Serif News

Facebook & Ignorance – Is that Social?

Friday 30th November 2012 11:53 AM

Facebook & Ignorance - Is that Social?

There was recently a statement that very quickly did the rounds through our Facebook profiles, which sounded very convincing as it was filled with all manner of legal ''facts'' and structured convincingly. Yet had you read up on your T's & C's (they really aren't as labour intensive as you may first think) you would have known that the statement the entire post was based on, FACEBOOK OWN ALL OF YOUR IMAGES etc is NOT true. Users simply grant Facebook the right to use, distribute and share posted items subject to its terms of service and user privacy settings. Copying and pasting a status update doesn't change anything about that agreement. You can limit what information Facebook can share about you in your settings.

Our lack of understanding or knowledge of Facebook's T's & C's is evident in the posts that are still being shared by the "SHEEP", yes you know who you are! By doing something just because someone else did will either land you in hot water or just make you look silly.

Companies are also still risking having their company "Page(s)" removed by Facebook for entering Contact info or a call to action within their cover photo & running competitions on the basis of 'sharing' to gain entry. Ignorance does not gain you a free pass, nor will hind sight make you feel any better about re-building your page & audience or having to go down the LONG path with Facebook to have your page re-instated. Do you think it won't happen to you???

If you are unsure trawl through the Help section within Facebook or contact SerifNet and ask us to help you.

Stay Social.

Posted 11:53 AM | Permalink

Who Checks Their Phone Whilst With Friends

Wednesday 17th October 2012 3:12 PM

SerifNet - Phone Etiquette

I recently went for a meal with my wife and no sooner than we sat down had I opened my Facebook app and was checking in to the restaurant. It was utterly rude I know but continued nonetheless, but this is all I did, I didn't read any of the feeds that had streamed since I last checked or check out Twitter. However I didn't put the phone away either I placed it to the edge of the table so I had subconsciously decided to be prepared to acknowledge or respond to any incoming updates... but I was out with my wife?!

As the waitress asked if we would like any drinks I noticed that my wife had also taken out her phone & placed it on the table, knowing that I had already used mine I ignored her action as I'm not a blatant hypocrite and continued to order the drinks - I know my place. Food ordered & conversation started yet mid conversation her smartphone lit up with a facebook notification, I have no idea who or what it was about but she read the snippet. Thinking she would just read the snippet and look back up with an apology for the interruption I carried on talking - she picked up her phone, unlocked it, went into the app and that was it.... It wasn't as though the conversation was dull either, after all the conversation was started by my wife. I was merely commenting or rather sticking up for the poor girl who was at the root of the story of how my wife didn't like how her attitude was from an altercation earlier in the day.

I won't bore you with the remaining details but this happened a few times and yes I also picked up my phone a couple of times. So what I want to know is when did this all happen, when did we decide it was acceptable to use our phones at the table, I used to get told off for just having my elbows on the table, or trying to see what was on the tv - now it's almost like a junkie itching to get a fix and it's acceptable. I also noticed that across from us that evening in the restaurant was a group of 4 girls & each time I looked over one of them would be on their phone but it didn't seem to break the flow of conversation, it was part of the conversation & sometimes I'm sure the root of the conversation.

Is social media really that integral to our actual social time when with our friends face to face?

What are your feelings on SM when with friends? Do you have a friend who doesn't put their phone down for more than 2 mins? Are you that friend?

Let us know in the comments & please feel free to share the story.

Posted 3:12 PM | Permalink

SerifNet - Facebook guidelines and rules

Thursday 4th October 2012 4:07 PM

Is your Facebook page at risk of being deleted?

We have always had to live and abide by rules simply for the benefit of the majority, and whether we agree or not we need rules & the largest Social Media site on the planet, Facebook, is no exception to this.

I feel it would be a fair assumption to make that approx 90-95% of the people who use Facebook have not read the T's & C's for its use... Have you?

So I have written this with businesses in mind that have a page on the platform but haven't read the Facebook policies, thus running the risk of having their page deleted, generally without warning. Please don't be a fool and have the mentality ''... why would my business be looked into I only have a couple of hundred Like's/Subscribers, so I'm safe... Firstly ask yourself how long it took you to build that base & how long it would take to re-build, and then think about how easy you will make it for a rival to shop you and cause problems. What if you have thousands of likes? ''I'm sorry it won't happen again'' will not work as your defence NOR will it get your page re-instated.

My mantra ''prevention is better than the cure '' is definitely valid here as I'm sure Facebook won't be forthcoming in helping you to reinstate your page in a hurry due to you neglecting to do your homework.

Below are a few of Facebooks terms that I see breached quite often, so if you feel you have abided by the following you're in good shape to staying safe, If not you may want to set aside some time to fix the issues.

For the full list of terms visit Facebook here.

If you run a competition

• · You must not use Facebook features or functionality such as the 'Like' button as a voting, or entry mechanism -
• · You must not notify winners through Facebook.
• · You must use an 'APP' to run the competition (Apps on your Page must comply with the Facebook Platform Policies)
• · You could however post a link on Fbook to your website for a competition.

Cover Photo's

• · Must not include price or purchase information nor should it be used to encourage people to upload your cover to their timeline for ''20% OFF'' etc.
• · Must not include any contact information for eg, website, email, mailing addresses or any information that should be in your 'About' section.
• · Must not contain any Calls To Action (CTA) - like ''tell your friends'' or ''call us now''

Please ensure you follow the links below & have a read to make sure you aren't at risk of being deleted, and remember my favourite statement by Facebook '' We reserve the right to reject or remove Pages for any reason. These terms are subject to change at any time''.

Data Use Policy

Statement of Rights and Responsibilities

Community Standards

Should you find their terms a hard read or a bit too long winded please feel free to contact SerifNet and we will do our best to assist.

Please feel free to share.

Thanks

Posted 4:07 PM | Permalink

Serifnet - Phone Usage On Holiday

Tuesday 2nd October 2012 10:09 AM

SerifNet - Using Your Phone Abroad

As the holiday season has drawn to an end I thought it would be an ideal time to ask how did you deal with not being ''connected'' as frequently as you are at home? We're you not bothered and grateful for the break or was it like losing a best friend and suffered greatly from ''Roamaphobia''.

There are many reasons why we don't connect as frequently whilst on holiday such as having to deal with the kids, or on excursions etc, yet I feel one crucial reason for this is the fear of running up a huge bill (Roamaphobia). Im sure we have all done it, myself included. We have limited our texts or connection to the world back home only to find your next bill has doubled or even tripled even tho you thought you was being careful. I spent 10 days at the the Royal Savoy in Egypt, barely used my phone and to my horror noticed my bill was almost 3 times what it normally is, thanks to a per text charge of 50p and high roaming charges.

So what can we do, well the ''switched on'' types will know to turn off your roaming settings (Doh!) and some will even not be that bothered about having it turned on throughout, but luckily earlier this summer the European Commision has forced mobile networks to introduce caps for going online whilst your away - meaning that dependent upon who your carrier is, your connection wont allow you to run up a huge bill.

Always contact your carrier before jetting off on holiday if you are worried about the costs involved, they may even offer you a deal or bundle.

Anyway here are what the main carriers have done to fall in line with the new rules;

Orange and T-Mobile are the only networks to not extend their cap on data roaming to the rest of the world. They cap usage 71MB for pay monthly customers and 84MB for pay as you go, so that customers never pay more than £44.

O2 stop charging for data abroad once you've spent £40, this means that you can use up to 100MB in Europe or 50MB in the rest of the world. It also sends alerts to customers once you've reached £20 and £40 and cuts them off once they reach the upper limit.

Virgin Media has a worldwide and EU cap of £45 for customers who receive a text when they reach 80 per cent of their limit. They are then restricted access once they reach the £45 limit.

While Vodafone offer a €50 cap for customers in Europe and the rest of the world. It will also notify customers when they reach 80 per cent and 100 per cent of their allowance.

So what do MB's translate to in real time well it really comes down to the country you are visiting and the cost they charge for using their service per MB, so again check with your operator first and they will help you as best as they can. Also don't ring them go and visit your local store, the advice seems to sink in better when in person, also they can make the changes to your phone for you thus removing the risk of getting it wrong.

Let me know if you are worried about using your phone whilst on holiday, and feel free to RT or share this news.

Enjoy & don't forget the sunscreen.

Posted 10:09 AM | Permalink

SerifNet - Latest Phishing scam

Wednesday 26th September 2012 10:15 AM

SerifNet - Online Security & Phishing

Whilst scanning the headlines of Mashable this morning I noticed that there is yet another online scam doing the rounds, this one aims to steal your passwords for email accounts such as Gmail, Windows live & Yahoo etc. Obviously this isn't the first of its kind and really does echo the need to remember how you must always be wary of ANY email, pop up or notification that requires you to enter personal & security type information.

People ought to be aware by now that companies such as Microsoft & Google etc run automatic updates, and would not send such an email to your device. However people really don't pay that much attention to the security risks for whatever their reasons so if you're unsure ask and don't click.

You should also be aware that if you are running an illegal copy of Windows this will prevent the Microsoft servers from communicating directly with your computer and prevent necessary updates from being carried out, furthermore stop freeloading!

Below is a copy of the message that has been sent out-

Dear Windows User,

It has come to our attention that your Microsoft windows Installation records are out of date. Every Windows installation has to be tied to an email account for daily update.
This requires you to verify the Email Account. Failure to verify your records will result in account suspension. Click in the Verify button below and enter your login information on the following page to Confirm your records.

VERIFY

Thank you,
Microsoft Windows Team

Other than the use of a few un-necessary capital letters it's not a bad effort at causing the panic in what I hope is a minority of people - but these red flags should be enough to instantly make you think that this isn't what it is claiming to be.

Should you click on further you will be prompted to choose your email provider and enter your username & password, which will not be updating your credentials or device with anything at all as it will be sent straight to the 'Phisherman/woman', and yep will use whatever details they can to make money at your expense.

So if you're unsure, hover the mouse over a link before clicking and check the displayed URL for any indication that it isn't genuine, ask around ( we all know someone who is tech savvy ) and don't just click through ignoring the warning signs.

Contact SerifNet should you have any concerns or for advice on security software or call us on 0113 238 1590

If you feel you have been scammed ripped off or conned you should contact Action Fraud by visiting their website or calling them on 0300 123 2040

Prevention really is better than the cure!

Posted 10:15 AM | Permalink