Privacy on the Internet?

Is there such a thing as privacy on the Internet? No. This past week there was a discussion on My Manilow Network about how a picture some lady took was posted on another site without her permission. She ranted about getting a lawyer and the whole thread turned into a name calling bash of alt. fan Barry Manilow. (While this person never came right out and said what group, it was pretty easy to figure out; everyone knew what group she was talking about.) This fan needs to do some research. Picture can’t be posted to alt. fan. It’s a binary group. Images can’t be posted there. All someone can do is post a link to a picture. She put her picture out there. That means she opened the door for anyone with the knowledge of right clicking a mouse access to her picture. How many times do people have to hear this before they believe it – once anything is posted on the Internet control is lost? Now this person is only going to post a link to her blog on MMN. She also isn’t going to allow comments. Next time you have a picture you don’t want retrieved by anyone, don’t post it. That’s the only way to avoid the problem.

Another privacy issue concerns MMN. It is now a “closed” website. MMN can only be seen by individuals whose passwords allows them to log in. Don’t confuse “closed” with “private.” “Closed” means the site is passworded. That doesn’t mean members can’t take posts off the site and post them on other sites. That is happening all the time. Is it fair, or ethical? Who can say? It’s not good net etiquette but when has that stopped anything? MMN is no longer available for viewing by anyone surfing the web like alt. fan is but it is also not private. Why? Because, and I’ll say it yet again, there’s no such thing as privacy on the Internet.

Manilow Convention Thoughts

I did not go the BMIFC convention held last weekend in Vegas. BMIFC conventions are not my thing. Back when the conventions started, I really, really, really wanted to go. The first one sounded so great but I stayed home for an even better reason; I was giving birth to my second son. Over the years the desire to go to a BMIFC convention cooled. I was offered a gift of attending a few conventions by my sons when they got old enough to have jobs but I turned them down. It seemed too expensive for an event that had activities I had no interest in participating in. I have been to convention shows which were enjoyable.

All last weekend I read about the BMIFC convention online. Most, if not all, of what was written was by people who did not go to the convention. That was interesting; people critiquing an event they did not attend. Not only did these people not attend the convention most swore they wouldn’t be caught dead at a BMIFC convention. (To hear them tell about how TPTB feel about some of these people, dead is the only they’d be allowed at a BMIFC event.)

My take on the BMIFC convention goes likes this:

If you went and had a great time, I’m happy for you. That is what is important. When money is paid to do something the person who spent the money should be satisfied with what they got for their money.

If you went and were disappointed, don’t go next time. The disappointment will be avoided that way. Chalk it up to a learning experience.

If you didn’t go- shut-up about it. It doesn’t concern you. You chose not to go. (Well, to be fair, some people couldn’t afford to go. This isn’t the group doing all the complaining.) It’s a novel concept to some people in the Manilow world but try being happy for the people who enjoyed the convention. It’s way classier than tearing everything down. Try it sometime. And people wonder why stories, pictures and Platinum experiences aren’t shared among fans. Who wants their happy moments to be drug through the mud by other fans?

I hope everyone who went to the BMIFC convention brought home good memories of a wonderful time. That’s what’s it all about.