Friday, September 8, 2017

WTF Facebook - I am royally pissed off!

Check out the original post HERE - I had also updated it since then!

wtf facebook – i am royally pissed off!

THIS IS WHAT I INITIALLY WROTE – I WILL UPDATE AS I GET MORE INFO.



This is my Facebook profile picture.
My Facebook Personal Page is here: https://www.facebook.com/otto.rapp
But I cannot access that page anymore, nor my artist page https://www.facebook.com/ArtistOttoRapp/

Just to see what is going on, and to re-establish contact with my closest friends, I opened a account under a different name: https://www.facebook.com/otto.rappottensteiner.9

Now if you read the details below, the fact that I opened this new account from the same computer that Facebook claims is infected and wants me to download a Kaspersky scan proves that this is bogus!

Update: I now tried to log in from a different computer, and as it says further down in the Norton Community Forum post comment, I get the same bogus message from Facebook on there as well, but again, the “new” account I opened opens without problem!

READ ALL ABOUT IT:

I’ve been trying to share a web page on Facebook when I get a message to log in. I log in, this page comes up:



In case you can't read the tex from this screen clip, this is what it says:
Let's Check Your Device for Malicious Software Hi Otto, we're continuously working to keep your account secure. We've noticed that this device may be infected with malicious software. To continue to use Facebook, you can either use other devices or clean this device by downloading the scanner provided by Facebook and Kaspersky Lab.


I have Norton Security, I ran a quick check, nothing found:



So I am checking out the Norton History:


Scrolling further down the history, I find that several attempts occurred on seemingly a daily basis to screw with my Security Software. These are blocked and classified as Medium. Here is one of the (identical) type blocked by Norton:

Category: Norton Product Tamper Protection
Date & Time,Risk,Activity,Status,Recommended Action,Date,Actor,Actor PID,Target,Target PID,Action,Reaction
9/8/2017 12:54:57 PM,Medium,Unauthorized access blocked (Access Process Data),Blocked,No Action Required,9/8/2017 12:54:57 PM,C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WBEM\WMIPRVSE.EXE,7844,C:\Program Files (x86)\Norton Internet Security\Engine\22.10.1.10\nis.exe,2348,Access Process Data,Unauthorized access blocked

Running the text of this Facebook message in a search, I find this in my Norton Community Forum:

I have been blocked from logging onto Facebook as it claims that I ... – this was posted 12.7.2015 – on top it says “This forum thread needs a solution” which means that for over 2 years, nobody found a solution yet.

But scrolling through the tread, I find this detailed description from swamper777 in his comment posted on 7.6.2017

here is the link to the comment:
#comment-7492371
If you open the link, aside from the comment, you will also find 3 PDF documents attached.
But for the comment, so you wont have to follow the URL, I copy the entire text below :
QUOTE:
“Re: I have been blocked from logging onto Facebook as it claims that I have malware and must add a ESET program to scan all my files
Posted: 07-Jun-2017 | 6:01AM • Edited: 07-Jun-2017 | 6:03AM • Permalink
I’ve been using Facebook for nine years. During that time, I’ve only been put in Facebook jail about seven years ago, and then, only for 24 hours. I have 800+ FB friends, all of whom I’ve met in person or otherwise known in other circles.
I’m also an IT security specialist with 29 years of experience, one who has written 20+ articles for Network World.
It is my opinion that Facebook use of it’s “Let’s Check Your Device for Malicious Software” pop-up (attached) has nothing to do with “malicious software” as it claims, but rather, as a means of gaining access to the computing devices and personal information of people it has, for whatever reason, deemed “unfavorable.” I base my opinion on the process of systematic elimination, as described below:
  1. I run several anti-virus/malware programs on my computer, including Norton Security and Norton’s recommended Malwarebytes. The only problem any of them found was pua.opencandy, a low-threat undesirable which I fixed before reattempting my Facebook login, still to no joy — same “malicious software” error message.
  2. I next attempted to login to Facebook using other browsers, including Firefox and Opera. same “malicious software” error message.
  3. I flushed the cache of all browsers, system-wide, and attempted to log in using a different local machine user account on my computer (same FB user account): same “malicious software” error message.
CONCLUSION 1: This issue has nothing to do with any specific browser.
  1. I moved to a backup computer, one I haven’t used in about three weeks. Result: same “malicious software” error message.
CONCLUSION 2: This issue has nothing to do with my computer.
  1. I hiked over to the library, and asked a friend to login to their Facebook account using one of the library’s machines. No problem. After they logged out, I tried logging in using my Facebook account. Result: same “malicious software” error message.
CONCLUSION 3: This issue has nothing to do with my IP address, but may have to do with my FB account.
  1. I repeated Step 5 using a friend’s computer. He could access FB, but I could not. After I logged out, he was able to log back in without a problem.
CONCLUSION 4: This issue not only has nothing to do with either any machine or any browser, but is definitely associated with my FB user account.
  1. I researched this problem on several different user forums, including both here and on Facebook. None of the information I found conflicted with the steps I took and conclusions I reached as denoted above. In fact, the account about the lady who contacted the Better Business Bureau who subsequently contacted Facebook who magically resolved the issue confirms the conclusions I have reached above. I also noted that Facebook usually responds to users’ posts in their Help forum. They did not, however, respond to any of the five posts reporting this problem in their Help forum.
CONCLUSION 5: Facebook may not be interested in helping resolve this issue, because for them, it’s not a legitimate issue.
  1. I asked my friend to come over to my apartment, login using my computer and browser, to see if he can duplicate the problem. I log in and receive the “malicious software” message. I log out. He logs in with his own FB user account. Result: NO error message. I log in, receive the error message. He logs in, no error message. We repeat this several times just to be certain, both with cache flushing, no flushing, and multiple browsers.
CONCLUSION 6: Conclusion 4 was thoroughly and incontrovertibly verified. This issue has absolutely NOTHING to do with any purported “malicious software” on my machine (or on any machine) or in my or any other browser. The ONLY possible culprit is my specific login (along with the logins of others who have been put into the same penalty box by Facebook for whatever reason).
I therefore surmise that Facebook may have implemented this as a means of doing one of two things:
A. Blocking users whom it deems “undesirable.” Unfortunately, all it takes is just one FB moderator to block a legitimate user, even if all that user did was disagree with the status quo with respect to an issue like abortion or man-made climate change, and there’s no way to contact FB without first allowing them to scan your system.
B. Creating a false premise upon which it can gain access to a user’s computer. I would hate to think that any of the four antivirus/malware products with which Facebook has partnered (Kaspersky, ESET, TrendMicro, F-Secure) would ever be complicit in such an affair, but given the observations and test results as stated above, along with Facebook’s decidedly left political bent and the countless similar tactics the left has used over the last decade at all levels, it’s entirely reasonable to question that this is indeed what Facebook is doing now. The problem with this is that the only way to contact Facebook at this point is to allow them to scan your entire system, during which time they could record the entire contents of your hard drive – a definite NO-NO with respect to security. Furthermore, this even gives them the ability to actually place files on your hard drive during that process, also a BIG FAT NO-NO.
I have every confidence in Norton Security to detect any such problem that Facebook purports to exist, should it actually exist. In fact, I implore Norton to find out what in the world Facebook purports to exist and work with them and their four partners in order to identify and eliminate this supposed “malicious software” threat FB claims is on my computer but which I have clearly and incontrovertibly proven not to be present.
In the meantime, I am filing a formal report with my Congressman, asking that he open a Congressional investigation into Facebook’s deceptive practices.”
UNQUOTE


So my conclusion to all this is:
SCREW FACEBOOK

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

MAGICAL DREAMS IV

I am participating with 3 paintings in this upcoming exhibition MAGICAL DREAMS IV, opening on September 9th 2017 at the Bator Art Gallery in Szczyrk, Poland. That exhibition is scheduled to show in seven venues between now and Fall of 2018.
20638401_10155551180946241_1628730279136927708_n-800x445.jpg
My Biography on the Galleries website: OTTO RAPP
I am very proud of showing with so many great international artists !
One of the paintings I am showing is:
After the initial Exhibition in Szczyrk, Poland, the show travels to it's next destination, the Dom Galerie in Wr. Neustadt, Austria.
DOM GALLERY Wr Neustadt.JPG