Google and Big Brother

[PvK]

As long as it's really clearly opt-in, then it's just somewhat creepy to me.

On the other hand, it does make me think:

* Where is the version that saves the data on your own computer in a private and secure form?

* Just because this asks you and gives warnings, doesn't mean the government and/or various corporations are not (or will not be) also keeping such records without choice warnings.

[Gandalf Parker]

Thats true anyway. Unless someone runs a server they dont realize how much logging goes on. The default settings for server logs tends to set people off. And thats not going into the many options that can be turned on. And there isnt really a choice in it. A server cannot completely turn off logging and keep their internet connection.

An interesting conspiracy notion that keeps popping up comes to mind here. The anonymous servers are very popular and able to keep running in spite of official pressure. Some have put forth the idea that the only people who would keep upgrading to handle that traffic for free must be people who are very interested in who would use such services.
In other words, that most anonymous servers are secretly run by the CIA

[Atrocities]

One day everything we do will be judged by someone. If that someone, say big brother, decides that what you're doing now, have ever done in the past now violates some new law, can then use what he has saved from watching you to prosecute you for violating this new crime.

You don't think this can happen in the US? That a law cannot go after people who broke it before it was a law? That that kind of thing would never happen? Well it did, not about spying on people, not yet anyways, but because of the domestic abuse law that prohibits any person who has ever been convicted, or plead guilty, to a domestic abuse charge from owning or handling a firearm. A lot of police officers lost their jobs because of this law. A lot of people who had already paid for their actions 10, 20, 30, 40, or more years prior where all of a sudden barred from exercising a constitutional right because congress decided to punish them retroactively.

I am telling you, one day what you do today, will come back to bite you in the ***. At some point the minority will convince the majority that the rules need to be amended so that the unjust can be weeded out and punished for crimes, even if what they did the day before wasn't a crime, now it is and they should be punished for it.

Think about how china restricts people in their country and how the "thought" police work in the Islamic nations. One day some company is going to grease enough palms to get a law passed that makes it mandatory to monitor everyones internet access for criminal behavior. They will get this huge government contract and before you know it, every click of your mouse will be bring you one site closer to a hefty fine and or prison sentence.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if one day a law is passed stating that the internet isn't protected by free speech and that you have no right to privacy while surfing the world wide web. Your emails will have to go through a federal email sifter program so that you can be taxed for them, and the government can check them for illegal content.

Oh ya, laugh now, but trust me, one day you will look back at this rant and you will cry.

[Gandalf Parker]

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if one day a law is passed stating that the internet isn't protected by free speech and that you have no right to privacy while surfing the world wide web.

That wouldnt be too different than it is now. Under internet rules an admin is required to keep enough logs to be able to pinpoint an individual and delete the account of someone who is shown to be violating internet rules on things like spamming or cracking. If the system refuses then the system can lose its internet connection.

Also, at the moment there is nothing that particularly protects your content (posts, email, webpages, forums). The sysadmin can read them, and can delete your account because of them.

Thats actually how the internet is setup. Any laws created on the subject is likely to provide more protections. It would tend to limit who can read your stuff and why. Im not saying thats a good idea. I would rather that the internet is left to its own UN-style of government.

[Mindi]

And here I thought this was going to be about the controversy over google map's new street view that can pick up people on the street, license plates of cars, etc.

Street View

[Atrocities]

The sad thing is that any one capture any image and thanks to Youtube and all of the other video upload sites, can post it for all to see and laugh at.