Camp Site Info

I have nothing they want, money, fame or looks

Sorry - Guess I wasn't clear - what they want is your name - with that you will be very surprised by what they can do - when it happens to you.

Lo mismo para mi-tengo nada!!!

I have nothing they want, money, fame or looks :)

I do not really want to start or get involved in a discussion / argument about Facebook. The risks are actually huge. If you are not aware of this you are not following information from and/or about the whole cyber community. There are regular articles about people getting hacked. The costs and losses are reported to be in the billions.

I have read quite a few books where we see scenarios of what can happen with identity theft. Most of the books are fiction but they are based on facts. The most recent one I read was "Talk Talk" by TC Boyle. There are many others. I suggest doing some reading both of online articles about cyber security as well as books related to the topic.

Here are some facts - this is not about some kid in his parents basement playing computer games. There are "super computers" gathering all kinds of facts and data and statistics. These computers can then correlate all the info to build a complete profile of millions of individuals. They can put pictures with names. They can track down addresses - social security numbers - credit card numbers - they can hack your passwords - they can get in your computer and see keystrokes. So they compile all this data and then they sell it to crooks. The crooks take the info to steal identities and use them. They can buy houses and cars and get credit cards and live a very comfortable lifestyle moving from identity to identity.

Everything you put on Facebook (or anywhere else) can be added to the profile. They know your friends and family. They know everything about you that you put out there or that someone else puts out there about you. I know this is just too mind-boggling to believe or comprehend. But you should believe it. And everything you put on social media goes into these super computers to build your profile. The hacks of Facebook are just part of it. The hackers can get into your computer and get your passwords etc. If you do not believe it and do not believe you are at risk or you think the risks are minimal compared with the benefits you derive from connecting with someone you haven't seen in 40 years and have absolutely nothing in common with then you are being incredibly naive. Sorry, I don't mean to be insulting - but people really do need to wake up and deal with reality and get out of that fantasy world that allows you to think the risks of Facebook and the internet in general are not considerable.

The most valuable thing you own is your good name. Your identity. Once someone with criminal intent gets their hands on that your life is in ruin. It will take years to recover and you many never recover. The risks are substantial. Please take the time to learn more about the realities of all of this. I am not making it up. 50 years ago when I was in Naval Intelligence - with connections to NSA - we did not have near the technology that exists today (and is available to everyone) yet we could spy on anyone we wanted to. Today anyone with a little geek in them can spy on anyone they want to. Today super computer can spy on millions of individuals all over the world at the same time without lifting a finger or batting an eyelash. You are being watched and by going on Facebook give more of your identity away for free. I am not a conspiracy theorist.

Yep, Facebook has its risks. On the upside though, I have been able to reconnect with primary school friends, two of which were dying from cancer. It was good to share with them and visit them when I was in Kansas City.

I keep up with my brothers and sisters, daily lives of my nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, find great rving spots, rving tips, house rentals in different cities around the world, house-sitting opportunities, charitable organizations which I have been able to do actual work with here in Mexico. Oh and I forgot, one of the most important is my net working which provides income.

All of the above makes it worth the risk. After all, what is the actual percentage of people who are "exposed" or taken advantage of on Facebook?

Pretty easy to not expose yourself while still gleaning some benefit.

Personally - I don't think it is possible to go on Facebook and not expose yourself. I was in Naval Intelligence a very long time ago and we could do things you wouldn't believe way back almost 50 years ago. Today anyone who wants to can buy a computer and couple programs to hack just about anyone. The other day there was another FB trickery thing in the news. Whoever they are use a photo to spread a virus. A photo is data which I am sure pretty much everyone knows by now. So they hid the program within the photo. People click the photo and they open the program. Of course they do not know this. The virus spreads by getting into the computer contacts. Of course this has been done before but this time it was on FB. So it spreads to friends and more friends and invades friends list which opens everyone's friends list and on and on. Once you are on FB you are at risk. Most people have no clue. Which of course is why so many go on FB. The more you know the more you will avoid FB like the plague.

I've been looking into Bill Bell's site. I haven't ruled out the Church book, just haven't gotten to buy it yet.

Bills site, http://www.ontheroadin.com/ , has nothing to do with Facebook folks. He does have a FB group where people can ask for up to date road info, but the bulk of his Mexico campground information is all located on a traditional site. He also used a Google maps overlay for all the locations.

Slight segway on to Facebook for a second. While the bulk of FB is mostly worthless, it is a good way to keep in touch with friends, and there are groups such as Bills that allow you to get good "on the ground" information about various things. If you are concerned about your personal privacy, don't put anything out there of a personal nature. Create an account using a dummy email address and don't post stuff about yourself. Also, don't click any of the ads or links. Pretty easy to not expose yourself while still gleaning some benefit.

I want to try to correct something I said above. I meant to say people who go on rv.net forums in general have a setting to see all new posts - or they look for all new posts - and comment without paying much attention to which forum the post was actually on. So if you go on the "Mexico Forum" and ask a very general question there will be people who look on the "Open Roads Forum" of rv.net to see new posts and will comment without knowing which sub-forum the original post had to do with. In other words - not everyone who comments on posts actually go on the "Mexico Forum" - they just look at general posts and then comment. It could be useful if somehow posters included some clues in their topic so general readers know it has to do with Mexico and not the rest of the world.

It is naïve of posters who know nothing about Mexico come on to this forum and post nonsense. The Churches had the best and only real guide to CG's in Mexico. Any paper directories are a waste of money. Including Good Sam. Like Briansue we do not do Facebook so the Bell's info is of no use. Overlanders is a horrible site and the info is useless. Any website that talks about fleas in their tent is not of much use to an RV'r. But asking about a particular area in this forum will get good answers with recent first hand info. Church's book along with the updates is still OK. There are not enough Mexico travelers for anyone to invest in publishing a guide.

Some people go on this forum and just look at new posts and comment with no clue what they are commenting about. It would help if people put something about Mexico in their topic so the others will not read it. Of course there could be trolls too. To may knowledge the app they mention does not work in Mexico - wish it did. Our best website for other RV places is rvparkreviews.com - that being mostly US but there are reviews for Canada and Mexico on there.

Unfortunately, the privacy risks on Facebook - their seeming unending vulnerability to hacks - make the risks far to great to ever visit any Facebook site so Kevin & Ruth are out for us - though we can email them with questions.