Friday, October 29, 2004

It is not your problem if people see you naked

I believe that personal privacy is an illusion.

You don't have it, in fact you lost it long ago.

Any person can google you. My real name is listed on a website which tells you what college I graduated from, what day and what topic my senior presentation was on. I can find out where my girlfriend works and where she went to college.

Recently, I have been able to find office numbers of people's names that have been listed in articles that I have read. All I did was google and search through enough webpages. A bank can get tons of information on you past credit history. The government knows your current address, tax information, and probably can figure out how many times you fly.

If you number is listed and I know your name, I can look up your phone number and address.

Amazon can tell you what you have bought and suggest things you might like to read.

So the fact that the LAPD is putting cameras everywhere does not bother me at all. I actually encourage it, because it only removes the illusion and increase security.

They only place you have which is private is inside you head, as long as the government does not make it in there I think that we will be alright.

cube

4 comments:

Dave Justus said...

I agree with you Cube. I have long questioned whether we have a right to privacy. Beyond that, there is going to be tons of information availible on all of us. The more this is up front and acknowledged, rather than cloaked in secrecy the safer we will be from abuse.

Man of Issachar said...

I really don't know where i stand.

And have not quite formed a clear model of it in my mind. I actually belive that we have the right to privacy, espically when it hurts you (kinda like pleading the fifth) (ie medical records).

I just don't think that we actually have true privacy.

It is one thing to be followed, it is another for a person to run quries on sets of data in which you are being included.

Andrew said...

Neat. Those cameras are going up about a mile and half from my place. It seems like a stupid place to start, because the area really isn't that dangerous, but whatever. Otherwise, I think a certain "bubble" of personal privacy is important, but street cameras are certainly permissable and useful. I know I'm made a lot more comfortable when there are cameras in subway stations and whatnot, and the only difference here is the possibility of obliquely seeing through a window or two.

Man of Issachar said...

see they have even uncovered where andrew lives.

yea they brought up the window thing in the article.

which begat the title of this post.

Women really don't feel that way, but i know i do.

If someone sees me naked, it is really their problem not mine. Unless that person happens to be underage, then it is mine.

Yea so that is why i just walk around naked in my apartment with the blinds up, because it is not my problem.