Comments on: Why would I need privacy?

By: Andrew Seibert » control

Andrew Seibert » control — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 18:49:55 +0000

[...] I was skimming through Alex’s blog, and got interested in a couple links he had up in his privacy post. Most particularly the Remote Control Device ‘Controls’ Humans article. Don’t know why I haven’t seen this coming, probably should have this coming with hearing a couple years ago with scientists controlling rats and of course the remote controlled roach. After reading the article on human control, I am kin of wondering how far they really are? The writer of the articles suggests it can move you to the left or right, but it seems like that is only the beginning. Just what we need, someone to get a hold of this item and using it on someone else (what a great gag). How about mindless armies of foot soldiers, im sure someone could write a program to send out information to multiple troops and what to do. Just think about merging this technology with some sort of visual recognition program. Combine the two and then the program can send the worker/soldier commands on what to do according to what they see or of course hear. « project update [...]

By: Epa

Epa — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 19:01:33 +0000

I am one of the people who care less about privacy.
My reasons are that it’s out of my control I can’t do anything about it.

By: jay

jay — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:05:37 +0000

Wow. Nothing in that article scared me like the remote control humans thing. That just gives me the willies. I wonder if its a generational thing? You're the same age as me and i'm pretty freaked about all this stuff like you are- I think we're more likely to expect the worst than are people a little older and a little younger.

By: Sean Cunningham

Sean Cunningham — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 02:53:56 +0000

Hmm, I just saw this article about Microsoft calling for Federal privacy laws. Personally, I think it just might be a sneak-attack against Google, but it's nice to see nonetheless. Personally, I wouldn't trade my privacy for any level of convenience; in fact I purposely inconvenience myself to protect my privacy, at least as far as all the password I use for online services are concerned. The EU has great privacy laws. I fear that the US is falling behind the rest of the world in many arenas; especially where technology and personal freedoms and privacy are concerned.

By: Grace

Grace — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 15:30:34 +0000

My stomach twists into a tight little ball when I think of some of the lackluster reactions to these almost immenent threats to our freedom. Like Andrew says, people are willing to give it up so they can carry only one form of ID, and then comfort themselves with the tired credo that as long as they do nothing wrong they will be ok under scrutiny. It’s appalling, not only because it’s not well thought out, but because those who do think more seriously about these issues may be outnumbered and forced to comply with anti-privacy and freedom measures.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 12:10:33 +0000

I think it’s way too convenient to give up one’s privacy, and that’s one of the main reasons that people don’t care or even find it attractive. If I give up my privacy, I won’t have to remember a 26 passwords and I won’t have to carry around 7 ID cards. The worst part is that many are being lead to believe that giving up their privacy and freedom (these are closely linked, eh?) will make them safer. I think that the upshot is that we’re seeing the embodyment of what Freud meant when he said “Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility”. I’d really like to believe that he’s wrong, but I fear, more and more, that most people are really too lazy to care.

By: diane

diane — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 17:42:24 +0000

I think the lack of concern comes from inexperience. Those who have experienced the violations of privacy will attest to the bureaucratic nightmare that ensues and the stark nakedness of someone knowing everything about you. I also think many have accepted the fact that there is vulnerability and feel powerless to fight it.

By: Media @ LSE Group Weblog » Blog Archive » The death of privacy

Media @ LSE Group Weblog » Blog Archive » The death of privacy — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 16:50:20 +0000

[...] Alex Halavais notes that his students seem fairly uninterested in protecting their privacy in the face of increasing threats and alludes to an argument often made by technological determinists: "Maybe privacy was just a social artifact of the mass society of the twentieth century". The question I would ask is if societal norms move in a direction you think is dangerous shouldn’t you act even if the process is voluntary and at the end of the process society will believe itself to be just as happy? I think a lot of technologists are giving up too soon and saying that computers make spreading data around so easy that it must eventually get everywhere (’information wants to be free’). [...]

By: Chheng Hong

Chheng Hong — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 06:40:29 +0000

It would be a good news if students turn out to say しょうがない. There was a recent debate in Taiwan about whether we should leave our fingerprint for ID card, and I was so surprised (and upset) at many fascist opinions……

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 06:06:34 +0000

Strrangeness ocurrs again…

I saw comment on one of your earlier posts from someone describing their comment showing up at first as a reply from another user from days gone by…….then after refreshing, their actual comment appeared……

i just had the same experience……I am posting again out of curiosity as much as anything else.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 06:02:32 +0000

I share your concerns in the sense that I am not sure we are as concerned as we ought be about this issue. I am encouraged by the fact that these things can be discussed openly and freely still; that although entertaining exemptions to laws against torture makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, at least we are debating it.

I guess this all speaks to your last point, that being, we need be more guarded than we are. For when the day arrives that we can no longer discuss these concerns publicly, that the debating has ceased, we will have then past the point of no return!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 05:04:32 +0000

Dude, I don’t think it’s that tough… just pose as an anonymous commenter on their blogs and post 5#it about them that’s real. That should scare them off their wits. I had an annoying anonymous visitor on my blog recently who kept antagonizing me. It was the first time I had to shut off that comment thread and worry about someone cyberstalking me through private information somewhere on my blog. New bloggers don’t know privacy till they lose it. Right now their privacy is maintained merely through obscurity. It’s only a matter of time they lose that sense of security. And like you said, once you blog about something private, you can’t really take it back!