Ang Mga Pino-post sa Facebook

Ang Mga Pino-post sa Facebook

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Hanggang ngayon ay may nag-aakalang may bayad ang pag-post ng mga larawan sa facebook, na isang maling akala. May mga tao ring nangungutya ng mga nagpi-facebook na ang pino-post ay mga larawang nagpapakita ng kasiyahan – mga kuha sa bertdey kaya maraming pagkain, o di kaya ay nang nakaraang pasko kaya may Christmas tree at mga regalo, nag-eemote na pakenkoy ang posing kaya masaya ang dating, at marami pang iba. Dapat unawain ng mga nangungutya na hindi dapat pinakikialaman ng kung sino man ang pino-post ng may-ari sa facebook niya.

 

May nabasa pa akong comment na, “ang hilig  magpo-posing suot magagandang damit pero hindi naman nagbabayad ng utang”. Para sa akin, kung ang inutangan ay ang nag-comment, hindi niya dapat hiyain ang may-ari ng facebook sa mga viewers na kapwa nila friends. Dahil sa ginawa niya, lumalabas ang kagunggungan niya, dahil dapat ay kinukulit niya ng singil at kung away magbayad ay ipa-barangay niya. Bakit hindi niya sugurin at singilin?…kaladkarin pa niya sa labas ng bahay at sabunutan sa gitna ng kalye kung ayaw magbayad. Ang commentor ay nagpapakita ng ugaling manlilibak….okey kapag kaharap ang kaibigan pero nililibak ito pagtalikod niya dahil siguro sa inggit!

 

May mga taong inaakala ng ibang naghihirap kaya ang inaasahan sa kanila ng mga nakakakilala  ay wala na silang karapatang mag-post ng mga photos na naglalarawan ng masaya nilang mukha at ang suot ay magagandang damit, may make-up at abot-tenga ang ngiti. Ang gusto ng mga nakakakilala sa mga taong inaakala nilang naghihirap kaya tumatanggap ng tulong mula sa iba ay malungkot ang mukha ng mga ito sa larawan upang ipakita na sila ay naghihirap. Libre ang pag-post ng mga larawan sa facebook kaya walang dapat makialam basta ang i-post ay huwag lang panawagan sa paghasik ng terorismo!

 

Karapatan ng may-ari ng facebook ang pagpili kung ano ang gusto niyang i-post. Sa mga naging biyuda pero bata pa o di kaya ay mga naghahanap ng asawa, facebook ang pinakamadaling paraan para sa mga nabanggit na pangangailangan. Ang problema nga lang ay inaabuso ng mga utak-kriminal tulad ng mga magnanakaw at rapist. Ang mga kawatan ay nagmamatyag sa mga inilagagay ng mayayabang sa facebook nila tulad ng “balita” na sila ay magbabakasyon sa malalayong lugar na tulad lang nilang mayaman ang may “karapatang” gumawa, o di kaya ay mga larawan ng interior ng bahay, ari-arian tulad ng alahas at kotse….pati address!

 

Ang mga manyakis naman na kalimitan ay may porma-  guwapo at matikas kung manamit na nakikita sa mga larawan sa facebook niya, ay nakikipagkaibigan sa mga babae, bata man o matanda na “matakaw” sa kaibigan. Ang mga naguguyo ng manyakis ay iniimbita sa isang “eyeball to eyeball” o pagkikita, halimbawa, sa mall. Ang susunod na kuwento dahil may halong krimen ang layunin ng pagkikita ay paggahasa sa babaeng may kabataan pa o pagnanakaw sa matandang babaeng nag-akalang may asim pa siya!

The Convenience and Curse of the Hi-Tech Social Media

The Convenience and Curse of the Hi-Tech Social Media

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Hackers can pick up personal information from ATM receipt and airline boarding pass. There is a gadget today that can be used to scan them for personal information of the identification owner. The best thing to do then is shred into pieces the used airline boarding pass and ATM receipt. Do not throw used boarding pass ATM receipt in trash cans or just anywhere in their intact form.

 

Restrain yourself from posting revealing personal information in your facebook to impress viewers. Do not use this social media as a diary. The most no-no is posting the interior of your lavishly furnished homes, again, to impress friends. Some even go to the extent of posting jewelries as if telling viewers to eat their heart out in envy, while others announce to the world that they will be out-of-town to enjoy weeks-long vacation.

 

Hackers can pick up passwords and usernames in free wi-fi sites, so that it is advised that upon reaching home, the passwords that were used in free wi-fi sites should be changed immediately. Some hackers frequent free wi-fi areas such as malls, airports, parks, hotel lobbies, and others to fish for easily hacked passwords.

 

Delete the history in the computer used in internet cafes. Hackers can retrace the route taken by browsers who forgot to delete the sites and pages that they opened and explored. The sites opened by the browser can betray his or her personality that hackers can use in invading his or her privacy. This should also be done when using personal computers such as laptop or desktop as they might be used by “friends” with unpleasant intention.

 

It is sad to note that the high-technology that brought about comfort and unquestionably helpful social media also brought with it a curse of destruction to the careless. The best protection that we can give ourselves is a reminder not to be too trusting.

A Day in the Life of a Struggling Blogger

A day in the Life of a Struggling Blogger

By Apolinario Villalobos

In countries like the United States, bloggers have no problem because all they need to do is just go to a park, and there, with free wifi connection, they can blog for as long as they want. But not in a third-world country like the Philippines where the government’s promise for free wifi sites in public places is part of nauseating propaganda of the administration. A blogger has to have a landline for an assured strong signal that can be sucked by a modem. An option is to have a USB broadband and portable or pocket wifi which must be loaded. Lucky are the bloggers that can connect to a neighbor with a repeater wifi that he can use, with consent of course.

But for a struggling blogger who has no landline to which a modem for wifi can be attached for a strong signal, or cannot afford a post-paid plan for broadband or pocket wifi, there’s no other choice but a load from a corner store bought for 50pesos which is good for one day. As soon as the load has been registered, the blogger must get to work immediately to maximize the use for the allotted time. The problem is the weak signal, especially, if several blog sites have to be opened for uploads. During unfortunate days with a weaker signal, uploading may take the whole day, instead of the normal four to five hours. During those days the indicator for a successful connection would just turn round and round, almost infinitely.

There are times when blogs which are thought to have been uploaded successfully are trashed due to incompleteness of attempt. Other times, due to the weak signal, uploading process hangs. And, worst, is when the signal is cut off in the middle of uploading!

What aggravates the situation are the promo offerings of servers, enticing internet users to buy their cheap surfing package which are deemed useless because, even until the purchased load has been consumed, no connection has been made! It is like rubbing salt to the wound.

The National Telecom time and again has expressed it s disgust over the inutility of the service of the different Philippine-based servers, but just like the mumblings of other government agencies for show, nothing has been done which is a clear defiance on the part of the servers, an obvious loss of respect to the government. Meanwhile, the internet users suffer, especially, struggling poor bloggers. And, just to assure a little bit of strong signal, bloggers of this kind have to do the uploading in the wee hour of 3AM!

The Benefits of Social Media…their threat

The Benefits of Social Media

…and their threat

By Apolinario Villalobos

The family is the basic unit of a society. Essentially, the relationship among the members is by blood, however, tradition and the need of society extended its scope to include close relationship by affinity and camaraderie that has been developed within fraternities and sororities, schools, and the occupational institutions. And the most popular bonding activity of these “families” is the reunion.

The hi-tech social network has become an effective venue for members of these “families” to get in touch with each other. The technology has practically made the limitation of distance, a thing of the past. With just one touch of a key, “family” members spread around the world “see” and “talk” to each other, and long lost friends and classmates are reconnected after decades of separation.       .

There are instances when the hi-tech facility is used as a tool in distant operations, such that the surgeon doing the actual procedure to the patient in a certain country is assisted by an expert via the visual monitor from the latter’s end in another country. Bloggers who are separated by oceans and get connected with fellow bloggers compare notes on how deal with certain subjects. And, even the people’s pope, Francis, is very much in touch with his flock via the web.

The hi-tech social media have practically compressed the whole world into a “neighborhood”. Through the internet, surfers know where to find commodities not found in regular outlets. Those confined at home can have their groceries delivered at their doorstep. Students need not spend grueling time in libraries to pore over reference materials for their thesis. Business ideas even for small scale ventures, especially do-it-yourself at home guides, can be chosen from the horde of proposals in just one click.

Those whose eyes are no longer reliable to discern the small texts of the Bible can surf the web for passages, even check the scientific history of mankind, and if not contented, further check the story of Creation. The health buffs can check seemingly limitless list of beneficial herbs, dishes that can ensure long life, and non-prescriptive medicines to prevent occurrence of sickness.

Unfortunately, the evil that is innate in man drives some of these God’s “intelligent” creatures to exploit the social media for their selfish motives. These are the hackers whose minds are practically coated with the thick tar of evil design. They intrude websites and cause havoc among their users and owners. They steal information from sites, and go to the extent of even stealing the identities of site owners.

The world is not cloaked with goodness alone. The negatives are out there to test our mettle, and we should always be steadfast in facing them. Not only physical strength is needed, but mental and spiritual firmness, as well.