Jasonisms

 Let me start by saying 2-factor authorization is a good idea. In fact, it's a great idea for security, especially if your computer or password is compromised. That being said, Google recently announced that it would automatically enroll everyone into 2-factor authorization, whether they want to be or not.  Now, I understand Google probably has metrics on the back end showing how many accounts are compromised and how often, but to auto-enroll people into a program they may not even understand isn't the way to make things safer overall.  Education is the best way to make the internet and e/Gmail accounts more secure. Strong passwords, not using the same password in multiple locations, using a VPN when out and about, etc. Forcing people - people like my mom or someone who only has a Gmail account because they have an Android phone - to use a service that requires their phone be by their side at all times does a disservice to everyone - everyone except Google themselves. What do I

8 months ago Don't worry, I'm not going to post a picture of my mug on here, but I wanted to tell this story because it caught me off guard and that so rarely happens.  This morning at the gym, I was relaxing in the hot tub, letting the hot (okay, warm) water relax my muscles after a moderately intensive workout. Sometimes I enjoy a light workout, sometimes a very intense once, but this morning I just wasn't feeling it, so I met somewhere in the middle, which is far more often than I want to admit out loud.  I was sitting in the corner, like I always do, watching a YouTube on the origins of Hallowe'en  (some of which I disagree with on technical aspects and some of which I found thought provoking) when a younger woman enters the hot tub. I hadn't seen her at the gym before and definitely hadn't seen her in the hot tub before this morning, so I thought perhaps she was new to this particular gym. I said, "Hi," and she took the corner across from me, abou

 I just read this article - or, slideshow to be precise - about how to get a telemarketer to stop calling you and it rings absolutely true. I know this for a fact, not because I was once a telemarketer, but I did work for a company that made outgoing sales calls (under the guise of customer service follow-up) and we did all of the things outlined in this slideshow and more.  Since I will be spilling the beans, as it were, I'll use a pseudonym for the company I worked for in this capacity. Let's call it ... Laughing, Inc.  Laughing, Inc. operated a website and spent millions of dollars a year driving consumer engagement to their site. Once there, the site would walk you through a litany of options and would connect you to a service provider. Wham! Bam! Thank you, Ma'am. The system was not perfect - far less perfect than Laughing, Inc. would acknowledge publicly - and about 20% of the connections the website made were failed attempts. (That's a whole other story) My depa