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SoylentNews
I'm about to give up.
On the one hand, I see countless people get loyalty cards and enjoy discounts on their purchases. They connect with friends on Facebook and Twitter. They use apps on android or apple smartphones to give them turn-by-turn directions, find out where their friends are, or find places of interest. Their e-mail is "in the cloud" where they can get to it from multiple places. They use services like dropbox to share files. They get their news on-line and read e-books. I could go on and on.
On the other hand, I see opportunities for tracking and profiling in every one of those activities. So much so that it seems like one would be under constant observation and surveillance. We are just data points to be sliced and diced and marketed to — a society of consumers rather than customers.
So, I've got a major "ick factor" knowing about these practices and yet I'm hard-pressed to explain any negative consequences to otherwise intelligent people. "I don't do anything that's THAT interesting." "I've done nothing wrong, so I don't worry about it." "I like getting the bonuses and discounts."
Yet, I see companies expend great amounts of money implementing tracking mechanisms such as cookies, super-cookies, clear gifs, as well as huge databases of purchases, travels, and interests. I don't believe they are doing this for purely philanthropic reasons.
In no particular order, I include these for consideration:
- "If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." - Cardinal Richelieu
- "If you are not paying for it, you are the product."
- Joel on Software - Strategy Letter V: Commoditize your Complement
- Using Metadata to find Paul Revere
I use a variety of Addons while browsing the web using Pale Moon: a custom HOSTS file, Self-Destructing Cookies, Ad-Block Plus, Ghostery, NoScript, Better Privacy, Flashblock, and Ref Control. I have a firewall and use anti-virus products. "In real life" I prefer to use cash over charge cards for my purchases. I have no loyalty cards.
What say you Soylentils? Am I being unreasonably paranoid? Or not paranoid enough? What dangers, really, are there? Why not sign up for all those loyalty cards and social apps? What privacy protections do YOU use?
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Wednesday May 13 2015, @03:33PM
I don't know. Post your SSN and bank account numbers here and we will get back to you on this.
Also, let us know about your family details, sexual orientation, religion, home address and if you have ever made any comments supporting any of the following: Socialism, Gun Rights, Censorship, Video Games, Political Parties, Edward Snowden, Fox News, Feminism.
I kid, of course. But remember, just because you think that there is no harm in making something public, doesn't mean someone else will not cause harm just because... people are dicks.
I have an intentionally boring online life. Unless someone has a vendetta against java developers or amateur astronomers or people that play Faster Than Light, I think I am safe from some psycho trying to ruin my life. (Ok, I am an atheist, and though I don't know a single person IRL that gives a shit either way, I can see people online trying to get me fired or ruin my credit score just because of who I am. Good luck with that, jackasses.) I have a common name and live in a boring middle sized city, I could probably tell you both and it would not help much in finding my actual identity. That being said, I think I will not risk it. :)
That being said, there is no way there will be any connection between my nitehawk214 Soylent account and my real identity. A quick google search shows links to a Slashdot user with the same username. (That bastard stole my username!)
I am sure someone could do it, simply forge a subpoena to get the ip address of this comment from Soylent, then ask the provider. I bet nobody even checks to see if those things are real.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh