The Great Debate UK
from The Great Debate:
Should we ditch the idea of privacy?
The ubiquity of digital gadgets and sensors, the pervasiveness of networks and the benefits of sharing very personal information through social media have led some to argue that privacy as a social norm is changing and becoming an outmoded concept. In this three-part series Don Tapscott questions this view, arguing that we each need a personal privacy strategy.
Since I co-authored a book on privacy and the Internet 15 years ago I’ve been writing about how to manage the various threats to the security and control of our personal information. But today I find myself in a completely unexpected discussion. A growing number of people argue that the notion of having a private life in which we carefully restrict what information we share with others may not be a good idea. Instead, sharing our intimate, personal information with others would benefit us individually and as a society.
This is not a fringe movement. The proponents of this view are some of the smartest and most influential thinkers and practitioners of the digital revolution.
Jeff Jarvis, in his thoughtful book Public Parts, makes the case for sharing, and he practices what he preaches. We learn about everything from details of his personal income to his prostate surgery and malfunctioning penis. He argues that because privacy has its advocates, so should “publicness.” “I’m a public man” says Jarvis. “My life is an open book.” And he provides elaborate evidence on why this has benefited him, and says that if everyone followed his lead, the world would be a better place. He concludes that while releasing information should be a personal choice, privacy regulation should be avoided.
from Left field:
No wonder Tiger Woods named his yacht Privacy
Lucky Week 13 and the Lineman is worried because he spotted six games he liked right away and has not switched off any of them. Usually the Lineman will have second thoughts about a few games and tosses and turns over others.
But we like what we see this week. Ummm, that a good thing or a bad omen? Guess we'll find out on Sunday.
from MediaFile:
Google: Don’t Fear the Cloud
Google doesn't want you to be afraid of the cloud.
The company announced a new feature on Thursday that lets people view all the personal information they've entered into Google's sundry Web-based products over the years.
The information in Google's new Dashboard covers everything from your personal account information for email and other Google services, to your viewing history on YouTube and the photos you've uploaded to Picasa. It's information that was always accessible in the past, but Google is now making it viewable in one, all-inclusive snapshot.
