Network Integration Specialists, Inc. Blog

You've heard the grumbling, seen the memes, and probably even felt it yourself: that vague, all-powerful entity known as the algorithm. It's blamed for everything from political polarization to your inexplicable obsession with people eating military rations. What exactly is it, and what digital giants are pulling its strings?

We all have too many accounts nowadays. Between our personal lives, work, and practically all the entertainment we consume, there are dozens to keep track of and manage… and then there are the ones that charge us for a service they offer. The stacking costs of these services are bad enough, but if you see them start to double or even triple in a given month, you may be experiencing a common problem that is simple enough to solve.

To do so, we need to clarify the difference between creating an account and logging in.

For years, Facebook was the undisputed king for businesses seeking online engagement. Its massive user base offered unparalleled reach, connecting companies with billions globally. Sophisticated tools allowed precise audience targeting based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Businesses effectively built brands, fostered communities through direct interaction in comments and groups, drove website traffic, and even handled customer service, often benefiting from significant organic visibility.

However, as time has passed, the landscape has dramatically shifted.

You don’t want to get spammed; nobody does. Unfortunately, it happens to EVERYONE, and it’s just getting worse. All this unwelcome correspondence happens over the phone, through email, and especially on social media. In today’s blog, we’ll talk a little bit about how social media puts users at risk and what you can do to keep that risk from becoming a problem for you. 

All it takes is a couple minutes on social media to see all of the “outrage” over whatever is happening in the world at the moment. Before you know it, you’re invested in some issue that you’ve never heard of up until that moment, and you’re left wondering, “Why?” Today, we want to explore this phenomenon of how social media brings you to care so deeply about things that are rarely actually your problem (and why it can be so harmful).

Funerals are never to be taken lightly, which makes it all the worse that there are people out there willing to use these events to scam those in grief. Recently, Facebook has seen many groups that supposedly offer links to streamed funerals in exchange for credit card data, with different events being added more recently.

Sorry for the loaded title. There’s a lot to talk about, even for those of you who don’t use or even know what Telegram is.

We’ll try to sum this up, because we think there is a lot to say about security and the nature of technology in this, and like all things these days, there’s some odd rabble-rousing about this whole series of events. Who’s up for a wild ride?