From: Zero Powers (zero_powers@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Aug 14 2001 - 23:19:16 MDT
>From: KPJ <kpj@sics.se>
>It appears as if Zero Powers <zero_powers@hotmail.com> wrote:
>|
>|You already have been, and it don't hurt so bad, does it? You are a
>number
>|(actually several of them: driver's license, SSN, health insurance policy
>|number). In fact every business with whom you have any sort of account
>|(utilities, credit cards, mortgage, student loans) has numbered you,
>indexed
>|you and most likely cross-referenced you with other databases in which you
>|are little more than a number.
>
>In Sweden, every person has a personal number (originally the SSN), used by
>the government to control everything about a registered person. And it
>hurts
>in case one does not do something about it.
>
>I have, since I read John Brunner's "The Shockwave Rider" (ISBN
>0-345-32431-5)
>made sure that my data shadow does not look like me:
>
> o avoid giving out name information (fake a new one each time somebody
> asks for a name)
> o avoid giving out address information (and no forwarding addresses)
> o avoid ID cards where possible
> o avoid buying anything with a identifiable card (cash works nicely)
> o avoid having an account with any business (or have one with a fake
>name)
> o avoid using bank accounts (safes work nicely)
> o avoid using a personal number (fake one for each use)
> o no mortgages, no loans, minimum number of contracts
> o no known home address (every year the gov't threatens to define me
>dead)
> o use several cash (mobile) phones and beepers
> o suppress information about birthday and age (or just fake it)
> o encrypt your data storage and conduits
> o use contra-surveillance techniques
> o avoid having any known habits, distinguishing features or marks
> o change your appearance aperiodically
>etc.
Holy mackarel! That seems like an *awful* lot of trouble to go to just for
a mere semblance of privacy. How in the heck does all that subterfuge
benefit you? I am in derelict violation of each of those rules. I have a
fist full of credit cards (all same name and address - except for separate
personal and business cards); I use my ATM card for nearly *everything*
(groceries, movie tickets, airline ticktes, etc.) I don't lie about my
name, age, address, DOB, SSN, etc. And (horror of horrors) I try to use the
same userid and password for every online registration I get (ISP, Hotmail,
Yahoo, online banking, Datek.com, paypal, etc., etc.)
Granted if, say, Whole Foods Market got together with Blockbuster they could
do one heck of a profile on me. They'd be able to tell you every video I
rented and every meal I've cooked for the past 5 years. And if Bank of
America joined in (who has the data on my Visa/ATM card) fuhgeddaboutit!
You could figure out how often and where I travel, where I buy my clothes,
toys and other necessities, what online services I patronize. And ohmigosh!
if American Express joined in, you'd know how often I eat out, and what my
favorite restaurants are.
Yeah, boy if the new world order ever decides to put together a profile on
me it won't be hard at all. Thing I can't figure out is (1) why on earth
anyone would be interested in compiling such a dossier on me and (2) even if
someone did, why should I care?
BTW, if anyone cares to know, I frequent vegetarian restaurants (my favorite
is Simply Wholesome), favor sci-fi and action-adventure flicks. I get my
tennis shoes (usually Adidas) from Footlocker, my play clothes from Western
Surplus, my grown-up shoes from Nordstrom and my suits from Mens Wearhouse.
I tend to spend way too much at Helen's Bike Shop and buy stuff from
Dell.com far too frequently. About once a month I'll buy a book (usually
pop science) from Bookstar. Now armed with all that scary knowledge you
can...what?
-Zero
"I'm a seeker too. But my dreams aren't like yours. I can't help thinking
that somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man.
Has to be." -- George Taylor _Planet of the Apes_ (1968)
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