Team Firestorm Warns About Scammers

 

 

 On the Firestorm Viewer today, there was a popup message, warning about scam activity. 

Please be aware that there are currently no Firestorm versions 8, 9, or 10. The latest official release is Firestorm 7.1.9 (74745). For your safety, always download Firestorm from the official source: main firestormviewer.org domain. Make sure to type this address directly into your web browser or click the version number in the top-left corner of the Firestorm splash screen. Do not trust download links shared by non-team members. You can verify if someone is a Firestorm team member by checking their profile and looking for "Firestorm Support/Developer/[Staff]" in the payment information field - the "description" fields, groups list or "picks" do not count. This message will be displayed for a few days due to a recent increase in scam activity - please do not ask in support groups to remove it, or when exactly it will be gone.

While this message is just a temporary one, it's a reminder that scammers are always trying to ways to get into peoples' computers, either to try to find a way to steal something, such as Linden dollars, or just to wreck systems. So one needs to be careful. So as the warning says, don't download any viewer that says "Firestorm" anyplace else but https://www.firestormviewer.org/ . And be aware of other kinds of trickery as well, including friends suddenly acting strangely, repeatedly telling you to click on fishy-looking links - they've been hacked and the hacker is trying to hack you as well.

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Concerns About Suspicious Discord Posts

 

There's been a number of warnings on a few Discord channels about scammers trying to trick people ot click on a link that could lead to trouble. This was from the World of Warships Discord:

Players, good evening, morning and day!
It has come to our attention that lately there has been a rise in suspicious activity involving Discord users attempting to scam or share phishing links in our community and via direct messages.

Please do not click or open any suspicious links and report them immediately.
These scams often but not always involve fake Steam-related links such as "free" gifts or claims that your accounts were banned.

If you encounter suspicious activity please proceed to follow the instructions from the link below on how to properly report such users to Discord's Trust & Safety team or contact a member of our moderation team.

https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000291932-How-to-Properly-Report-Issues-to-Trust-Safety

Enjoy your weekend
 

Scammers Using Fake Firestorm Website

Firestorm has become the most popular of Second Life viewers. Unfortunately, according to an article by Inara Pey, someone is taking advantage of it's popularity for the purposes of doing harm.

Inara's article stated someone is using accounts in Second Life to message residents about fake websites that appear to promote a "pro version of the Firestorm viewer." But there is no "pro version" of Firestorm. The link instead leads to a "scam site that is particularly nasty, as the Windows download link is infected."

Linden Lab has asked those who get these messages to please file an abuse report.

When filing a report, make sure you take a screen shot showing the message / notice displayed in your viewer – the abuse report screen shot feature will automatically capture open IM windows, etc. Reports can be filed under the Harassment category.

Source: Modem World

Windows 10 "Warning" Users Not To Use Firefox, Chrome, Pushes Edge Browser

By Bixyl Shuftan

While PC users have been frequently using Microsoft's Windows 10, most pass up it's web browser, Microsoft Edge, in favor of the popular Firefox and Chrome. It's used less than Apple Safari, which is limited to the much smaller Apple computer market. Microsoft's old browser Internet Explorer has gotten a reputation for being slow and buggy, so besides people being used to the more familiar browsers, they may be a little too wary of the old "E"'s problems to try the new one. But rather than try an advertising campaign to convince people to use their browser, it seems Microsoft has instead decided to take advantage of it's operating system to push it's other product.

Lately when Windows 10 users try to download Firefox or Chrome, their installation is interrupted by a popup reminding the user they already have Microsoft Edge, "the safer, faster browser for Windows 10." While Edge may be a fast browser, this popup is not only annoying and frustrating, but it may confuse some less than experienced computer users into thinking the more popular browsers are unsafe.

This isn't the only time Microsoft has been pushy with computer users about choices of browsers. Last year, it's debut of Windows 10 S would not allow users to instal other browsers on laptops.

Microsoft's move isn't just annoying computer owners, but also people in online computer magazines. Matthew Humphries of PC Magazine was polite, "Microsoft, please don't do this. Focus on making your software better, prove to us that it is, and market it as such. You already have the advantage of Windows 10 shipping with Edge." Joel Hruska of Extreme Tech was more blunt, "You are training your end users to expect that with each new Windows release, they must spend time digging through settings to find all the things you stealthily changed and shut them off again. This kind of subterfuge encourages customers to view the update process as fundamentally adversarial, because it requires us to spend time shutting things off rather than giving them a chance to function as intended. It encourages end users to believe the worst about your company’s practices and behaviors. When Microsoft chose to make Windows 10’s upgrade advisor pushier and more aggressive, it didn’t just make people angry; it fed a narrative of distrust and deceit, priming people to believe that MS wanted them to use Windows 10 so it could collect and monetize data based on how individuals use their computers. If you ever wonder why people harbor such suspicion towards Microsoft, take a look in the mirror. It’s because you’ve taught them to. ..."

In the meantime, Windows 10 users grumble about this latest annoyance, which for some may make them wonder if it was worth upgrading from 7 or 8.


Sources, PC Magazine, Daily Mail, Extreme Tech

Bixyl Shuftan

General Warning

Although most of you probably know this already, I'd like to remind all: DO NOT ACCEPT GIFTS OR ITEMS FROM AVATARS YOU DON'T KNOW. There have been many scams going around the last few weeks where stranger avatars try to give seemingly attractive items away -- these are dangerous objects! They can often ask you for permissions to take lindens, or give control of your avatar to another. Others are griefing objects that will disrupt sims.

Do not accept these items.

In ROMA group by Angelia Rees

Commentary: Should Bad News Not Be Told?

By Bixyl Shuftan

This summer, we got contacted by a reader concerning some articles we were reading. It wasn't about accuracy, but rather the content. We had published some articles about residents being less than pleasant to others, and she expressed worry that we were making the Grid less attractive to those who hadn't yet tried Second Life, and would be steered away from giving it a try.

I've heard a similar complaint about real-life news, people saying newspapers and broadcast news tell only bad news. And there is a belief among some in the news industry that bad news tends to draw more attention. The latter may or may not be true, but the former isn't. By it's nature, the news industry is about the reporting of unusual events, notably those that affect a particular media's readers the most.

Reporting little but bad news and gossip isn't the style of the Newser. Our rivals the "Herald" did so, reporting on lots of stories about griefing and drama. While some take a delight in the stories of the miseries of others, we don't, and there were no shortage of people who complained when the self-described tabloid was operational.

Giving an overly-rosy image has it's own problems. When the TV show "CSI" did an episode that featured Second Life, it was less than accurate. There was no lag, everyone used voice, etc. So visitors seeing the show finding out about Second Life there and then logging on would find themselves surprised that details would take some time to load. With the reality of the place so quickly falling short of the image they were given, many would leave and not return. So giving an image of Second Life without the pitfalls has it's own problems.

What's best, at least in my opinion, is a kind of balanced approach. On one hand, some warning of problems as they arise, in addition to allowing readers to vent some through submitted commentaries. And on the other, showing plenty of good that goes on in Second Life, places to explore, the stories of interesting people, and exciting events. And of course of problems being fixed (the Lab actually does listen, sometimes).

Do we do a perfect job? No, we make our share of mistakes. But giving fair warning about problems isn't one of them.

There's a story about the making of the statue of a certain king. He was not an especially attractive man, being in late middle age. The sculpture carefully suggested he could make the statue look younger. The king told him no, but to make it as he appeared, "warts and all." His kingdom had prospered under his rule, and he was confident history would judge him well.

Second Life has much to be proud of over it's ten years. Yes, a few griefers are still around. Yes, the place still has lag and bugs. Yes, there are times the Lab can be downright clueless. But rather than hide the warts, it's better to let newcomers know things are less than perfect. But the good here far outweighs the bad.

Bixyl Shuftan