More Cameras (was Re: Brin on Privacy)

Chris Hind (chind@juno.com)
Mon, 09 Dec 1996 14:34:45 -0800


>Now let me criticize Brin. In his 12/96 Wired article Brin is not
>sufficiently clear about what our choices are, nor does he
>sufficiently defend his claims about choices. Brin says that it is
>inevitable that most of us will be viewed by cameras while we walk
>about in public, and "the proliferation of vast databases ... about
>our lives, habits, tastes, and personal histories."

I agree that cameras are going to be everywhere and I don't think it's all
that bad either as long as they're not in the home. Cameras in public
should and are owned by multiple multiple companies many of which are
competing against each other preventing huge centralized databases from
forming. Sure, some of the information will be sold, but no one can access
all of it and will increasingly so as gov't breaks down and decentralizes
further along with the IRS centralized database which will hopefully become
corrupt in 2000 which makes the *perfect* opportunity to be rid of it once
and for all. What are your opinions on the franchised gov't theories in
Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash? Islands of gov't all over with pure anarchy
(ultimate freedom) in the cracks between.