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> Stasi Did you know the Stasi was the largest spy organization in modern history? More than 50,000 people worked for them. In a group of 12 people, two to thr

> Stasi Did you know the Stasi was the largest spy organization in modern history? More than 50,000 people worked for them. In a group of 12 people, two to three are often informants.

panarky 7y ago
In today's private free-market Stasi, you'd be lucky if a group of 12 people has two or three who are not informants.
- refurb 7y ago
  Your hyperbole really undercuts your (reasonable) argument.
  - Dirlewanger 7y ago
    Absolutely nothing hyperbole about it. You haven't been paying attention if you think it is. Our phones have numerous parties (besides the telcos) all slurping up their own version of data about our lives. We have 0 ability to opt out of any of it. Retorting with "just don't use a mobile phone" is fine, but it's also not practical. Why should we be subject to all this surveillance? Go ahead and continue to downvote me, you fucking corporate shills. The truth hurts, I know.
    - dang 7y ago
      > Go ahead and continue to downvote me, you fucking corporate shills. The truth hurts, I know. We've had to ask you multiple times before to stop breaking the site guidelines. If you keep doing it, we're going to have to ban you. I don't want to ban you, so would you please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and post in the intended spirit? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - authoritarian 7y ago
    It's still reasonable, because he isn't talking about traditional spies. The majority of the population seems to be plugged into Facebook, Google, and other companies that are essentially surveillance organizations. By interacting with people who have no concern for their own privacy, you will end up being surveilled as well. If you are a contact in their phone or email that will be harvested, if you go to their house and they have smart devices you will likely be recorded (audio and or video), if you go anywhere with them there will be location data, if they take and post any pictures or videos with you that's another source of data. He is correct that the majority of the population are now "informants", although they are informing for companies like Facebook rathter than directly for the government

> Stasi Did you know the Stasi was the largest spy organization in modern history? More than 50,000 people worked for them. In a group of 12 people, two to three are often informants.

panarky 7y ago

In today's private free-market Stasi, you'd be lucky if a group of 12 people has two or three who are not informants.

refurb 7y ago
Your hyperbole really undercuts your (reasonable) argument.
- Dirlewanger 7y ago
  Absolutely nothing hyperbole about it. You haven't been paying attention if you think it is. Our phones have numerous parties (besides the telcos) all slurping up their own version of data about our lives. We have 0 ability to opt out of any of it. Retorting with "just don't use a mobile phone" is fine, but it's also not practical. Why should we be subject to all this surveillance? Go ahead and continue to downvote me, you fucking corporate shills. The truth hurts, I know.
  - dang 7y ago
    > Go ahead and continue to downvote me, you fucking corporate shills. The truth hurts, I know. We've had to ask you multiple times before to stop breaking the site guidelines. If you keep doing it, we're going to have to ban you. I don't want to ban you, so would you please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and post in the intended spirit? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- authoritarian 7y ago
  It's still reasonable, because he isn't talking about traditional spies. The majority of the population seems to be plugged into Facebook, Google, and other companies that are essentially surveillance organizations. By interacting with people who have no concern for their own privacy, you will end up being surveilled as well. If you are a contact in their phone or email that will be harvested, if you go to their house and they have smart devices you will likely be recorded (audio and or video), if you go anywhere with them there will be location data, if they take and post any pictures or videos with you that's another source of data. He is correct that the majority of the population are now "informants", although they are informing for companies like Facebook rathter than directly for the government