Social Engineering

[Stormie]

Social Engineering - the use of deception, manipulation, or persuasion to obtain information by illicit means.

Now, I know some of us use this as a way of hacking, or at least one of the ways, take me for instance,
but I was curious about how many of us use it in real life.

Example. When you first meet someone and you want them to like you so you find out their favorite music,
style, their point of view on life so you can bring it up in a conversation to gain their respect and friendship,
isn't that a type of social engineering?

I consider it one and I'm guilty of it. ^^"
I did it because it's so much easier to start a real friendship when their guard is down.
Maybe it's wrong, but It works.
I don't do it all the time, just occasionally.
In any case my point is:

Have any of you Social Engineered in real life to gain someone's approval?
Why?

[Google]

I think social engineering is just hacking..

Social engineering is the act of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information, rather than by breaking in or using technical hacking techniques.

Otherwise, its just being social to another person.

[Neological]

I don't do it irl. But social engineering on the internet can be painful when you fail specially when you take the net seriously.

[Stormie]

I don't think so.

I only say this because when you're social, you don't falsify information to gain something.
Like in this case it's acceptance. You're still gaining something, trust, by basically lying.
:x Like highschool students. Some pretend to like trends just to fit in and be accepted.
I consider that social engineering.

[C0FFINCASE]

Social engineering in terms of hacking is one things and I've done it.
Pretending to be someone or something other than yourself or lying isn't really social engineering in and of themselves. There's a whole skill set, mind frame and method used to social engineer.
Those that social engineer in terms of how the interact with everyone are called malignant narcissist and are some the the most messed up and potentially dangerous people you can deal with.

[sighkick]

I don't...its basically being two-faced

[CL0V3R]

I haven't done it in that sort of respect, I always thought it was stupid when people would just agree with you to fit in. Unless it was a common interesting of course. I have, however, used it in real life to get things I've really wanted. That's how I got my lunch for high school every day. Hahahahaha... . ___ .;;;

[Gina]

Social engineering is fun

And anyways its the fools that fall for it that make it all worthwhile

[noblemin]

Yes I have,
Alot. I dont really use it to gain friendship though.

[noob]

Social Engineering - the use of deception, manipulation, or persuasion to obtain information by illicit means.

Now, I know some of us use this as a way of hacking, or at least one of the ways, take me for instance,
but I was curious about how many of us use it in real life.

Example. When you first meet someone and you want them to like you so you find out their favorite music,
style, their point of view on life so you can bring it up in a conversation to gain their respect and friendship,
isn't that a type of social engineering?

I consider it one and I'm guilty of it. ^^"
I did it because it's so much easier to start a real friendship when their guard is down.
Maybe it's wrong, but It works.
I don't do it all the time, just occasionally.
In any case my point is:

Have any of you Social Engineered in real life to gain someone's approval?
Why?

In medicine, SE is how we roll, toots. at med shcool, anyway.
You approve of the professors, or you get kicked in the nuts, hard. You fail even once out here, and your chances of further study go down the drain. And the professors can fail whoever they like if they see fit.

So yeah, I've basically had to become an SE expert while I was in school for other reasons, but it served me well at college.

[Raivu]

Not to gain anyone's approval, no, but for my own benefit, yes I have.

I do it a lot on gaia (pay some newbie good money and items to help spread your website around) but as far as "irl" goes, I do it to a minor extent. Nothing extreme, like fooling people into stealing shit for me.