4 ms·

I actually find this data interesting, as long as it's anonymous. It should probably be something you have to opt-in for though.

by ktf 16y ago

rwl 16y ago
Perhaps they aren't publishing non-anonymized data. But the fact that they are collecting and analyzing these data without any kind of opt-in system is a little disturbing. If they're willing to do that, how willing will they be to protect these data from falling into the wrong hands, especially if the "wrong hands" are holding a warrant or a court order? I'm sure glad I don't have a highlighted e-copy of, say, the Communist Manifesto or the Anarchist's Cookbook. I wouldn't know who to expect knocking at my door.
- msbarnett 16y ago
  Do you honestly think anyone cares what you highlight in the Communist Manifesto or the Anarchist's Cookbook? Even presuming some dystopian future where The Government (cue hammy antagonist music) is busting your chops for what you read, the fact that Amazon has a receipt for you purchasing a copy is likely to be a bigger deal to them than which bit you highlighted.
  - qq66 16y ago
    Someone definitely cares about what you highlight in the Communist Manifesto, if you are arrested for a crime. Why give the authorities fodder to build their case?
  - rwl 16y ago
    "Some dystopian future"...like the U.S. in the 50s, when Joe McCarthy was demanding the removal of material he deemed "inappropriate" from State department libraries? (Wikipedia says some libraries actually burned the banned books: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism#Senate_committees http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism#Senate_committees) If that sort of suppression is possible in the U.S. when private companies aren't holding vast amounts of data on exactly what "subversive" material citizens are reading and finding important, what's possible when that information is easily accessible and searchable by anyone with a government order? Not all of Amazon's customers live in the U.S., either. It appears that they don't currently sell the Kindle in Iran and China, for example, but if they did, I sure wouldn't want to own one there.

I actually find this data interesting, as long as it's anonymous. It should probably be something you have to opt-in for though.

by ktf 16y ago

I actually find this data interesting, as long as it's anonymous. It should probably be something you have to opt-in for though.

rwl 16y ago

Perhaps they aren't publishing non-anonymized data. But the fact that they are collecting and analyzing these data without any kind of opt-in system is a little disturbing. If they're willing to do that, how willing will they be to protect these data from falling into the wrong hands, especially if the "wrong hands" are holding a warrant or a court order? I'm sure glad I don't have a highlighted e-copy of, say, the Communist Manifesto or the Anarchist's Cookbook. I wouldn't know who to expect knocking at my door.

msbarnett 16y ago
Do you honestly think anyone cares what you highlight in the Communist Manifesto or the Anarchist's Cookbook? Even presuming some dystopian future where The Government (cue hammy antagonist music) is busting your chops for what you read, the fact that Amazon has a receipt for you purchasing a copy is likely to be a bigger deal to them than which bit you highlighted.
- qq66 16y ago
  Someone definitely cares about what you highlight in the Communist Manifesto, if you are arrested for a crime. Why give the authorities fodder to build their case?
- rwl 16y ago
  "Some dystopian future"...like the U.S. in the 50s, when Joe McCarthy was demanding the removal of material he deemed "inappropriate" from State department libraries? (Wikipedia says some libraries actually burned the banned books: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism#Senate_committees http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism#Senate_committees) If that sort of suppression is possible in the U.S. when private companies aren't holding vast amounts of data on exactly what "subversive" material citizens are reading and finding important, what's possible when that information is easily accessible and searchable by anyone with a government order? Not all of Amazon's customers live in the U.S., either. It appears that they don't currently sell the Kindle in Iran and China, for example, but if they did, I sure wouldn't want to own one there.