View Full Version : How the b!@@*y H**!! did they get hold of this?
Loose rivets
17th Dec 2014, 21:56
I wasn't aware of Googoo drive. I was aware of Clouds but only touched on Dropbox for a quick look. I may have put a .jpg on for a test, but nothing whatsoever else.
Yesterday, a pal sent me a chapter of his book to be proofread and there, at the bottom of the screen, was a button to press for Goo Drive. He'd mentioned it, but I just read his file from g-mail with no download. As I neared the end I looked at the Goo Drive button offered out of curiosity and was puzzled to see one of my book's chapters as a sample file.
My novel, such as it is, represents years of work. It was written in Word Perfect and converted to Word in the last few years. It was in that form when it was sent to Kindle. NEVER has it been entrusted to a Cloud, yet there it was. A sample for me to try the system on. It was in a .docx form but read by their docx reader.
It is a chapter that is NOT included in the free sample for Kindle readers.
Every minute I'm more concerned and angry about this. I hope there's a logical reason, or some mistake I've made, but I have a gut feeling that's not the case. Does anyone know just how this could have happened?
EDIT: I've just noticed another file on this 'Drive'. It is a form called a seller's disclosure list, by Texas Association of Realtors. Or something like that. It has both my wife's and my signature clearly visible along with all the boxes we ticked re the state of the house. I'm totally at a loss.
Booglebox
18th Dec 2014, 09:55
I'm not a Gmail expert but I think it uses the Google Drive function when you preview / read attachments. You have obviously clicked "save to drive" or something unintentionally when viewing those two attachments. This is very easy to do as Gmail's interface is mostly cryptic icons these days.
You seem to have jumped to a conclusion that Google are offering a free chapter of your book to all Google drive users. This is wrong, and actually quite paranoid.* Please try to relax... :cool:
People sneer at me for using hosted Exchange and proper mail clients, but this kind of thing is exactly why - to a certain extent I have control over what software I use at each end. The provider I use kept Exchange 2007 around for ages after 2010 was released, and I'm still on 2010 more than 2 years after 2013 was released. I can also pick whatever Exchange-compatible mail client I like, or use the web system.
Google, on the other hand, just changes things all the time, both interface and functionality. This is fine for some people but not for others. Personally I find it extremely annoying (guess I'm getting old :}) and that's why I don't use any Google services any more (apart from search through DDG).
*Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they aren't all out to get you.
Indeed, I was reluctant to point 'finger trouble' at the renowned LR, but that is my conclusion too.
I also find 'G' annoying (but extremely useful) and FINALLY seem to have stopped G Maps 'reverting' to new style. It took 5 '"No and leave it as it is" goes. :mad:
Didn't you read their terms and conditions before you clicked on OK. If you had you would have seen, on page 163, fourth para, eighth sub para that you give them the right to do what they want with your intellectual property.
And if you don't like it, you probably owe them a substantial sum of money.
I don't trust Google, I don't trust Apple, I don't trust Microsoft. I don't put anything in the cloud.
Loose rivets
18th Dec 2014, 16:11
Troubled as I am, I'm certain of a few things:
Those files were there in the first few minutes of experiencing 'Drive' for the first time.
I have not looked at that chapter for many months, let alone sent it to anyone.
I did not sign up for "Drive", it seemed to be offered to me with some free space upon receiving and opening my pal's pages for me to edit. Indeed it took a few moments for me to take on board what the samples were. And, a few more minutes to realize the full implications.
Could my pal have sent them? Despite having received some of the rough pages years ago, he never had possession of that completed chapter, and anyway, the house sale document is private, though it occurs to me it may well have been sent on g-mail during the sale of the house.
It is a fact that I may have sent the entire book to Kindle via g-mail, some 700pages, but to pluck out one chapter and store it for years? Inconceivable.
It leaves me with two possibilities: One, that the files were plucked during a large g-mail transmission. Or, they were randomly plucked from my hard drive as samples.
Last night I was promised (in writing) a call back from the Contact Us customer care department. The box said 1 minute. The call never arrived.
I of course hope that the files stop at my system - just a promotional gimmick - but I'm no longer sure of anything.
ExSp33db1rd
18th Dec 2014, 19:00
I don't trust Google, I don't trust Apple, I don't trust Microsoft. I don't put anything in the cloud.
Ditto - Life was easier before computers.
When my father died in the 1990's I inherited and sold his house, the family home.
Although I never put them there, ALL the details of the sale are available to anyone on the 'net.
Nothing especially confidential but it disturbs and annoys me.
Loose rivets
18th Dec 2014, 22:16
That's alarming, but I am aware we can find out quite a lot of private information about house sales.
A strange thing happened this evening. Having written the last post, I suddenly got the urge to write to G-Drive again. I plodded out a new short message and sat back as I pressed Enter. The phone rang.
When I say it rang, I mean about the time the enter key was hitting the stops. It was G-Drive support with a far-flung accent. It just can't have been the result of that note and the operative didn't have that information. If not, it was a response from c 20 hours before. Curiouser and curiouser.
Anyway, she loaded something on my kit to let her see my screen. (I know:hmm:) and then navigated about and showed me how to find stuff. She needed to go to a supervisor . . . twice, but we eventually concluded that I was one of those people who were given G-Drive free in the early stages and they were never told. We don't show a drive letter in file management or it would have been easy. Anyway, the files were copied across to my 'drive' a long time ago and have just been lying there ever since.
She seemed to say that if I'd taken the paid capacity of 100 Gig the system would have started loading my disc into the 'drive' cloud. It seems one has to un-synch the stuff that's not to go. i.e., not the safe way round. I'm not totally sure as the conversation was a little difficult sometimes - not least of all because of my crappy BT phone.
Anyway, it's something to get clued up on especially after my Seagate network drive and main hard disc failed within two weeks - (while under the stress of clearing the house out and no time to remedy such things.)
It was G-Drive support with a far-flung accent. -Hmm! Not something I would have done! An 'unsolicited' caller with a 'far flung accent' given full access to your PC??! I think you'll her from Mr Mixture soon............... I seriously suspect you have been 'had'.
Loose rivets
19th Dec 2014, 11:34
Well, it was solicited inasmuch as I had filled in the request c 20 hours before and the call came this time as I pressed enter. Either they are blindingly quick i.e. an unoccupied support person reading in as I type, or a mind-boggling coincidence.
She knew her stuff and found in moments the distant date I must have mistakenly put the files there. The big issue was how folk in that era were given 'Drive' without knowing. I was not alone in that.
But, now I'm a tad worried, but I did get a questionnaire about their service etc. Mr Kaspersky was watching, but I'm not sure he'd pick up on something I give permission to. :uhoh:
Yes, I don't think I'd let Google anywhere near my machine from 'outside'! You MIGHT be lucky.
rgbrock1
19th Dec 2014, 14:44
Loose Rivets:
I personally would never have allowed anyone from Google near my computers, let alone taking control of them. (Then again, I only use Macs and other Apple products but, I digress.)
I don't know what operating system you use on the PC in question but if it is Windows then I would strongly suggest that you reboot that system in "safe mode" and then fall back to the "last known state" or whatever it's called.
This way, if anything nefarious was performed by the Google employee will no longer be in the OS. Strongly, strongly suggest you do so Loose.
This way, if anything nefarious was performed by the Google employee MIGHT no longer be in the OS - trusting soul!!
rgbrock1
19th Dec 2014, 14:55
Not really trusing BOAC but if you revert the OS to some previous point in time, say last week for example, then anything done on the OS after that point in time is null and void.
OS yes, hard drive/s no!!:ugh: That is lesson 1 on 'Restore' - be careful.
gemma10
20th Dec 2014, 07:48
You sure you dont have a keylogger worm? Typing, then the instantaneous phonecall :confused:
Loose rivets
22nd Dec 2014, 00:29
Still not sure about that - a tad uncanny. I see Kapser is working away quietly in the background, his emblem is pulsating. :rolleyes: It's odd, isn't it, that we trust a company that in the event of taking everything from everybody would be more or less untouchable.
IBMJunkman
24th Dec 2014, 18:43
Loose rivets,
Don't see what OS you are using. In Windows you have to have an option set to allow Remote Assistance. Best to turn it off if you don't need it.
Start/Control Panel/System/Remote Settings
Uncheck Allow Remote Assistance. And to be safe, if you don't need it, under Remote Desktop select the Don't Allow option.