From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rafal@smigrodzki.org)
Date: Sat Aug 02 2003 - 08:07:53 MDT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee Corbin" <lcorbin@tsoft.com>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2003 3:20 AM
Subject: RE: How transparent should transparency be?
> Alex wrote
>
> > I'm all for transparency in theory, but just how transparent
> > should we make things? Is there anyone on the list that
> > would willingly display every facet of their life to the
> > rest of the world ?
>
> I would happily, *happily* do so if everyone else would,
> or, in other words, I would contribute towards the development
> of technology that would enable any of us to spy all the time
> on any of us.
>
> > Would you really like your Mother, Boss or neighbours
> > to be able to watch while you improve your prostate
> > health (as described in a recent post) ?
>
> I have overcome, at great cost and difficulty, the
> notion that I am or would be especially interesting
> for people to observe.
>
> I even go so far as to imagine that neither my mother
> nor my boss would lack for better things to do than
> monitor or spy on me. I have already reached the
> point that all I would feel is pity for those who
> would waste their time penetrating my paltry secrets
> and following the boring details of my life. ;-)
>
> > In an 'ideal' transparent world where access to
> > information about anyone and anything, anywhere
> > is available. Where do we set the level for
> > personal privacy? if at all.
>
> Alex, let's just let it all hang out. (Or do I give
> my generational allegiance away?)
>
> Natasha writes
>
> > I like this list being transparent, and I'm more inclined
> > to promote a transparent culture. Conversely, I am a very
> > private person and don't like people knowing my personal
> > business unless I share it.
>
> But perhaps if there were 6x10^9 other people you would have
> to compete with for attention, then you'd feel (properly)
> neglected.
>
> > The problem is the gossip and assumption factors. If we
> > don't tell everything, people make assumptions. If I lived
> > in a society that was more compassionate and reasonable, I
> > wouldn't mind it being much more transparent - and that
> > goes for my personal life.
>
> This touches on the key point to me. It's never the *knowledge*
> of what I or anyone else is up to that is crucial, it's the
> *power* to do something about it. I think that if we survey
> the literature that addresses totalitarian oppression, from
> the Spanish Inquisition to Nineteen-Eighty-Four, then we find
> that it's not at all the surveillance that is the problem, but
> rather the ability of the authorities to *do* something about
> it. Solzhenitsyn uses an entire chapter to describe "The Arrest".
>
> If we are safe in our persons and property, then let's not
> care what is known about us.
### A resounding "yes" to every single one of your words, Lee. :-)
Rafal
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Aug 02 2003 - 08:15:50 MDT