this is totally new information. I have a very negative long comment on one of my chemtrail hubs and I have just tried to respond nicely and truthfully, but another un-nice comment from the same person was put up. Haven't decided to delete them as I allow his opinion to be expressed...but this is good to know as the statements have become personal. Thanks for your hub!
- AUTHOR
Jim,
I think my Norton cleared everything up!!!!!!!
Yeah. Hmmm. That would give me some worry. Especially the bank accounts. Ouch.
- AUTHOR
Jim,
I may have a tiger by the tail as I've been having computer problems galor today. I couldn't get into my online banking account!!!!!!!!! My email is a screwed up!!! I think I've got a professional hacker on my trail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I even had hubviews on hubs I've unpublished, how does that happen!!!!!!!!!!!
If there is one thing I have learned about this place we call the Internet, or the cyber world, or the older World Wide Web, it is that it has in its population the exact same ratio of spooks and ghoulies and weirdos and whackos that exist in the real world. The big difference is how those numbers can become very skewed as those spooks and ghoulies and weirdos and whackos reconstruct and reproduce themselves with avatars and funny names (or real sounding ones even) thousands of times over and over again.
Always keep a very watchful eye. You seem to be having no difficulty doing exactly that. :)
BTW, you may call me Jim.
- AUTHOR
Pop,
I know you are one of the good guys. We all must be careful for there are wolves in this forrest!!!!!!!!!!!
I gave a bluprint for defense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom,
I'm sorry to hear that you encountered some "evilness' out there. You don't deserve it, that's for sure. in any event you must know that you have many, many friends on the hub who walk walk the extra mile for you, me among them.I must say I had no idea you could opt for taking ads off your hub. I too, never signed up for adsense.
- AUTHOR
James,
I truly was a babe in the woods. It's so eerie everyone must take care and learn how to defend themselves. It's essential!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Tom, for illuminating this murky area. Everybody needs to stay on their toes. Be careful out there!
- AUTHOR
billyaustindillon,
I just mentioned my lack of commercial content because I am doing this for other reasons. The main theme of this hub is protecting friends and showing them how to protect themselves.
Nice Hub Tom - I think if you make money your plan rather than content, quality and enjoyment than like everything else in life it is shite as my English friends would say. If money follows great, if not you have reasons to write that are substantial.
- AUTHOR
eovery,
We have a new arrow in our quiver and we must use it in self defense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, Tom, I have seen the IP addresses, put I never put them to use of tracking people, especially those with multi-accountss. But that and the MAC address is the way Google keep track of the users.
Keep on hubbing!
- AUTHOR
Sheri,
I didn't want any of my friends to be offended by my reference to being non-commercial. I will do my very best to help and defend my friends as long as this old tired body lasts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- AUTHOR
sheila b.
I had bad experiences before and I intend to fight after all this is my new raison detre and I wont give up on it!!!!!!!!!!
- AUTHOR
msorensson,
I also learned something and your welcome. I wish I had never learned this on my part it's eerie at the least!!!
Tom,
Great hub!!! I wonder if our nasty little frenemy will understand that this is directed at him? Probably NOT!! I am glad to count you among my friends and I am honored that you look out so well for those of us you appreciate. It seems we both joined hubworld about the same time. Like you, I just needed a place to vent my anger and frustration about the direction our nation is being dragged. I did allow google adsense on my pages, but with 74 followers, 72 hubs, and around 3000 total views, I have earned a whopping $7.00. WOW!! Good thing money making wasn't my plan either.
Please don't let this bad experience stop you from writing!
Wow, I learned something, Tom. Thanks!!
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