Not to fan any acrimony flames, but given that information wants to be
free, how do you plan to achieve privacy in 2005? In 2010? In 2020?
The evolution of cooperation stuff indicates that rough parity among all
players is essential for cooperation to be a good strategy. Pure
individualism in its rawest form is hard to distinguish from
pyschopathology unless the observer has confidence in the shared values
of the observed. Think Mickey and Mallory in _Natural Born Killers_.
The mantra you mention is far from valueless to me. Please don't make me
your enemy just yet.
Principles *are* important. One principle that's important is not to
burn the barn down while the horse is still inside.
hal@finney.org wrote:
>
> As long term list members will recall, we have had some acrimonious
> debates with David Brin on this list about his attitudes towards privacy.
> He ran into similar highly negative responses from others in the online
> community.
>
> I believe it is this issue which has brought him to his present meta-
> analysis of attitudes and ideologies. It was a terrible shock to him
> to find himself accused of supporting tyranny and wanting to quash the
> freedom of individuals to communicate privately. He didn't really think
> of himself as tyrant material.
>
> So he has launched a meta ideological battle on a number of fronts,
> arguing against ideology itself in favor of pragmatic compromise. He also
> seems to be attacking individualist philosophy. His mantra, "I am a
> member of a civilization" is meant to remind us of how we owe to others.
>
> Personally, I consider the ideas Brin is pushing to be significant
> threats to the values which are most important to me. I don't want to
> demonize the guy, but based strictly on his current writings I have to
> view him as an enemy. I hope people can see past the smiling face and
> jokey writing style to recognize the importance and seriousness of the
> issues he is raising. David Brin is a dedicated and sincere ideological
> warrior who is fighting a long-term, well-planned campaign to use his
> writing skills to influence public opinion.
>
> Hal
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