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Just a comment to ask general HN members, do you think the Snowden legacy has resulted in a more stressful world? As they say, ignorance is bliss, but Snowden's

Just a comment to ask general HN members, do you think the Snowden legacy has resulted in a more stressful world? As they say, ignorance is bliss, but Snowden's allegations have forced the public to realize the extent of the surveillance being conducted. Humans (and crows) become stressed when being observed by others, and this could mean citizens now have a higher stress rate. Could it be that Snowden's legacy has resulted in a decrease in net productivity from stressed Americans?

wallacoloo 8y ago
> Could it be that Snowden's legacy has resulted in a decrease in net productivity from stressed Americans? In the short term, it’s entirely possible - there’s probably some productivity metric (it’s not exactly a well-defined term) that was negatively impacted. Long term, honesty is the pillar atop which so much of what’s good in life is built (and that does include some measures of productivity: effective business decisions are those supported by fact and grounded in truth). There’s just no frame of reference in which an honest person can support sacrificing the truth in exchange for some temporary, perceived improvement in quality of life. It’s a pointless endeavor, anyway: anything built on falsehood will, eventually, be exposed. Leaks happen. Though Snowden is exceptional, his story is hardly an exception to the rule.
auslander 8y ago
Not an American :) But it pushed me to un-google myself and switch all my data to Apple. They do security properly. I have not a single byte of Google code on all my desk/laptops and phones. No Chrome, no Android, no Gmail, no Google Maps. I do feel less stressed now, because i was aware of what he made public. As for general public, I believe it added stress, and it is right thing, it might lead to some changes, and slow down surveillance apparatus.

wallacoloo 8y ago

> Could it be that Snowden's legacy has resulted in a decrease in net productivity from stressed Americans? In the short term, it’s entirely possible - there’s probably some productivity metric (it’s not exactly a well-defined term) that was negatively impacted. Long term, honesty is the pillar atop which so much of what’s good in life is built (and that does include some measures of productivity: effective business decisions are those supported by fact and grounded in truth). There’s just no frame of reference in which an honest person can support sacrificing the truth in exchange for some temporary, perceived improvement in quality of life. It’s a pointless endeavor, anyway: anything built on falsehood will, eventually, be exposed. Leaks happen. Though Snowden is exceptional, his story is hardly an exception to the rule.

auslander 8y ago

Not an American :) But it pushed me to un-google myself and switch all my data to Apple. They do security properly. I have not a single byte of Google code on all my desk/laptops and phones. No Chrome, no Android, no Gmail, no Google Maps. I do feel less stressed now, because i was aware of what he made public. As for general public, I believe it added stress, and it is right thing, it might lead to some changes, and slow down surveillance apparatus.