Today's article with above title http://bit.ly/1IQ59ny on ThaiVisa Tech reminded me

I wanted long ask = How to manually off/on switch camera & mic one may laptop Windows)

Read about the dongel app on most samsung phones....

Don't worry about it. They will never understand your English syntax.

Why are you using a bit.ly url. Did ThaiVisa Tech give that to you?

My private conversations aren't all that interesting.

If 'they' want to listen, I hope 'they' enjoy the experience, 'they' are more than welcome.

bit.ly shortening was give by clicking the blue symbol see below

You don't seem to like bit.ly Why?

My conversations are also not of cosmic top secret nature. It´s a matter of principle. In particular I don't like the thought that the in-laptop camera could be remote activated . I like to poke my nose deep but in private.

Bit.ly, and other shorteners, are fine when you have to type a raw url into a mobile phone, but they hide the actual url forward.

On a forum like ThaiVisa there's no reason to use them, especially when text can easily be highlighted and assigned the full link.

Will the Internet listen to your private conversations?

I like to know were the link I'm clicking on is going to take me.

url shorteners can also be used for nefarious purposes, and tend to go against the spirit of forum rule #15

Any links posted must lead to the website the link indicates. Links that are misleading or direct to a site different than the one indicated are not allowed.

Otherwise, just curious where you got it.

My private conversations aren't all that interesting.

If 'they' want to listen, I hope 'they' enjoy the experience, 'they' are more than welcome.

They whoever they are May listen also to mine.

Rich

that is good to know. I just used the right click shortener and it lead again to bit.ly

But will remember rule 15, at least try too

"Today's article with above title http://bit.ly/1IQ59ny on ThaiVisa Tech reminded me

I wanted long ask = How to manually off/on switch camera & mic one may laptop Windows)"

These days you can't trust anyone. The camera is easy , just put something black over the lens. You cannot trust the microfoon. Not only are you never 100 % sure it is off , but there can be another mic on the board , and the loudspeakers can be used as microfones. Simple spyware to monitor/record it and send it out .

Bit.ly, and other shorteners, are fine when you have to type a raw url into a mobile phone, but they hide the actual url forward.

On a forum like ThaiVisa there's no reason to use them, especially when text can easily be highlighted and assigned the full link.

Will the Internet listen to your private conversations?

I like to know were the link I'm clicking on is going to take me.

url shorteners can also be used for nefarious purposes, and tend to go against the spirit of forum rule #15

Any links posted must lead to the website the link indicates. Links that are misleading or direct to a site different than the one indicated are not allowed.

Otherwise, just curious where you got it.

But the link you posted can also take you anywhere. How do I know where that link will take me before I clicked on it ?

Will the Internet listen to your private conversations?

Hovering over a link should display the link in the browser window, allowing you to see the domain name and file ending.

Sometimes people like to other sites, like finance.yahoo, sometimes they link to a fricken .pdf that starts to download when you click it.

Some websites will prevent link preview. I don't think that's very nice.

A couple of years back I read about a school that gave all their students a laptop each for study purposes, they were allowed to bring it home for use there. It turned out that the school could monitor (see and hear) everything that was going on while each of the laptops were being used through the cameras on the laptops...everything, even if they were in use in the bathroom. I cannot remember what country it was.

Go to ZDNet or Anonymous and read How to Protect Your Privacy

Use a VPN that should do it

A couple of years back I read about a school that gave all their students a laptop each for study purposes, they were allowed to bring it home for use there. It turned out that the school could monitor (see and hear) everything that was going on while each of the laptops were being used through the cameras on the laptops...everything, even if they were in use in the bathroom. I cannot remember what country it was.

WebcamGate - famous case involving students at a school in Pennsylvania.

Full details can be found here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbins_v._Lower_Merion_School_District

I thought the purpose of the internet was so that everyone could share all of their private details. FakeBook, YouTube, Twitter etc. etc. etc.

The simple answer....YES!!!

Two pieces of sticky tape for the laptop: one for the camera lense, the other for the microphone hole.

When the going gets rough, the rough go low-tech.

Nobody listens to me.

The general rule of thumb in the west, at least in the US, is that ALL calls are recorded. Yes, every single cell phone call that is made is recorded. It is then compressed, and filed away, on giant servers. If the security apparatus decides later, that you are a person of interest, and you are flagged, your conversations may be listened to, to determine if you are a person that they suspect you may be. Same with email. No email is not accessible, unless you are using special precautions. Also, from what I understand there are hundreds of keywords, that if used either on the cell, or in an email, will trigger a flag. So, beware. Not worth discussing anything of a sensitive nature on the cell phone.

I am not sure if the tentacles of the NSA, and all of the other US government organizations that collect data, reach worldwide, though it would not surprise me. Also, it would not surprise me if the current administration is using similar systems. Here is some interesting stuff, which is very scary.

The Washington Post reported in 2010 that there were 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies in 10,000 locations in the United States that are working on counterterrorism, homeland security, and intelligence, and that the intelligence community as a whole includes 854,000 people holding top-secret positions. And that was 5 years ago. Since then, the budgets have been increased substantially.

Unless you really are a spy ... i think that if there is any concern, it is via the webcam.

Here is a rather elegant solution:

Use a VPN that should do it

Because there is a special place in this world where the internet runs differently?

My private conversations aren't all that interesting.

If 'they' want to listen, I hope 'they' enjoy the experience, 'they' are more than welcome.

They whoever they are May listen also to mine.

Hey, if "they" want to pitch in for a few pints, they can listen to the three of us in a conference call !