Comments on: No Spies Under My Bed http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:25:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html/comment-page-1#comment-322147 David Bradley Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:28:20 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html#comment-322147 Fair point Ashlee. Of course, there is no intrinsic difference between social media sites and e-commerce sites, like you say, they are commercial concerns established to make their owners money. No one forces you to use them, but neither are you forced to use online e-commerce or billing systems either (at the moment, there may be exceptions already) but millions of us choose to put our trust in online banking, billing and buying. db Fair point Ashlee. Of course, there is no intrinsic difference between social media sites and e-commerce sites, like you say, they are commercial concerns established to make their owners money. No one forces you to use them, but neither are you forced to use online e-commerce or billing systems either (at the moment, there may be exceptions already) but millions of us choose to put our trust in online banking, billing and buying.

db

]]> By: Ashley Burr http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html/comment-page-1#comment-321990 Ashley Burr Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:28:19 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html#comment-321990 Why do we all act like we never chose to have our privacy invaded when we post our lives out on Facebook or a personal blog? Business is one thing; the ethics of privacy there are a separate matter but I don't think lumping online social networking in with online business is the same. Online is the way business has gone and you have to follow it if you want to keep up and pay bills. But online social networking is just the latest cool thing to do. I'm pretty sure no one forces me to join My Space and post my whole personal life there. It's just the latest cool, and really stupid and dangerous thing to do. Like smoking. So don't do it. Why do we all act like we never chose to have our privacy invaded when we post our lives out on Facebook or a personal blog? Business is one thing; the ethics of privacy there are a separate matter but I don’t think lumping online social networking in with online business is the same. Online is the way business has gone and you have to follow it if you want to keep up and pay bills. But online social networking is just the latest cool thing to do. I’m pretty sure no one forces me to join My Space and post my whole personal life there. It’s just the latest cool, and really stupid and dangerous thing to do. Like smoking. So don’t do it.

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html/comment-page-1#comment-312383 David Bradley Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:44:45 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html#comment-312383 I think you're probably right Robert. There are certainly strings of words one might include in a comment that would be instantly flagged by the "system" and maybe get you a little visit from the guys with the wingtips down on Pennsylvania Avenue. db I think you’re probably right Robert. There are certainly strings of words one might include in a comment that would be instantly flagged by the “system” and maybe get you a little visit from the guys with the wingtips down on Pennsylvania Avenue.

db

]]> By: Robert Bowen http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html/comment-page-1#comment-312379 Robert Bowen Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:39:09 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/no-spies-under-my-bed.html#comment-312379 It seems to me that there never was all that much real privacy- it's just a LOT easier to harvest information now. So I remember a couple of things. From a US Army lecture in the distant past, "The telephone is not secure" and, by extension, email and most other communications can be compromised. And H. L. Mencken wrote "Conscience is the little voice that tells you 'Someone may be watching'." That's why I frequently put a little hello in to the Central Scrutinizer or the nosy old busybodies at Homeland Security. (That's right, you guys. How's it going?) It seems to me that there never was all that much real privacy- it’s just a LOT easier to harvest information now. So I remember a couple of things. From a US Army lecture in the distant past, “The telephone is not secure” and, by extension, email and most other communications can be compromised. And H. L. Mencken wrote “Conscience is the little voice that tells you ‘Someone may be watching’.”
That’s why I frequently put a little hello in to the Central Scrutinizer or the nosy old busybodies at Homeland Security. (That’s right, you guys. How’s it going?)

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