OT - You know you're an internet geek when....

[Rooby]

I met my husband via a local Internet (dialup) group on his 22nd birthday in 1992.  I'm 10 years older.  We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in October.  Can't imagine life without him, but I'd have never met him if it weren't for the internet, which was still in the beginning stages at that point.

If you're not a church goer or bar hopper, it's not easy to meet potential partners.  I always thought dating sucked.  At least through an online relationship you kind find out if the person has more than ten functioning synapses before meeting.  I would never date a hunter and pecker!  >

hugs!

Rooby

[cristalfiona]

I do all my banking online and find it a huge inconvenience when I have to write a cheque.  In fact, I usually have to turn the house upside them looking for them!

Imagine having to get your mum to post your cheque book to Germany, so you can write her a cheque back, because your internet banking wont send money from another country.

And i was introduced to my boyfriend by a friend, who later admitted she was trying to hook us up. Hes is majorly technically challenged, can barely write emails and send them. Although i managed to get him hooked on Sims last time he visited.

[SciBirg]

I do all my banking online and find it a huge inconvenience when I have to write a cheque.  In fact, I usually have to turn the house upside them looking for them!

Imagine having to get your mum to post your cheque book to Germany, so you can write her a cheque back, because your internet banking wont send money from another country.

Have you heard of paypal.com? That's what we use to transfer money back and forth from Norway to the US. Of course, you do need two paypal accounts. One that has a foreign bank account connected to it and one that has a US one. Works great! And no fees either.

[bluecatvon]

i personally would rather manually write a cheque though (once i get to open an account that is ) phising sounds dangerous so i'll rather not risk it..

[angelyne]

phising is only as dangerous as you let it.  It involves unscrupulous individuals suckering you in.  If you refuse to get suckered then you are fine.


You only need to remember two things and it will never happen to you.  Never EVER follow a link you receive in an email from someone claiming to be your bank and enter your user info and password. If you worry that the email is genuine (it's almost never), enter the URL to your bank manually. (like www.citibank.com), or better yet call your bank directly, using the number listed in the book phone, or their main site).

Just remember that a bank (or any other institution) will never call you or email to request your account info. Any one doing so should set off immediate alarm bells.  If anyone tries that, same deal as above, call the institution directly using numbers you know are genuine and ask.

[angelyne]

phising is only as dangerous as you let it.  It involves unscrupulous individuals suckering you in.  If you refuse to get suckered then you are fine.


You only need to remember two things and it will never happen to you.  Never EVER follow a link you receive in an email from someone claiming to be your bank and enter your user info and password. If you worry that the email is genuine (it's almost never), enter the URL to your bank manually. (like www.citibank.com), or better yet call your bank directly, using the number listed in the book phone, or their main site).

Just remember that a bank (or any other institution) will never call you or email to request your account info. Any one doing so should set off immediate alarm bells.  If anyone tries that, same deal as above, call the institution directly using numbers you know are genuine and ask.


Here is a link that explains this better than me :http://www.800helpfla.com/scams/phishing.html

[bluecatvon]

so as long as i don't respond to emails, i'm safe? i always thought there is a risk even if i enter the url manually. i get spooked easily

[Sleepycat]

phising is only as dangerous as you let it.  It involves unscrupulous individuals suckering you in.  If you refuse to get suckered then you are fine.

hehehe I always get a laugh when I get emails about my ebay and paypal accounts, specially the ones that imply my accounts will be closed unless I go do whatever at the provided link....I don't have accounts with either one! (I never even open them, the subject tells me enough to guess the rest)


bluecat, if you enter the url manually, make sure you don't mistype it or you could end up at a phising site, they like to set up shop at urls that are close to the real sites url.

[cristalfiona]

Have you heard of paypal.com? That's what we use to transfer money back and forth from Norway to the US. Of course, you do need two paypal accounts. One that has a foreign bank account connected to it and one that has a US one. Works great! And no fees either.

I've got a paypal account, and come to think of it, i think my mums got one too. It just never occurred to me to use it for something other than ebay. Im such an idiot. (<- Feel free to mock me)

[sara_dippity]

  I email all my 'cards'   

My mom hates it; she says its not a "real card"   

Me too. I heard something on the radio about how that's not considered as polite because getting off of your butt to go to the store shows an extra effort that means you care, but if people really cared about me I could demand hand made cards, complete with making your own paper.
Actually I did give one real card this last year, someone gave me a car so I drew them a card. Seeing as how I can draw much more than stick figures, it really touched her. Hell, that car touched me a lot more.
Kudos to the happy online romances . I wonder if grocery shopping is availible online in my area for delivery.....

[J. M. Pescado]

Me too. I heard something on the radio about how that's not considered as polite because getting off of your butt to go to the store shows an extra effort that means you care, but if people really cared about me I could demand hand made cards, complete with making your own paper.

Make the extra effort to make sure they'll never ask you to do it again. I suggest something involving raw meat.

[Hairfish]

I didn't resurrect this thread, but I'm going to reply to the original subject:

You know you're an Internet geek when...

...you ask for (and receive) your own phone line for Mother's Day (1999), because you're on dialup and when people call they knock you offline and you can't stand that!

...you ask for (and receive) DSL for your birthday quite a few years later.

...you ask for (and receive) a new graphics card for your 27th wedding anniversary, and a new hard drive for the following Christmas.

I met my husband before there was an Internet. Or personal computers, for that matter. Somehow...we've survived anyway.

[vilia]

I don't even send real presents anymore. I buy stuff at http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com.au/ - they get an e-card telling them that I have sent money on their behalf to buy a goat or something. hehe - great way to get some of my stingy relatives to give.

So the last time I sent any something needing stamps...hmm...maybe 2002??

[PlaidSquirrel]

I met my guy in a strip club which is like a bar only better. We chatted on-line a few times after that but never in any meaningfull way. Just general chit chat.  What actually got us together was later when I lost my internet and would go over to his house to mooch his. Somehow magic happened and love was born. So we met the (sort of) old fashioned way but the internet brought us together.
I mean how could I not appreciate a guy that had already seen me half naked, was a good (internet) provider and oh yeah, he saved some wild kittens from a well (okay honestly this is the thing that caught me) by sawing a hole in his laundry room floor and climbing down inside to get them.
He's my hero.