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Yeah, or they could also sue to stop this thing from being built.

by rdiddly 8y ago

scarejunba 8y ago
Oh no, I'm not disparaging the effort. I'm disparaging the ignorance betrayed by the manner of the outrage.
- calgoo 8y ago
  While I agree to some degree, this view is also defeatist IMO. To me it says that we should give up trying to reverse the current trend around tracking / ads etc just because it is already being done. We need to start somewhere and any project that gets a lot of attention is a good way to show/teach non-tech people about privacy issues. Its a long road ahead, but just like with other big issues (coal, oil, lead paint, radiation etc), we need regulation. However, just like with some of the issues i mentioned, even with regulation its an ongoing battle, and it can take 50+ years to undo damage that some companies have done.
- rdiddly 8y ago
  I'm feeling your cognitive dissonance. People blame the victim when they identify with, or are, the offender. Is it really a surprise that these people seem less well-informed than the people who actively worked to implement surveillance and conceal it from them? If I keep a secret from you or lie to you, and then go to the trouble of calling you ignorant for it, is it because it's noteworthy in any way? No, things went exactly according to plan. It's only the sound of me justifying my own deceit by instead blaming your ignorance. Such an ignorant person deserves what he gets, I tell myself. (Edit: "They trust me - dumb fucks.") It's a flimsy defense mechanism that won't serve me well in the long run. So is pretending I'm a cog in a machine that would just roll on anyway without my help. (Well I mean, it will actually, at least in the short term, but that doesn't mean I have to be part of it, and anyway I might decide to be the one person who turns around and inspires a million people to actually stop that machine.) Why don't you meet with these plaintiffs and educate them instead? Give a presentation or two to help them sound more savvy or whatnot. There's probably no money in that kind of thing, but it feels like a million bucks.

Yeah, or they could also sue to stop this thing from being built.

scarejunba 8y ago

Oh no, I'm not disparaging the effort. I'm disparaging the ignorance betrayed by the manner of the outrage.

calgoo 8y ago
While I agree to some degree, this view is also defeatist IMO. To me it says that we should give up trying to reverse the current trend around tracking / ads etc just because it is already being done. We need to start somewhere and any project that gets a lot of attention is a good way to show/teach non-tech people about privacy issues. Its a long road ahead, but just like with other big issues (coal, oil, lead paint, radiation etc), we need regulation. However, just like with some of the issues i mentioned, even with regulation its an ongoing battle, and it can take 50+ years to undo damage that some companies have done.
rdiddly 8y ago
I'm feeling your cognitive dissonance. People blame the victim when they identify with, or are, the offender. Is it really a surprise that these people seem less well-informed than the people who actively worked to implement surveillance and conceal it from them? If I keep a secret from you or lie to you, and then go to the trouble of calling you ignorant for it, is it because it's noteworthy in any way? No, things went exactly according to plan. It's only the sound of me justifying my own deceit by instead blaming your ignorance. Such an ignorant person deserves what he gets, I tell myself. (Edit: "They trust me - dumb fucks.") It's a flimsy defense mechanism that won't serve me well in the long run. So is pretending I'm a cog in a machine that would just roll on anyway without my help. (Well I mean, it will actually, at least in the short term, but that doesn't mean I have to be part of it, and anyway I might decide to be the one person who turns around and inspires a million people to actually stop that machine.) Why don't you meet with these plaintiffs and educate them instead? Give a presentation or two to help them sound more savvy or whatnot. There's probably no money in that kind of thing, but it feels like a million bucks.