6th February 2007 - Big Brother is watching

Ramblings and thoughts from Neil
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neil
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6th February 2007 - Big Brother is watching

Post by neil » Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:44 pm

I don't really go too much for conspiracy theories etc. Well I suppose I do actually (was it really an accident in the tunnel ?) but I don't really obsess about them. But I have started feeling like it is a virtually guarenteed that we will be continuous monitored sooner rather than later.

The explosion of CCTV means you get video'd nth number of times a day. Your company probably logs and archives all your web access, email and perhaps even your IM traffic. Your home ISP will be doing similar things. I've talked previously about the little black boxes Tony and his chums want to put in your car. When we inevitably move to more on demand TV the provider will have all your viewing habits. This is more or less all in place - so Big Brother is well and truely here.

The general argument is that as a law abiding citizen you have little to fear from these measures. However as we've seen in the motoring world thats fine until the rules are changed and we all become criminals. That scares me.

The flip side to all this is, that the government could save millions of pounds by using myspace - where I'm still amazed by how much information people seemed to happily give away about themselves - it's true voyeurism into peoples lives - again a worry for me as a parent etc.

So am I getting paranoid and should shut up or are you feeling the same.

Thanks

Neil

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Post by Chas » Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:17 pm

There are very few conspiracy theories that are actually important. I can think of only two and it's the truth behind them that are important rather than the circumstances of the cover up.

It doesn't really matter who killed JFK or even what happened in the tunnel. The facts (if they exist) are not going to change our lives. Big brother theories fall at the first hurdle because you'd need a veritable army of monitor watchers to see what we are all doing - these armies don't exist (and even if they did, who'd be watching them?).

It's not people who are watching us, it's computers. And they don't care who you are or what you're doing. They just send an instruction to another computer to generate the paperwork for your fine.

If Joe Bloggs thinks Tony and his cronies are interested in what he/she is doing, they need a serious reality check. The politicians are too busy being concerned about themselves to worry about the people who voted for them. Myspace or Bebo should interest them because it would be a much better avenue for them to promote themselves with all the spin they can muster.

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Post by neil » Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:46 pm

Chas wrote:Myspace or Bebo should interest them because it would be a much better avenue for them to promote themselves with all the spin they can muster.
:lol:

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Post by Robertb » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:58 pm

I do find it a bit worrying because it is justice by computer.

Whilst law abiding citizens have nothing to fear, it leaves everyone open to prosecution through mistaken identity, e.g. cloned number plates, or worse case scenario your cloned credit card details used to access a kiddy porn site.

I agree though Neil, kids should be educated to not leave any personal details on public sites like myspace etc. I know that a friend's daughter's school have said that kids shouldn't use bebo for some reason to do with security, don't recall what.
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Post by nealpina » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:53 am

For every technology enhancement there is a greater threat to an individual civil liberty. IMHO

Allegedly (Internet Service Providers) ISPs have black boxes. Therefore do I want a geek to be looking at my personal e-mails? There is also a well-known court case where a member of staff of a major mobile telephone provider was giving his friend all of his wife’s texts messages as they were going through a divorce – if I remember correctly.

When I use my oyster card (London underground travel card) it is logged.

As Neil said. The government have been talking for sometime to introduce black boxes in cars. As we all own Alpina’s, there have been occasions where we all have driven just above the speed limit. Also a major insurance company has introduced pay as you go insurance via a black box. Do I want to be monitored all the time?

Identity theft is one of the fastest crimes in the U.K! When I am using IM or e-mailing at work, I don’t write anything personal. I also don’t do anything like personal banking or use my credit cards on their systems.

There is something else that bothers me about identity theft, but as this is an open forum – my wisdom says do not mention it. It has been in the media but not as much as I would like for me to mention it on an open forum.
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Post by neil » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:49 am

nealpina wrote: When I use my oyster card (London underground travel card) it is logged.
It is for that very reason I haven't registered my oyster card and just top it up to a maximum of £20 - which I can stand to lose.

I'm not really bothered - and to be honest my 'oyster-monitored' life is duller than dull but I see it as one more erosion of my liberty - if they really wanted to know where I was going they can more or less track the whole journey on CCTV cemeras anyway - but as Chas says there aren't enough people in the UK to be bothered monitoring someone like me !

The flip side to the CCTV bit is that if god forbid you were asaulted / mugged / whatever there is a good chance there will some evidence on a nearby CCTV - so it's not all bad.

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Post by nealpina » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:57 pm

neil wrote:It is for that very reason I haven't registered my oyster card and just top it up to a maximum of £20 - which I can stand to lose.
I only registered my card so that I can pay online. TFL (Transport For London) owes me £2.50. I’ve phoned them six times and every reference number that they give me does not correspond to my previous telephone call. Their IT system is a farce.

Chas made a valid point but my argument is that can we trust the people that are controlling these systems? I know that we have the Data Protection Act but if someone has no morals and they want to make money, and if they are in a position of trust then they can abuse it. For example they control an alleged black box at your ISP and they are searching for key words like eBay, username, passwords. They will have enough information to sell whatever they like from your eBay account.

I only used eBay and an ISP alleged black box for illustration purposes only.
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Post by Steve A » Fri Feb 09, 2007 1:27 pm

Neil,

i dont think your being paranoid just concerned.
I used to have these thoughts and i think there are some valid points in this topic. However i am much to busy running my business looking after my fiancee and child (things i can control) to be worried about big brother (things i cant control).

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Post by Robertb » Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:59 pm

If you can control your Mrs and child you'll have had more success than me!
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Post by Charles » Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:21 pm

Steve Ashton wrote:... looking after my fiancee and child (things i can control)...
Are you really sure you are in control or is that the impression she is giving you? They are very clever at this sort of thing - believe you me!
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Post by Steve A » Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:03 pm

will you two just let me have my dilluded fantasy please. :lol:
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Post by Grant » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:21 pm

I have nothing to hide so don't mind being watched, oh wait a minute I sometimes pick my nose :shock: Disgraceful big brother culture :twisted:
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Post by jacoda434 » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:10 pm

In The right place for the right reason CCTV is good in the wrong place and at the wrong time CCTV can be dangerous

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