TECHNOLOGY: Spam is really annoying; I should get paid for each email message

Sunday, October 5, 2025

https://www.makeuseof.com/i-get-these-emails-every-week-but-theyre-actually-a-scam/?user=bXVvQHJlaW5rZS5jYw&lctg=28d2ed2b3c7a64795f347195bfd302ab46e112a2d0fa032e2ba5de55cc388ab7

I get these emails every week, but they’re actually a scam
By Gavin Phillips — Published 23 hours ago

  • Gavin is the Segment Lead for the Technology Explained, Security, Internet, Streaming, and Entertainment verticals, former co-host on the Really Useful Podcast, and a frequent

<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-09-27>>

*** begin quote ***

Thunderbird’s spam filters need some better training, that’s for sure, as even after marking so many of these repeat offenders as spam, they reappear. I’m not even sure how some aren’t flagged, as they’re clearly scams.

It’s also interesting that there is a range of tolerance to the spam that lands. Some are clearly phishing emails waiting to snag my data, while others look less dangerous but have hidden threats.

It makes it all the more important I know what to look out for to keep my inbox and computer free from threats—and you should know, too.

*** end quote ***

SPAM emails seem to be a fact of life.

Google GMAIL seems to do a pretty good job of catching them.  Especially after I’ve marked them.

What really annoys me is spam text messages. And, no matter how many times I mark and report they still keep coming. Is anyone at APPLE, AT&T, the FCC, or anyone listening? Argh!

Maybe if I got paid for each email message, except for pre-approved senders like family, friends, and email I asked for, then we could use “postage” to stamp out this annoyance.

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TECHNOLOGY: AT&T introduces its variant of the Google Graveyard, the AT&T ashcan

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

https://www.zdnet.com/article/download-your-photos-before-at-t-shuts-down-its-cloud-storage-service-permanently/

Download your photos before AT&T shuts down its cloud storage service permanently

  • Come October, AT&T’s Photo Storage service will stop backing up your files. Here’s how to grab them before they’re gone.

Written by Lance Whitney, Contributor
July 22, 2025 at 8:33 a.m. PT
Reviewed by Elyse Betters Picaro

*** begin quote ***

Starting Oct. 20, 2025, AT&T Photo Storage will stop backing up your files. At that time, the app will be removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The service itself, however, will still remain available until Feb. 1, 2026, at which point your stored photos will vanish as well.

*** end quote ***

Of course, the monthly nut I pat to AT&T will OF COURSE be reduced proportional to the cost of this service.  

Yeah, right.

It’s just a technological form of our old friend, SHRINKFLATION!

Back in the day when I worked for Old Ma Bell, no one would dare harm the Customer.  It was part of the credo, ethic, or morals of the employees.  

Then Judge Green broke up the “monopoly” and the USA went from a stellar phone service to a mixed jumble of offerings.  Bell Labs and Wester Electric were fatal casualties of the distruction.

Were phone calls “cheaper”?  The phones certainly weren’t a durable and the politicians and bureaucrats ruled “rates” at all levels of Gooferment.

Unfortunately, unlike the leadership of IBM who told the Gooferment to go <synonym for the act of procreation> themselves, Ma Bell just rolled over and played dead. 

Roll the clock forward and we have expensive phones and service (such as it is) and the AT&T ASHcan!

Argh!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: AT&T “cancels” NY State internet service

Friday, January 17, 2025

https://www.androidauthority.com/atnt-exits-new-york-home-internet-aba-3517417/

AT&T shuts down its home internet service in New York to avoid new broadband law
New York’s affordable broadband act comes into effect this week.
By Rashid Agrawal
13 hours ago << EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-01-17>>

*** begin quote ***

TL;DR

  •     AT&T has announced it will end its home internet service in New York, effective January 15.
  •     The decision comes in response to the state’s Affordable Broadband Act.
  •     The law requires internet providers to offer low-income households broadband plans priced at $15 and $20.

AT&T has announced that it will cease offering its 5G home internet service in New York State. This drastic decision, first reported by CNET, comes in direct response to the state’s landmark Affordable Broadband Act (ABA), which mandates that internet service providers offer low-income households significantly cheaper internet plans. (h/t: Ars Technica)

*** end quote ***

Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerk strikes a blow for cheap internet for “the poor”.

One problem: AT&T picked up their tech and moved out.  Big middle finger to the Comunists who think their diktats have power.  Nah, nah, de nah.  

Did the politicians and bureaucrats expect this?

More and more businesses are pushing back.  I cite PornHub’s departure from certain southern States.

Finally, Ma Bell grew a set.  Where were they when Judge Green and DOJ were breaking up the finest phone system in the world?  The casualties were Bell Labs, a million employees, and untold numbers of investors who lost their collective shirts.

Argh!

Time to squeeze Gooferment back in a very very small box.

It really only has a few limited Constitution duties  —  protect against external aggression, foreign relations, and keep the States from interfering in interstate commerce.

States have more lattitude, but no guarantee that they won’t do stupid <synonym for excrement> like this.

What’s next the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerk “diktat” that AT&T phones can’t handle calls in NY?

Argh!

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SECURITY: Email is NOT secure; password resets by email is just stupid!

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

https://www.ghacks.net/2023/04/28/protect-your-money-att-email-accounts-under-attack-by-hackers/

Protect your money: AT&T email accounts under attack by hackers
Onur Demirkol
Apr 28, 2023

*** begin quote ***

A recent report says that hackers have been breaking into email addresses provided by AT&T and stealing huge amounts of cryptocurrency.

According to a report from Tech Crunch, unknown hackers have been hacking email addresses provided by AT&T to steal cryptocurrency from users. The report says that the attacks started at the beginning of April by a gang of cybercriminals. They found a way to hack into email addresses and steal people’s money on crypto.

The hackers have gained access to a section of AT&T’s internal network, allowing them to generate mail keys for any user. Mail keys are used by AT&T users to log into their accounts with third-party apps like Outlook without using their passwords. In other words, they are a kind of “secure measure” that allows log-ins from third-party apps.

*** and ***

If you own an email account provided by AT&T, you might want to improve your security measures or the different precautions. The affected email addresses include att.net, sbcglobal.net, bellsouth.net, and other AT&T email addresses.

*** end quote ***

As a former Wall Street InfoSec guy, I never allowed my enterprises passwords to be reset by email.

Guess I was a little ahead of my time and a lot of good it did me.

Argh!

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TECHNOLOGY: Building a community ISP — Comcast and AT&T should be concerned

Friday, October 21, 2022

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/10/comcast-wanted-210000-for-internet-so-this-man-helped-expand-a-co-op-fiber-isp/#p3

Building a community ISP —
Comcast wanted $210,000 for Internet—so this man helped expand a co-op fiber ISP
Fed up with Comcast and AT&T, Silicon Valley residents started their own network.
Jon Brodkin – 10/17/2022, 8:48 AM

*** begin quote ***

Sasha Zbrozek lives in Los Altos Hills, California, which he describes as “a wealthy Silicon Valley town,” in a house about five miles from Google’s headquarters. But after moving in December 2019, Zbrozek says he learned that Comcast never wired his house—despite previously telling him it could offer Internet service at the address.

Today, Zbrozek is on the board of a co-op ISP called Los Altos Hills Community Fiber (LAHCF), which provides multi-gigabit fiber Internet to dozens of homes and has a plan to serve hundreds more. Town residents were able to form the ISP with the help of Next Level Networks, which isn’t a traditional consumer broadband provider but a company that builds and manages networks for local groups.

Zbrozek’s experience with Comcast led to him getting involved with LAHCF and organizing an expansion that brought 10Gbps symmetrical fiber to his house and others on nearby roads. Zbrozek described his experience to Ars in a phone interview and in emails.

*** end quote ***

Remember that cable tv started as a community effort to get better TV reception.  Perhaps this is a way to escape cable companies and their contracts and high prices.  

Now with these folks it wasn’t about money.  For us poor folks, that’s too much of a capital expense. 

I wonder about the possibilities.

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TECHNOLOGY: AT&T reneges on its 5G commitment to older phones while still continuing to sell the older phones

Sunday, September 11, 2022

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/no-at-t-wont-let-older-phones-tap-into-its-full-5g-network-after-all/#ftag=CAD590a51e

No, AT&T Won’t Let Older Phones Tap Into Its Full 5G Network After All

  • Here’s why you shouldn’t buy an iPhone 12, iPhone 13 or any non-2022 5G phone on an AT&T installment plan.

Eli Blumenthal — Sept. 8, 2022 12:43 p.m. PT

# – # – # – # – #

This seems to be a consumer fraud issue.

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TECHNOLOGY: Texting sucks

Friday, July 23, 2021

2021-Jul-23 2148

Texts have been really screwed up on the TMobile network.  All sort of weird crap going on.  Texts to and from TMobile are just going into the bitbucket.

My work around is just to use the damn phone as a voice call.

All communications protocols SHOUD BE authenticated and error-resistant!

Argh!

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RANT: On hold — updated

Saturday, September 13, 2014

I just spent an hour on hold with AT&T.

Reminds me of an quote from The Big Bang Theory. #TBBT

Sheldon said something like: “I once spent an hour on hold with Customer Support at Hewitt Packard just to complain about their Customer Service.”

Argh!

# – # – # – # – #   

Conclusion: 4 hours and 3 minutes.

I must be <synonym for the act of procreation in real time> nuts!!!!

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RANT: Try to correct an AT&T iphone6 order error. I dare you.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Try to correct an AT&T iphone6 order error. I dare you. They have sucky system and no way to get to a human being!

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HARDWARE: AT&T MIFI Sierra Wireless “UNITE” problem

Saturday, May 11, 2013

New AT&T MIFI Sierra Wireless “UNITE”

MTTF about a week.

LOCKED in “shutting down”.

Not easy to get access to the battery. Pulled it and reinserted. Problem solved.

Then, I had to fix what I messed up floundering around.

I popped the SIM thinking that might break the “shutting down” lock. 

No dice. 

I guess when I put it back in I didn’t ram it home. Afraid of breaking it. 

So when it came back up, it whined about “no sim card”.

Easy fix. 

But strike one!

Argh!

# – # – # – # – #   

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SERVICE: LEGACY improves

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dignitymemorial/guestbook.aspx?n=paul-wolkenberg&pid=150386134&eid=lc_dm_gbexpire

*** begin quote ***

This Guest Book has been kept open until 4/16/2012 by Memorial Oaks Funeral Home. After that date, it will remain available for viewing-only, unless sponsored.

*** end quote ***

LEGACY, the obituary site, has new level of “service”.

Before, Guest books disappeared unless sponsored. Now there appears to be a third alternative — probably a deal struck with the funeral homes for free advertising — the guest book remains readable, but not updateable. Big win for LEGACY. Puts a LOT of pressure on folks to eternalize.

Hmmm?

All in all I think it is progress.

Which all “services” would improve their offerings! Are you listening PAYTRUST, YAHOO, MICROSOFT, 1AND1, Verizon, and AT&T? Just a quick top o’ the head list incomplete and in no particular order. Argh!

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