Last Tuesday I was taking a virtual tour of the Internet, and then it happened, I got a virus. Not me, but my computer.
It started with reading an article about 'virtual validation' a geosocial networking application on iPhone called Foursquare. It was interesting to find out that people can become virtual mayors if they tag a place where they have been or have dined and they earn badges. Collect enough badges and you can become a virtual mayor. In my day, Foursquare was a game played with a ball.
This Geosocial networking is social networking in which geographic services and capabilities such as geocoding & geotagging are used to enable additional social dynamics. source:Wikipedia
Wow, I got really excited about this and sought out more virtual information. I learned about virtual schools, kids don't have to attend a 'real' school, they receive their grades through this alternative education system.
I even found out about a virtual hallucination machine, in which folks can see what it might feel like having a hallucination.
What started out as a virtual field trip, ended up with a malicious virus on my computer. A screen popped up with Security Tool as the name, and for $79.99, I could protect my computer from all kinds of stuff.
But, I already have McAfee, so when I clicked to decline, it wouldn't let me out. I was thinking, 'this is extortion' and continued doing all sorts of things to get rid of this blue screen. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything with my computer. Pushing ctrl+alt+delete didn't work, and I couldn't even shut down! I virtually had to unplug from the wall.
To make a long story short, with the help of virus removal medication, I got under the hood of my computer and was able to finally delete this maliciousness from my system. And I'm very proud of doing it all by myself! I would like to get ahold of the thug who designed and propagated this prank!
Some might say 'That's what you get from gallivanting around' but I say 'Naw, I'm just more aware now, virtually!'
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