List Archive (Was: Re: p2p, anonymity and security)

[Brian]

On Fri, 2004-03-12 at 14:34, Derek Martin wrote:
> Actually it wasn't.  Or at least not all of it.  So what?  It should
> be up to ME, not YOU, when and where I decide to give up my privacy.

And it is/was up to YOU.  Until you put the data on the Internet.  That
is when you gave up your privacy as related to that data.  

> That's rude.  

Possibly, but are we talking about privacy, or manners, or both?  

> The DMV has my name and address (or my last known, at any rate).  I
> still don't want it posted on billboards in downtown Nashua.  Surely
> you can see that there's a difference.

Yes there is.  *BUT* if you post it anywhere on the Internet I would
warn you not to be surprised if it DID wind up on a billboard.

Nothing is private on the Internet.  Things get archived, archives get
publicized, stolen, hacked, etc.  To argue that a mailing list, blog,
guestbook, obscure webpage, whatever is private is really futile in this
day and age.  

> My point is, I and only I should be in charge of what of my private
> information is given to whom and when.  Seeing my address posted on an
> on-call list does not give you the right to give it to your neighbor,
> or anyone else.  Or at least it shouldn't.

While it would be nice to exist in the information utopia world, where
personal data only went exactly where we wanted it to, that is not where
we actually live.  

If the information is available over "There" on the 'net, it is only a
matter of time before it gets posted (or used in an argument or
whatever) over "Here".

As others have pointed out, if you don't like that, then don't play on
the 'net.  You're not going to change it at this stage. 
-- 
Brian <lists at karas.net>