From: spike66 (spike66@attbi.com)
Date: Sat Dec 14 2002 - 15:43:56 MST
Eugen Leitl wrote:
> Briefly, the [McCullagh] essay highlights two different ways to protect
> your privacy: (a) Maintain control over your information...
> (b) Allow the Feds and companies to collect your information...
Gene, this view seems a Leitl too narrow. {8-]
How about choice (c) intentionally confusing the
picture by inserting absurd or contradictory information
into that virtual profile. For instance, you and I
could trade e-mail @s and autoforward each other the personal
notes for a few weeks. Then trade @s with someone else.
We could set up our machines to repeatedly log onto
arbitrary websites all night every night.
Or search on google with the following:
tree OR automobile OR republican OR wine OR mexico OR wiffenpoof
Google finds 867000 sites. One of you code jockies could
write us a screensaver-like script that will begin every
time the computer is idle and patiently start googling down
the list of websites. Or write a script that randomly
chooses two words, googles them, hits on the last dozen
sites, repeat endlessly.
I defy human or machine to comb thru all the resulting
records to figure out what our faves really are. This
intentionally corrupts the signal with noise, the way a
whiffenpoof obscures tracks in the sand. No lying or
cheating required, just creating intentional digital
camoflage and piling it high.
Invite extropians to your home often, give them your
password and let em run wild with your email account.
I may or may not have written this. Maybe. spike
p.s. My notions of openness are only for volunteers.
I myself wish to be profiled, so that my junk mail is
more interesting: stuff about science and math and
futurism and motorcycles and cool stuff such as that.
I dont want any junk mail from Martha Stewart.com
or Whiffenpoofs-R-Us. I also want those who wish
to maintain their privacy to do so. With improving
information handling technology, everyone can win. s
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