http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRRdrwodAtU
Surveillance
Blackboard Tracking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8
McIntosh saves us from 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O_1SpCwcBU&feature=related
Orwell
What do you think?
Serpent Handlers of Jolo, West Virginia
14 years ago
I think the idea that Big Brother & the things depicted in "1984" are incredibly realistic & are very possible for our future. A friend of mine, a student at UK, told me just last night that at any given point on UK's campus, you can be seen on at least 6 cameras. I don't know her source, & it's very possible that she is wrong about it, but honestly, I believe it.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a huge issue with being watched by the government & having my phone tapped & all these things... Don't get me wrong it is disturbing, very disturbing, but I'm probably the most boring person they could follow. & I know I'm doing nothing wrong or anything worthwhile to even watch/listen to, so it really doesn't bother me that much.
I work in an office environment & recently, as our office is growing quickly, they have decided to run weekly reports about our internet usage. That's fine, they want to make sure we're being productive, but now I feel like I can't get on my OnLine banking, my school e-mail, etc. etc. They are trying to eliminate too much 'personal' time on the computers at work, which is understandable, but I feel a little bothered by it. Now I don't even want to get on the internet at all, because I know they're examining it. Maybe I should get on my OnLine banking & let them see it... Hopefully I'd end up with a raise!
Have a GREAT summer Gil!
These revelations are alarming and comforting at the same time. When I consider the fact that my everyday interaction, conversation and normal personal activities and conversations can be monitored at any given time I feel somewhat exposed and question my rights to privacy. I think trans-dermal computer chip is a bit much, but then I think about all the unsolved missing persons cases and murders and how helpful this type of invasion could be in those situations and my privacy seems a small price to pay for the greater good. i also believe the technical world is changing very quickly and that reliance on surveillance and computer technology is going too be the downfall because none of it is full proof and there will always be someone who will misuse the technology so my final word is simply because there is good and bad in every situation, it is simply a catch twenty-two. The future is no longer coming but is here, we can either jump on board and go with the flow or live frustrated swimming upstream to prove our point and try and convince others,
ReplyDeleteI was not aware of all the different surveillance technology. I think it could be a gift rather than a curse, being that more terrorists are able to be caught. In New York recently police were able to catch terrorists armed with bombs with surveillance cameras, and are actually wanting to install more. I believe that more American people will be under surveillance in the near future. But i think its not something we should be really concerned about, its mostly for our safety and as long as were not doing anything to really draw attention were not going to be watched.
ReplyDeleteAustin,
ReplyDeleteGreat comment! I don't find you boring. I think the office thing is interesting. I think you can be more productive if you can do personal things to a point. Especially mothers that have things that have to be dealt with immediately. What type of business is it?..... Gil
You wrote "it is simply a catch twenty-two. The future is no longer coming but is here, we can either jump on board and go with the flow or live frustrated swimming upstream to prove our point and try and convince others, "
ReplyDeleteJacqueline,
Another insightful comment! iThis is a very Sociological observation!! The point I disagree with is the "frustrated " word only because some are "frustrated" if they don't fight the system. A guy named Martin Luther King was one of those!!
Justin,
ReplyDeleteI think you express the viewpoint of the majority. Until the surveillance crosses your personal "Justice Frame" it definitely has benefits that you see. The New York situation is a great example of this!!
I think Big Brother is a great word for it. A brother is usually a good thing to have. Change the letters to "Big Bother" and it is another story...
Justin,
ReplyDeleteRead my comment and the others on this issue. I think Austin is "bothered" that she feels she can't check her bank account while at work. You have grown up more post 9-11-2001 so surveillance has been more accepted in your world.
Your task is to be aware of what the reality of how privacy is being eroded and that people from my generation have more of a shared fear of this that your generation does not as a whole.... Gil
YOU OTHERS!! GET WITH IT!! FINAL GRADES go in Monday afternoon....
ReplyDeleteTo myself, all of this stuff seems a little exaggerated for what we really need in society to protect ourselves. We seemed to get by just fine in the good ol' days and - crime is down, not up so why the fuss? At what point are we going to say enough is enough? There's a saying that goes - "The road to excess leads to a place of wisdom - for we never know what is enough until we first know what is too much.." It seems as though we're trying to create a perfect society. Is that even possible? And, what would it be like? Do we want that? I don't think it will happen - not in this century at least. But supposing that crime (defined by today's laws) were completely eradicated - what would be the next step for those who are putting themselves in control of our lives as we speak? Just think, it's not your average Joe who's being elected. The more I observe, it seems to me that the people who are chosen by the elite to be in charge of the rest of us are STUPID and ignorant P.O.S's which only adds to the divide there already is between the haves and have nots. This is even apparent in our own college in some of those I have mistakenly assumed would have a broader understanding of things and trusted I could engage with a reasonable amount of mutual respect - NEVER assume anything about anyone especially those who put themselves above you. I have recently come to the conclusion that those who possess a title are hesitant to admit that you are correct and back you up even if it cannot be denied - IF doing so give you status or makes you appear equal or superior in knowledge or points out their own failure to mention it first. I'm rambling... More of that later
ReplyDeleteI have been paranoid of the whole "Big Brother" idea for ages. No, I don't live a paranoid life thinking everything is out to get me, but I still have my fears. My friends laugh at me for coving the webcam on my laptop...but if our cell phone microphones can get hacked why not our webcams? It's just creepy!
ReplyDeleteNothing seams private anymore. Yah, traffic camera's can be nice, but not all over the place...I think the government has the responsibility to protect us, not stalk us. When we start spying on ourselves what are we really accomplishing?
I think that because the technology is out there, the potential for others besides law enforcement to gain access to that or to use the same type of surveillance to monitor or predict our behavior or actions in order to limit or control us by altering our circumstances so as to force or encourage a particular outcome is highly likely to already be a large factor in how many of the familiar aspects of our lives are managed by those weilding that technology (not particularly those who created it or own it but those who fund and use it).
ReplyDeleteIn reference to Justin's blog, I agree that just because the capability is there doesn't mean that all of us are being monitored constantly or even occasionally. It would be hard to believe that we've got all this other technology out but not what's been brought up in the articles. Whether that's reason to be paranoid - maybe that depends on the individual. So far as the technology being new, there is nothing new about it, only our awareness of it. For instance, agriculture in the US has relied on RFID tags (same as the implants in the video) for decades to monitor the movement of livestock via satellite imaging. The US Dept. of Defense has been using the same implants mentioned in the video for several years to monitor soldiers. Another less invasive example is the use of ID tags for employees at firms that require security clearance where employees are monitored for their activity. Several years ago I worked for Nextel where I became aware that all Nextel cell phones had a tracking capability that could be monitored by the owner of the account by logging onto a website that allowed you to track the movement of the phone as long as it was turned on and within range of signal. This was popular for business owners as well as most government contractors who exclusively used Nextel (also the official military brand). The idea of having a multi-ID that can be used to for all of your transactions with a single card isn't new either. The concept became popular around the time Europe converted all of its currency to the Euro. Integrating that technology with the RFID chip shouldn't surprise us. What bothers me is that there is no such thing as anonymity once we are carriers of that form of ID whether it be an implant or something else. That also brings to mind the risks of becoming a victim of fraud or crime through theft of and/or duplication of the information by whatever means - maybe that would mean a more serious crime (like kidnapping & murder). Of course if that happened it would also be accompanied by elevated levels of surveillance the general public hasn't contemplated yet but I think will be an eventual reality regardless of whether it is to prevent crime or not.
ReplyDeleteAgain I ask at what level of interference do we say "stop"? Do the statistics add up to make it worthwhile to have this type of surveillance, control, or interference in society? What is the actual trade off? I have heard more than once from a variety of reputable sources (educators & officials) that most of those who are victims have been victims by choice not circumstance - meaning that people make choices that put them in situations where they are likely to be victims of various crimes instead of them just being random targets. It makes sense to view it this way. I've been around the country and in many spots where common sense and "street smarts" kept me from being next where I knew there was a significant risk and even in places where it was less obvious. The point is that by instituting measures like this we might just be creating additional problems for everyone instead of solving them for some.
ReplyDeleteAbout the whole big brother watching us.. that's nothing new. Technology can pins us anywhere on the planet and government says it's for security, but I think it could be a little bit invasive. I couldn't live in Europe with all the cameras. I don't like to feel "eyes" on me and thats exactly what it seems like. Although technology is great and has continued to change the world, technology can be used to listen to us, watch us, and locate us. If you're a criminal, great! But knowing that the government has the means to invade our privacy without a warrant kind of worries me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not big on invasion of privacy. I don't like to get into people's business and don't like people getting into mine. I had a boyfriend that invaded my privacy all the time. I write a lot in journals, notes, and on random papers; just my thoughts or anything that's bothering me. I've been doing it for years and helps me deal with whatever's going on. I don't hide my things because I've always been the type to be open about things, so I'd keep all my journals and notes stacked up in my room when I'm cleaning. And he had gone through all my things and read a lot of it just to turn everything around and use it against me. I felt totally invaded and that broke my trust. Everyone has things that they keep private and my writings are one of them. Obviously things didn't work out with him.
Ever seen the movie "Gattaca"? That movie came out in 1997 and is a pretty close representation of what I think we can expect eventually. Not anytime soon - but eventually... I may be totally wrong but from my perspective, one of two things can happen in society in the relatively near future - We can either be submissive to the encroachment of our rights, or we can revolt at which time we will be forced into submission. Society (at least any time recently in the US)hasn't presented itself as willing or having taken interest enough to withdraw from the over indulgence of our senses to become aware of the necessity to redirect our efforts towards any common good for the overall welfare for our society, economy, nation, environment, and world. We're a bunch of sorry asses where the concerned few struggle to compensate for the lack of interest or plain ignorance of the rest. Most changes that do occur happen not as a result of our own will but as a result of convenient business tactics that happen to coincide with what has become popular.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed my classmates points of views and insight, Have a great summer everyone and good luck in your future endeavors
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteGreat comments! As I recall in "Gattaca" the one who rebels against the system actually wins! So they retain individual hope within a Society of Toatl Control.
I was working with Toyota several years ago and they tracked my friend by his "chip" to the bathroom. We laughed as I asked if he was going Number 1 0r 2?".
It is no laugh now with total body surveillance at the airports where everything shows.
Ashley, I have not researched for your Playboy Women if silicon shows up diiffrent on these scanners but I know there are invasion of privacy lawsuits going on.
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteGood point that invasion of privacy can also be low-tech or a mixture. More information is gained about each other just "overhearing" others cell phone conversations or looking at their computer screens....
Humans love gossip in whatever form it comes. Sometimes we seek it out, sometimes we can't avoid it. It is then our choice of "what to do?" from that point that interests me more. What is Society's and the individuals' "Justice Frame"?
There are many privacy issues out there. I have heard people talking about how bad the privacy is with facebook. It seems that the new privacy changes have at least something to do with people’s decision to leave. And whenever people talk about privacy and Facebook. The truth is, I just really don’t have issues with privacy. I really don’t care if you know my sons name. Its all in what I choose to share. I mean, it’s called Facebook. It’s about making yourself public.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find it at all surprising. There is so much technology out there that at times it is scary. Just to think that they can watch every move you make and know what you did, when you did and the time is freaky. I think that they should let people know that there is a possibility they could be watch without them knowing. The privacy act that is out there is so ignored. I feel that if you don't want people to know certain things about you don't post them and don't put the information out there. You can protect yourself to a dregree by watching what you put in print.
ReplyDelete