Comments on: Freewheeling about being Private in Public

By: Musing about lifestreams, subscribe-aggregation and publish-aggregation

Musing about lifestreams, subscribe-aggregation and publish-aggregation — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:53:55 +0000

[...] part of me is deeply enmeshed in an oral tradition: as I’ve discussed earlier, maybe it’s the Calcutta in me, the extension of the adda. Addas are intimate yet open, oral yet visual, immediate yet part of a ritual. Which is why I [...]

By: JP

JP — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:46:57 +0000

The first thing I want to know is what data about me is out there, and I need tools to understand that and to be able to correct or at least challenge it.

The second thing I need is to be sure who has access to it.

Privacy fears come from these two areas. When you don’t know what’s out there then you don’t know how it can be used. When you don’t know who has the data then you don’t know what they can do with it.

Data that is easily accessible by all holds no fear, it is the asymmetric data that is dangerous.

Private data is by definition asymmetric.

By: DE

DE — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 02:32:41 +0000

For Darren it is anonymity that is lost – the ability to have your data easily correlated (e.g. by Google) is the first casuality of fame. Wheras I could reasonable walk down the centre of Stockholm (where I don’t live or work) naked with a reasonable chance that it will never be connected to me.

Its very much like throwing keys into the street. What use are they to anyone? Well, if I can use a CC camera to catch the person in the act, then somehow correlate that picture to their address – then maybe I can ransack their place.

But that last step is the magic crossover where one online datum connects to another. Its not just about private and public.

By: FND

FND — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:32:39 +0000

I largely agree with Darren and Robbie.
Maybe it’s a bit paranoid, but I simply wouldn’t feel comfortable with anyone being able to track my every move, all with a simple Google query. That’s why I rarely use my full name or personal e-mail address when interacting on the web (like right here).

The downside: This rigid separation of real-world and online online identity makes it difficult to present achievements online to a potential employer or client, which seems to become more and more important (in a positive sense, not just in the negative “drunk pics on Facebook” way described by Darren).

By: Darren Barrenger

Darren Barrenger — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:26:53 +0000

I’d like to throw in a slightly different perspective into the mix. As someone who has spent over a decade in some form of public service (elected local councillor in England, chair of a Â£m+ charity), I have had the experience of not being able to be “private” in any sense. The dividing line between being accessible and accountable to the public and being “owned” by the public is a very thin one. There are clearly levels of expectation around behaviour, but this has been amplified beyond reasonableness by a media feeding a public insatiable for controversy and gossip.

But do we really want saints as our leaders or even employees? Do we really need to scan youtube to rule out evidence of youthful exuberance before considering employing someone?

I am passionate about the concept of community and feel privileged to be sought by my own community to assist and support them. Being accessible and available via new media means my contribution can grow. This requires me to be open and accessible online as well as via traditional methods.

I think a drive towards anonymity and away from an honest expression of opinions allows the visions and dreams that can be exposed and expounded using new emergent media, to slip sadly through our grasp.

By: Robbie Clutton

Robbie Clutton — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:51:51 +0000

There was a time when I was a little more careful about the information about me online, especially after a very odd experience with a jealous hacker (I’ll let you imagine what you will, but it put me off revealing anything about myself online for a while after that), but now if anything I try to enhance my online profile by leaving breadcrumbs, like the link to my blog in this comment.

I think people will come to some sort of equilibrium where they share the same sort of information with their friends and family as they share on the web, I mean you’re not going to give away your credit card details to either group on purpose.

Of course on the other hand, anonymity is easily achieved online and some will embrace that to conceal their identity when perhaps they want to discuss something private, but in the open. Something I’ve touched on previously here: http://blog.iclutton.com/2007/11/anonymity-freedom-of-speech-and-privacy.html

Robbie

By: » The Nakedness of The Web

» The Nakedness of The Web — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:38:33 +0000

[...] are times when a blog post by someone just completely echoes your own feelings and JP Rangaswami has one of these for me. I [...]