Futurelawyer

Nobody Tells The Truth On Social Media.

Here is a current photo of the FutureLawyer. Everyone is always asking why I don't post current photos. Excuse me? Why would I post a photo of a fat, old man? I prefer to see myself as I do in my mind's eye. This will always be my current photo.

Stop The World...I Want To Get Off.

The Stop the World meme has been around for a long time. In the Fifties it was called "the rat race". Each iteration of the Peter Principle, in which a societal responsibility is always running behind reality, seems to make standing still and meditating hopelessly frustrating. We must be in a hurry, or be left behind. Of course, it really isn't a matter of stopping the world. It is a matter or controlling our reactions to the actions of others. Does everyone else seem to be moving faster? Let them. Do you measure your life progress in the lens of your neighbor? Just stop. When you look in a mirror, look at your reflection. Don't imagine the presence of all the others who seem more successful than you are. Social media feeds this desire to compete. Nobody puts their warts and faults and failures on display. Envy of another's life requires two to play. Refuse the game. Make your own. Now, go be yourself, and be happy with yourself. You don't really need the world to stop. You need to look at it with a new perspective. Lecture over.

You Can Prevent Facebook And Other App Hacking Attacks.

More than one Facebook friend has had their account hacked, and dummy accounts set up that message all their friends. This is one of the easiest hacks to prevent, and only requires the use of two factor authentication for entry to your Facebook account. While in Facebook, click the down arrow in the upper right of the screen. Click Settings and Privacy. Click Security Settings. Click Two Factor Authentication. Enter your cell phone number. Then, before a hacker can ever get into your account again, they will have to have your cell phone as well as your password. You have to get a code on your phone before you sign in to Facebook; but, you can leave Facebook connected if you have control over the physical computer you use. Sure, it is annoying to have to check your phone for a text message and code to get back in to Facebook after you log out. But, it is more annoying to find out some jerk has hacked your account because it was only secured with a password. If you aren't using two factor authentication with every site that has it available, you are like a homeowner leaving the front door to your house unlocked, who is surprised when a criminal walks in and steals something. Be safe out there.

Relationships In The Age Of Social Media - Why I Am A Solo Blogger.

Do you know why you are still together? I don't have to worry about that. My blog is a one person operation.

 

Facebook Security - It's Not Hard. Just Do It.

Facebook Set Up Two Factor Authentication. This is another security message to all my Facebook peeps who get hacked. It doesn't have to happen. This link will do it for you. After it is set up, if someone tries to hack your Facebook account, a text message will be sent to your smartphone. The hacker, of course, doesn't have your smartphone. If it happens, you will get a message from Facebook like this one, which I received this morning. No harm, no foul. Do it. Do it now. If you don't set up two factor authentication, I will refuse to feel sorry for you when you are hacked next time.

 

Facebook Users - Do You Know Who Is Sending That Message?

Phishing scams on social media aren't always easy to detect. I wish I had a dollar for every time I get a message on Facebook from a friend who advises me to ignore messages because they have been hacked. It is a common scheme to steal a Facebook user name and password and send messages to unsuspecting friends. If you get a "hello" message from a current friend, be careful. Better yet, avoid the problem by using two factor authentication on your account. Schemers won't always steal user names from your dead friends and relatives, making the scam easy to spot. Unless, of course, you already talk to dead people.

Houston, We Have A Problem.

The flap over Elon Musk acquiring Twitter is highlighting the problem with social media. When does a social media company get so pervasive that it needs to be treated like newspapers? Free speech principles should apply to social media. Otherwise, the single biggest bedrock principle of democracy is in danger. 

Why Twitter Must Be Abolished.

Why is everyone surprised? This is what happens when you give a forum to the self-righteous.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Decide Whether To Have An Internet Presence.

I have a message for my lawyer colleagues. You need a social media presence, and you need to be authentic and genuine when you post there. Remember the Eighties, when I told you Email was the future? Remember the Nineties, when I told you that the Internet was the future? Okay, many of you weren't alive then. But, you are now. And, you need to be on Twitter, Linked In, FaceBook, and other social media sites. Why? Because, that is where your clients are. That is where you can have conversations. Just don't be boring. Don't hire someone else to be you. Be yourself. Be your authentic self. Show that you are a complete human being, and not an automaton who has nothing to say unless it relates to arcane legal principles. 

#WhyIAmASolo - I Control My Use Of Social Media.

Social Media is, like other forms of modern communication, conducive to productive, sane use, as well as insane, destructive use. Like society, there are good actors and bad actors. Deciding which is which, in a polarized political society, can create conflict, which is exacerbated by the ubiquity of the message. So, it is not surprising that modern discourse can descend into chaos on social media. I humbly suggest that, for lawyers, the medium can be used to connect with clients and prospective clients, and to create a caring, professional image, if used properly. It is certainly how the FutureLawyer tries to use it. I publish my blog posts on several social media sites, ranging from Twitter, to Facebook, to Tumblr and more. Each audience is different, and it is sometimes difficult to walk the fine line between the groups. However, on balance, if a user uses social media for balanced and sane discussion of issues, it can be a very good thing. Don't be anti-social in your use of social media. Use your pulpit for good. If everyone adopts that attitude, the effect on society can be profound.