BLOG #7: Privacy
It is perhaps inevitable that when dealing with the Internet and online social networking that certain issues will come up or at least cross one’s mind. Issues like privacy and copyrights. What to make of all this?
Well, a good place to start is the book by Keith Aoki, et al, “Tales From the Public domain: Bound by Law?” The book discusses the issue of copyright and what you, as an open media producer or artist, should know. Aside from the fact that this is a comic book-style publication, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but most importantly learned quite a bit of things I really had no idea about with regard to writing in the “Public Realm.” Things like Fair Use and Public Domain.
In reading this book, my creativity felt somewhat “bogged down” by all the legal aspects of all the “dos and don’ts” that I thought to myself: Is it even worth it? I’m sure many people would not hesitate to say it is. I still have to think about it. It seems that it all boils down to a “money” issue. It usually does in these cases. Money is a problem for many artists. The phrase, “starving artist” certainly was not referring to artists with money. Like it or not, creating art comes with a price tag. This book certainly makes dealing with all the legalities a lot easier to understand.
The issue of Privacy is a very different creature. Anders Albrechtslund argues in his article, “Online Social Networking as Participatory Surveillance” that in the social context on online communities, privacy is many times surrendered — voluntarily. Albrechtslund quotes the chief security officer for PGP, an encryption software maker, Jon Callas as saying: “I am continually shocked and appalled at the details people voluntarily post online about themselves.”
This is a place where people form “Eternal Friendships” Albrechtslund says. “Eternal” because the “digital trails” of you and your “friends” are permanently stored on servers. Everything you’ve ever shared, every conversation is stored. Indefinitely. Not exactly my idea of a “lasting friendship.”
There is a certain “trust” that develops within these communities. There is also a type of “surveillance” that goes on that we participate in when we are a part of these online communities that is “mutual and horizontal” in its nature. I understand that feeling from my participation in Twitter. Posting your 140-character “microblog” comment almost seems like you’re talking to yourself. Almost. Then someone hits the “Reply” button to your “Tweet.” Then you know others are “watching over.” But you’re okay with that. These people are your “friends.”
But what happens when you things a step further? Albrechtslund brings up the issue of geotagging and “mobile social software” (MoSoSo). Now people can associate time and location information to their “online social networks” making it easier to locate their “friends.” Obviously, this type of openness can have serious consequences when you’re dealing with teens that are so willing to share every aspect of their lives with their online “friends.” Is the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA) really working? Oh, the spending of our taxes dollars! Where does it go?
While we may not know where our tax dollars go, Nicolas Carr’s article, ”Information wants to be free my ass” claims Gizmodo seems to know what we place our monetary value on: information. They invite us to “Do the math” on our monthly sources of information subscriptions like, to name a few:
-Internet service
-Cable TV service
-Cellular telephone service (voice, data, messaging)
-Landline telephone service
-Satellite radio
-Netflix
-Wi-Fi hotspots
Easily, these subscriptions can total up to several hundred dollars. He asks if we in fact are “unhealthily addicted to information” in the same manner as we are “addicted to fatty foods?”
Can you do without your electronic gizmos, gadgets, and service providers?
This brings me to Net Neutrality. With so many people using the Internet, it’s no wonder corporations want to cut us out of the profits, or should I say make huge profits for themselves and leave everybody else out? Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the Internet as we know it, believes, “Freedom of connection, with any application, to any party is the fundamental social basis of the Internet, and now is the basis of a society we’ve built on the Internet.”
Full and free exchange of information. Isn’t that right Mr. President? ?
