in reply to (OT) Dealing with end user paranoia

As long as we're way out on an (OT) limb . .

/me hears a branch starting to break

It boggles my mind that younger (College) computer literate people to be paranoid about such things. I would think that people who have grown up with computers as an accepted fact in their life would understand that anonymity is at best a concept not an achievable reality anymore.

For myself I assume that everything I do, everywhere I go, everything I say can be traced back to me. I live my life as an open book, but I doubt anyone would want to know that much about me.

There is one benefit to adapting to this mindset. It forces you consider what you can (or are willing) to defend and stand for.

Freedom does not come from those who hide in the shadows and exploit it's opportunities but from those who accept the consequences of exercising it.

coreolyn -- and the branch breaks aaaaaaahhhh!!
  • Comment on Re: (OT) Dealing with end user paranoia

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Re: Re: (OT) Dealing with end user paranoia
by jepri (Parson) on Jun 06, 2002 at 14:41 UTC
    I think you are missing the implicit reasoning of the 'paranoid people'. They assume that somebody does want to know about them, personally. Your comments are true in a broad sense - I am not concerned that my bank knows where I shop, or similar things.

    However a lot of people could potentially be personally interested in things I say on a survey. A university is a small place. People play tennis with each other. They go to lunch. They have to have something to talk about. And one day it might be the scintillating witty reply someone put on their survey.

    Also you're being pretty smug about your virtuous life. At least have a bit of compassion for people who are less virtuous than you, and aren't ready to be proud of it. Doesn't freedom mean that they can do what they want without a fight? If they can't, they're not really free.

    ____________________
    Jeremy
    I didn't believe in evil until I dated it.

[reply]

      Didn't mean to imply I've lived a virtuous life, far far from it. My opinion is based on my expirience of naively believing in my right to freedom. I am very jaded by current definitions and understanding of freedom.

      From my expirience freedom has meant that I have the right to engage in the fight to do what ever I want. If I want to drive 65 in a 55 I have that right -- but I have to live with the consequences. In the same way I have the right to my opinion -- but ...

      I don't believe that freedom has anything to do with anonymity, while anonymity can be a powerful tool for understanding more individual opinions, the fact that anonymity is required is direct evidence that not only does the anonymous user feel that their freedom is at risk, but the individual is unwilling to accept the responsibilities for their freedom.

      coreolyn -- cynic extraordinaire
[reply]
        I always thought of freedom in a more physics sort of sense - a lack of opposition to what you try to do. I do understand giving up certain freedoms and protecting others. It's just talk about fighting for freedoms makes it sound like we start with none and have to fight for each one, rather than starting completely free and giving up parts of it to live with each other. Looking around at society, I suspect I'm the naive one, but I'm going to hang onto it for as long as I can.

        I've got buckets more ideas on the subject but I'm going to go educate myself before I babble in public.

        ____________________
        Jeremy
        I didn't believe in evil until I dated it.

[reply]

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