3 ms·

This is an important issue, but this article seems almost entirely devoid of content with some links to other articles. It's like a lazy 16-year-old was asked t

This is an important issue, but this article seems almost entirely devoid of content with some links to other articles. It's like a lazy 16-year-old was asked to write an essay. You could sum it up by saying "I tried not to let my unborn child's existence known to advertising networks, but it was hard, particularly without alienating my friends and family." I wonder how many ad impressions it will generate for Wired.

itronitron 8y ago
Maybe I am just being cynical, but part of me thinks their real motive in keeping their unborn child a secret is so they can register the domain name and claim social media profiles for their child before they are born.
vokep 8y ago
You're right, that sentence captures it entirely, the rest is additional words but not additional meaning.
- chillacy 8y ago
  Which is convenient because most people will only read the headline before sharing it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/06/16/six-in-10-of-you-will-share-this-link-without-reading-it-according-to-a-new-and-depressing-study/?utm_term=.823de6440b17 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/06...
Topolomancer 8y ago
That's a little bit unfortunate, as I think that the topic could be explored much, much deeper. For example, are there any social considerations when it comes to not sharing these details? Will you be ostracized or seen as weird by your friends, will you maybe even trigger automated alarm systems because your behaviour is seen as fraudulent, etc. (at least the last part is alluded to, but it comes through yet another link; if I want to follow many links, I go browse Wikipedia, not an article that purports to be a long-form essay about an interesting topic)
- wizardforhire 8y ago
  Off the cuff here, being seen as weird is a social construct. Making personal desicions with confidence inspires confidence in others. If “friends” see your actions as weird and you’ve made your decisions with thought and deliberation then you are faced with the question, are these people really your friends? In the case of privacy we share a situation where society is being normalized to make decisions that is not in the best interest of individuals writ large but instead favors the bottom line and profits of a few corporations that could not care less if we live or die. Actions being seen as fraudulent is just an enforcement mechanism to protect these motives. Opinions are changed one individual at a time, but as opinions change so to does society. As someone who is deeply appalled by the current state of affairs, I encourage anyone who feels the same to stay strong. These corporate culprits of societal rot are just one mass migration away from folding. It’s happened before and it will happen again. We on hacker news are the ones leading the charge.
- frereubu 8y ago
  This is definitely the more interesting article referred to in terms of social consequences: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.... Edit: Had a bit of whiplash when I realised that this article was from seven years ago. How far we've come.
ufmace 8y ago
The linked article http://time.com/83200/privacy-internet-big-data-opt-out/ http://time.com/83200/privacy-internet-big-data-opt-out/ explores the issue a tiny bit deeper. But still, the only conclusion is basically "We felt like criminals trying to avoid the internet knowing I was pregnant".

itronitron 8y ago

Maybe I am just being cynical, but part of me thinks their real motive in keeping their unborn child a secret is so they can register the domain name and claim social media profiles for their child before they are born.

vokep 8y ago

You're right, that sentence captures it entirely, the rest is additional words but not additional meaning.

chillacy 8y ago
Which is convenient because most people will only read the headline before sharing it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/06/16/six-in-10-of-you-will-share-this-link-without-reading-it-according-to-a-new-and-depressing-study/?utm_term=.823de6440b17 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/06...

Topolomancer 8y ago

That's a little bit unfortunate, as I think that the topic could be explored much, much deeper. For example, are there any social considerations when it comes to not sharing these details? Will you be ostracized or seen as weird by your friends, will you maybe even trigger automated alarm systems because your behaviour is seen as fraudulent, etc. (at least the last part is alluded to, but it comes through yet another link; if I want to follow many links, I go browse Wikipedia, not an article that purports to be a long-form essay about an interesting topic)

wizardforhire 8y ago
Off the cuff here, being seen as weird is a social construct. Making personal desicions with confidence inspires confidence in others. If “friends” see your actions as weird and you’ve made your decisions with thought and deliberation then you are faced with the question, are these people really your friends? In the case of privacy we share a situation where society is being normalized to make decisions that is not in the best interest of individuals writ large but instead favors the bottom line and profits of a few corporations that could not care less if we live or die. Actions being seen as fraudulent is just an enforcement mechanism to protect these motives. Opinions are changed one individual at a time, but as opinions change so to does society. As someone who is deeply appalled by the current state of affairs, I encourage anyone who feels the same to stay strong. These corporate culprits of societal rot are just one mass migration away from folding. It’s happened before and it will happen again. We on hacker news are the ones leading the charge.
frereubu 8y ago
This is definitely the more interesting article referred to in terms of social consequences: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.... Edit: Had a bit of whiplash when I realised that this article was from seven years ago. How far we've come.

ufmace 8y ago

The linked article http://time.com/83200/privacy-internet-big-data-opt-out/ http://time.com/83200/privacy-internet-big-data-opt-out/ explores the issue a tiny bit deeper. But still, the only conclusion is basically "We felt like criminals trying to avoid the internet knowing I was pregnant".