New Research about Telegram and Its Technology

August 29, 2024

green-dino_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumbThis essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.

Next week, my team and I will be presenting a couple of lectures to a group of US government cyber experts. Our topic is Telegram, which has been a focal point of my research team for most of 2024. Much of the information we have included in our talks will be new; that is, it presents a view of Telegram which is novel. However, we have available a public version of the material. Most of our work is delivered via video conferencing with PDFs of selected exhibits provided to those participating in a public version of our research.

For the Telegram project, the public lecture includes:

  1. A block diagram of the Telegram distributed system, including the crypto and social media components
  2. A timeline of Telegram innovations with important or high-impact innovations identified
  3. A flow diagram of the Open Network and its principal components
  4. Likely “next steps” for the distributed operation.

With the first stage of the French judiciary process involving the founder of Telegram completed, our research project has become one of the first operational analyses of what to many people outside of Russia, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and other countries is unfamiliar. Although usage of Telegram in North America is increasing, the service is off the radar of many people.

In fact, knowledge of Telegram’s basic functions is sketchy. Our research revealed:

  1. Users lack knowledge of Telegram’s approach to encryption
  2. The role US companies play in keeping the service online and stable
  3. The automation features of the system
  4. The reach of certain Telegram dApps (distributed applications) and YouTube, to cite one example.

The public version of our presentation at the US government professionals will be available in mid-September 2024. If you are interested in this lecture, please, write benkent2020 at yahoo dot com. One of the Beyond Search team will respond to your inquiry with dates and fees, if applicable.

Stephen E Arnold, August 29, 2024

Dark Web and Tor Investigative Tools Webinar

January 5, 2016

Telestrategies announced on January 4, 2016, a new webinar for active LEA and intel professionals. The one hour program is focused on tactics, new products, and ongoing developments for Dark Web and Tor investigations. The program is designed to provide an overview of public, open source, and commercial systems and products. These systems may be used as standalone tools or integrated with IBM i2 ANB or Palantir Gotham. More information about the program is available from Telestrategies. There is no charge for the program. In 2016, Stephen E Arnold’s new Dark Web Notebook will be published. More information about the new monograph upon which the webinar is based may be obtained by writing benkent2020 at yahoo dot com.

Stephen E Arnold, January 5, 2016

Expert System Webinar: Sharepoint and Semantics Add Value for Users

April 20, 2015

Expert System offers a system capable of turbo-charging information access in SharePoint installations. The company has developed a fact-based webinar to demonstrate the power of Expert System’s semantic technology.

The company’s Cogito Connected for SharePoint features a document library, complete with metadata enrichment for files to increase their visibility as well as their content. The library will also be retained in SharePoint and be available for use by other files and accurate time and date of most recent tagging will be captured for each file. Users will also be able to process multiple attachments in the Document List and the search function is enhanced with fully integrated Web components.

With Cogito, users can locate content via a custom taxonomy, entities, or faceted search options. SharePoint users can locate needed information via point-and-click, eDiscovery, and traditional keyword search enriched with organization-specific metadata. Expert System’s Cogito allows users to browse content organized by topics, people, and concepts, which makes SharePoint more useful to a busy professional.

SharePoint is one of the most popular collaborative content platforms for enterprise systems, but like many proprietary software programs it has its limits. The good news is that companies like Expert System discover SharePoint’s weaknesses and create solutions to fix them.

Using its patented technology Cogito, Expert System addresses one of the main user concerns when looking for information housed in SharePoint. Cogito sharply reduces the difficulty of navigating and locating content in SharePoint. This problem stems from creators improperly tagging content or not tagging it at all.

In an exclusive interview, Maurizio Mencarini, Expert System had this to say about Expert System’s Cogito Connected for SharePoint:

“Cogito Connected for SharePoint addresses these two areas by providing the power of Cogito semantics to the application of consistent, automated tagging of SharePoint content. With the addition of fully integrated web parts that expose the granularity of content generated metadata, Cogito enhanced SharePoint optimizes the management of content for the SharePoint administrator. For the user, Cogito Connected for SharePoint significantly improves the SharePoint search experience by enhancing the search capabilities beyond the list to include faceted search including category, entity and topic.”

Expert System’s solution delivers a better SharePoint experience for the user and improves work productivity for employees, since they will be able to locate information quicker. Expert System knows what many users don’t realize: the value of being able to locate and recognize content quickly. In this case, Expert System applied this knowledge to SharePoint, but it can be used for other programs in any field. On April 28, 2015 from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM EST, Expert System will host a free webinar called “Implementing a Better Search Experience” where attendees will “learn how to make SharePoint more than a place where you put documents and start transforming your collected knowledge in your collective knowledge.”

Expert System was founded in 1989 and its flagship product is Cogito. Solutions based on the Cogito software include semantic search, natural language search, text analytics, development and management of taxonomies and ontologies, automatic categorization, extraction of data and metadata, and natural language processing. Expert System is working on exciting new developments on everything from enterprise systems to security and intelligence.

Expert System wants to share its knowledge with users so they can have a better user experience, apply the knowledge to other areas, and, of course, make daily tasks simpler.

The new “Implementing a Better Search Experience” will be offered on April 28, 2015, from 12 to 1 pm Eastern Time. You will learn how you can transform your organization’s collected knowledge in actionable collective knowledge.

Sign up for the April webinar at http://bit.ly/1FalGjH.

Stephen E Arnold, April 20, 2015

Hidden Value Oxymoron: Another Me Too Webinar?

April 2, 2015

Look what I received in my email on April Fool’s Day.

image

I know zero about direct marketing. It did cross my mind that when sending out content marketing spam, one should make sure the message does not appear as a spoof. “Hidden value.” Okay.

I also wondered why IDC and BA Insight would want me to attend a webinar when I have been an outspoken critic of webinars and mid tier consulting companies recycle my content without bothering to issue a contract, pay for rights, or make sure I am okay with the pricing and the method of selling. I don’t want my content on Amazon, a company focused on offering one button ordering of laundry detergent, thank you.

Mid tier consultancies and their experts are another kettle of fish from an unregistered trawler operating near Samut Sakhon, Thailand.

This buzzword filled marketing spam is an invitation to yet another advertising webinar. The company footing the bill is BA Insight, which is one of the SharePoint centric search vendors working to generate sufficient revenue to keep its stakeholders calm and carrying on. The best way to achieve sales, it appears, is to pay IDC’s “search expert” to explain the value of hidden information. Oh, yes. The value of hidden information. There is gold in them thar hills.

If you are not familiar with IDC and information, may I point you to this item about IDC’s Dave Schubmehl. You may also find this article mildly amusing: Meme of the Moment.

Keep in mind when you listen to this infomercial that IDC and Mr. Schubmehl sold my content on Amazon without my permission. I buy from Amazon. I don’t sell via Amazon. My legal eagle managed to get the $3,500 eight page document out of the Amazon store. I make my information somewhat more affordable. CyberOSINT is only $99 with the offer code LEA99. That’s a good price for an original chunk of work. The Amazon $3,500 eight page item is, even with my name on it, a pretty crazy play for cash. Maybe an adventuresome five year old might fall for the $3,500 price tag. I would not.

How much of the information in this BA Insight infomercial will be recycled? How much of the information will be of “value”? Well, sign up and drink deep of the Pierian spring.

Remember: If products are not advertised, products may not sell. If products do not sell, there is no money to pay back investors keeping outfits in business. Without business, the mid tier consultants will get fired. Money is what’s important.

Value? Hmm. Good question when experts who use other individuals’ information are the “talent” on a Web infused late night infomercial. Why not hire Guthy Renker and get the job done in a manner that can be measured. Talk about value is not value. Remember. Eight pages of stuff with my name on it was only $3,500.

Such a deal. Ah, the power of presumptive management and challenged search vendors. Why not invite me. I just love this content marketing, webinar, value, best practice fluff.

Note: I almost wrote, “Don’t fail to miss it.” I did not.

Stephen E Arnold, April 2, 2015

Make Your Own Metadata Webinar

November 24, 2014

Here is a unique idea that we have not heard about: “Build Your Own Canto Metadata Webinar.” Canto is a company that specializes in digital asset management and their award-winning Cumulus software is an industry favorite to manage taxonomies and metadata for digital content. People often forget how important metadata is Web content:

“Metadata lets you do more with your digital content.

Metadata can save you from copyright lawsuits.

Metadata can speed your everyday workflow.”

The webinar is advertised as way to help people understand what exactly metadata is, how people can harness it to their advantage, and how to engage more people into using it. While anyone can teach a webinar about metadata, Canto is building the entire session around users’ questions. They will be able to tweet questions before and during the meeting.

The webinar is led by three metadata experts: Thomas Schleu-CTO/Co-Founder of Canto, Phoenix Von Lieven-Director of Professional Services, Americas Cantos, and Danielle Forshtay-Publications Coordinator of Lockheed Martin. These experts will lend their knowledge to attendees.

“Build Your Own Canto Webinar” is an odd way to advertise an online class about metadata. Why is it called make your own? Are the attendees shaping the class’ content entirely? It does bear further investigation by attending the webinar on November 19.

Whitney Grace, November 24, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext

Webinar Offered on SharePoint Extranet

July 17, 2014

Webinars are a helpful and popular way to make sense of some of the most complicated issues facing SharePoint users and managers. PremierPoint Solutions is hosting one tomorrow to help make some sense of the extranet. Read more in the PR Web release, “Webinar: A Comprehensive SharePoint Extranet Solution.”

The article begins:

’Making SharePoint Extranet Collaboration and Management Secure, Easy and Affordable,” a free one-hour webinar about a comprehensive solution for simplifying SharePoint extranet management, will be take place July 2 at 11 a.m. EDT. The session will include a question and answer period. Hosted by PremierPoint Solutions . . . the webinar will demonstrate a proven tool for making the extranet secure and easy, with affordable access and collaboration for business partners, venders, employees and clients from virtually any place in the world.”

For those that find this type of precise support to be helpful, Stephen E. Arnold’s SharePoint feed on his Web site ArnoldIT.com might also be worth keeping an eye on. Arnold lends a career’s worth of expertise to all elements of search, including SharePoint. His tips and tricks are valuable for end users and managers alike.

Emily Rae Aldridge, July 17, 2014

Webinar Bridges the Gap Between SharePoint Usage and Performance

May 27, 2014

Many SharePoint specialists see a disconnect between SharePoint usage and user performance. In an attempt to explain and fill that gap, GSX Solutions is sponsoring a webinar which highlights their partnership with CardioLog Analytics. Read all the details in the article, “Webinar: Bridging the SharePoint Gap — Usage Meets User Performance.”

The announcement begins:

GSX Solutions . . . today announced a new webinar to discuss topics around filling the gap between usage and user performance when using SharePoint together with its technology partner, Intlock, the leader in the field of SharePoint analytics since 2005. CardioLog Analytics, the leading SharePoint Web analytics solution developed by Intlock, provides deep insights into the performance of Web and portal initiatives through testing, tracking and targeting, ultimately enabling users to optimize their sites’ impact and maximize the return on investment.”

Stephen E. Arnold also has a vested interest in SharePoint. He has made a career out of following all things search and reporting his finding on ArnoldIT.com. His SharePoint feed features lots of useful tips and tricks, including webinar and professional development like the opportunity above.

Emily Rae Aldridge, May 27, 2014

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