Not me. Or I wouldn’t be posting this. Although Pam thinks that on my death I will try to post about it. Although I haven’t figured out the logistics yet, I would try to put a positive spin on it (positive step for the environment ?) and use a flattering photo   
(if in fact one exists).

Lately I have been inundated with Facebook and Messenger posts with that intro, with the ghoulish belief that I will immediately click the link to find out who I have outlived. Usually up to ten people are tagged. I have not clicked yet. But these constant Facebook phishing and fraud exercises are becoming tiresome. And worse.
A friend with an elderly husband told me how he was being successfully targeted by Facebook frauds. The more isolated you are, the more you depend on social media.

I just reviewed my profile for the last few years and noticed that the few news items that I had attached to a post in the past have now been deleted by Facebook, even if a couple of years old. I am impressed by the efficiency of the petulant algorithms that are carrying out Facebook’s threat to remove items and avoid paying for professional journalist prepared content. The Facebook model is to make a fortune selling advertising (immense amounts) attached to other people’s content, without paying. No need to respect copyright or intellectual property rights or a moral recognition that some of the content has been prepared at a cost to some other form of media. Everything is free in the Metaverse, except of course advertising. Well played Mr Zuckerberg. And no, I don’t want a cage match.

But I digress. It was not my intention to make a political statement. My point is simply this: If Facebook and the algorithm gods can so efficiently and quickly remove attached news articles, even from the past, why are they unable to remove the various fraud and phishing posts that seemingly only get removed when reported. The news items don’t need to be reported.
​
We need Mr Zuckerberg to have the same hissy fit about fraud and privacy that he has had over the Federal “ Online News Act”. Time to clean up Facebook Mr. Z.

​I am a dinosaur. Not only do I write using full words and sentences (a rarity on social media) I have no real understanding or appreciation of the modern technological world. My sons play electronic games with people from all over the world. I hear youngest son Adam talking to fellow gamers throughout the night. My daughters interact with their friends throughout the day by various online means. For them, social isolating is not that isolating. Today I was introduced to my kids’ Tic Tok accounts. They and most of their friends have posted numerous lip sync and dance routines. Now I know what the kids are doing up in their rooms all day. Even our dog Griffin has a Tic Tok account. I feel so left behind. And yet I can’t imagine myself lip synching and doing dance routines. Imagine, a dancing dinosaur

The present pandemic is life changing for all of us, whether it impacts our health, negatively impacts our savings, businesses and income, or just significantly changes our behaviour. I am preparing to conduct my five weekly UFV classes online (I had planned to die or retire before I had to yield to technology in the delivering of my courses). Our law office is operating in a significantly reduced and social distance compliant manner. My family, rather than travelling or skiing at Whistler, is cocooned in the house for spring break and possibly several weeks after. And as I exercised by walking around a near empty Harrison Hot Springs ( in contrast to yesterday’s crowds of people who came to walk along the water) I found myself in numerous conversations with pleasant people that stood a couple of metres away from me.
All of the above is manageable. Life will return to some form of normal and eventually one will recover from the financial impacts on business and savings. Of course inconvenience and business setbacks are minor compared to those who will suffer the more serious health impacts from the virus and I pray for the best for my family and friends and express my hope that all Facebook friends remain safe and healthy.
I do want to express my concerns for those suffering the economic impact of the virus. I understand that many people forced by circumstances to close down or severely restrict their businesses are being forced to close their income source, their life’s work and their dreams and that perhaps many of those small businesses will not be able to reopen. I know that many people have already suffered layoffs from their jobs and their will be many more in the near future. With so many people living paycheque to paycheque I know that this income disruption will be devastating to many families. I hope that we as a society can manage as much compassion as possible for the victims of the virus whether it be in their health or their financial security.

As the B.C. day long weekend comes to a hot and beautiful end (and every weekend in Harrison Hot Springs is beautiful) I lament the loss of a faithful companion. My one and a half year old -Apple I pad has gone berserk. If you received a Facebook message or messenger FaceTime call from me in the last couple of days it was the result of the random actions of my iPad. It would move uncontrolled through several apps and randomly contact or message people .
Not since the loss of my parents have I suffered a loss of this severity. My iPad was my constant companion. I took it to work, to UFV, and spent hours of quality time with it daily. It provided me with the news, and informed me of the thoughts and actions of President Trump.
I researched issues, even legal issues on my beloved iPad. It also allowed me to communicate and argue with people on Facebook. It was always supportive of my positions, no matter how arrogant.
And my relationship with my IPad was not only platonic. It went to bed with me each night. Many were the nights both Pam and I laid side by side both basking in the light of our individual iPads, exchanging the occasional texts with each other. And they say romance is dead.
And now I am confronted with the loss of my dear friend and forced to use my small iPhone to communicate with the world.
When my iPad started acting on its own initially I thought that it had been taken over by Russian bots,or perhaps a victim of a virus. Was it possessed by the idevil or simply suffering from digital dementia? Whatever the reason I apologize to those of you who have received an irrational contact from me( or at least more irrational than usual)
I will survive my grief with counseling and move on to another new IPad but it won’t be easy. Or cheap. Pray for me please