Sunday, June 20, 2010
Privacy Please! (Blog #5)
I found an interesting article for this week's post called Privacy is Not Dead, Just Evolving. It was written in March of this year comparing the ideas of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft's Danah Boyd in regards to privacy. Zuckerberg has been quoted as saying that privacy is dead. Boyd believes that privacy is not dead, but rather is evolving with technology. Everyone has their own ideas about what information should be kept private, how to keep that information private, and what exactly privacy is. As technology changes so does the way in which we share information. For some people that means sharing more information and for some people this means that they are unaware of just how much information they are sharing. The line between the private and public is tenuous in the age of technology. Is an act public if it can be seen from the street (public space), even if it is preformed in a home (private space)? How much control should we have over our own images? How much control have we given up of our own information? Technology is evolving and so are the ways in which we use it. As these changes occur so will our perceptions and fears in regards to privacy. Where the questions and debates will end cannot be seen from where we are now. But everyone should have a great interest in the debating process, as the answers will affect everyone.
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I agree that we each have different ideas of what privacy is and what should be kept private. We don't tend to think about it until it hits close to home. There doesn't seem to be any real privacy anymore. Technology has changed so many aspects of our lives. We like the convenience but not the threat that it also brings. I know that the articles and discussions of this class have opened my eyes and I will continue to share what I'm learning with others to hopefully keep them safe as well.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your comment that people either share more information or don't know they are sharing more information. I think everyone needs to be aware of how posting information on the internet can compromise their privacy. People should also be aware of all the options they have to protect that privacy. I think there is a new generation of people that has no problem with being more open in a public setting and if they are okay with that they should not be limited but everyone should be educated about how exposing themselves in this way can affect them.
ReplyDeletePersonally, one of my fears is that we don't know the ways that technology can be used to get personal information that we did not willingly publish for public consumption. Think about all the stuff in Little Brother that was used to get information about people that they never intentionally published, or the fact that Marcus knew Mr. Benson's Social Security Number.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else scared by the fact that the head of Facebook thinks that privacy is dead? That explains a lot about how they operate. Maybe the idea of privacy is evolving to mean that the more (personal) meaningless drivel there is floating around in cyberspace, the less anyone actually cares!
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to common decency and respect? You ask " Is an act public if it can be seen from the street (public space), even if it is preformed in a home (private space)?" Why yes, yes it is. And you should be ashamed of yourself for peeking in my windows. At least we have laws to protect ourselves from peeping toms. Just look at what happened to the pervert who filmed Erin Andrews. He suffered the full force of the law when he was caught. As should anyone else who invades another privacy.
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