4 ms·

Anonymity != Privacy. If you're in a crowd, by definition, you're not expected to have privacy, however you are allowed anonymity by virtue of being in a crowd

by eksith 13y ago

Anonymity != Privacy. If you're in a crowd, by definition, you're not expected to have privacy, however you are allowed anonymity by virtue of being in a crowd. If you're in a cafe, you're naturally not afforded privacy, however you are still anonymous unless spotted by someone who recognizes you. If you lean over to tell something to this person, that conversation (despite being in public) is still private. Your public information still afforded you anonymity in a sea of data however since we now know it can conveniently be assembled into a dossier, it's being used to destroy your anonymity which, believe it or not, used to be taken for granted.

diminoten 13y ago
> however you are allowed anonymity by virtue of being in a crowd. That's not true at all. Anonymity is the state of personally identifiable information being unknown. That's exactly what your license plate is, and it's displayed on the back (and front sometimes) of your car. You have never been anonymous while driving.
- eksith 13y ago
  Completely false. Your license plate is the equivalent of a online pseudonym linked to a database. Common users aren't able to browse this database, however if someone's keeping a tally of the appearances of said license plate (the equivalent of a search engine), then they can infer a whole lot of information that goes beyond the scope of the purpose of license plates. That is the real problem here. You are anonymous in the crowd or should be as far as other ordinary people are concerned and that's clearly not what's happening. Incidentally, you should stop using the same username for everything.
  - diminoten 13y ago
    Your license plate is a unique identifier for your car, not you. It is not like an online pseudonym in that cars are often shared by others, whereas a pseudonym is a false name, generally (with exceptions) reserved for individuals. To claim they're equivalent is therefore not true. You are not anonymous in a crowd (I can take a picture of you and identify you later, your identity is tied to your face), nor should you be (if people where anonymous all the time, personal responsibility would go out the window - there is a time and a place for anonymity and privacy, driving around on public roads is not one of them). And why should I stop putting my name on things? I'm the one who did them, after all. Besides, if I were at all concerned that what I was saying would land me in trouble, I'd create a new face. I'm not against privacy, I just don't think you have any when you're in public.

by eksith 13y ago

diminoten 13y ago

> however you are allowed anonymity by virtue of being in a crowd. That's not true at all. Anonymity is the state of personally identifiable information being unknown. That's exactly what your license plate is, and it's displayed on the back (and front sometimes) of your car. You have never been anonymous while driving.

eksith 13y ago
Completely false. Your license plate is the equivalent of a online pseudonym linked to a database. Common users aren't able to browse this database, however if someone's keeping a tally of the appearances of said license plate (the equivalent of a search engine), then they can infer a whole lot of information that goes beyond the scope of the purpose of license plates. That is the real problem here. You are anonymous in the crowd or should be as far as other ordinary people are concerned and that's clearly not what's happening. Incidentally, you should stop using the same username for everything.
- diminoten 13y ago
  Your license plate is a unique identifier for your car, not you. It is not like an online pseudonym in that cars are often shared by others, whereas a pseudonym is a false name, generally (with exceptions) reserved for individuals. To claim they're equivalent is therefore not true. You are not anonymous in a crowd (I can take a picture of you and identify you later, your identity is tied to your face), nor should you be (if people where anonymous all the time, personal responsibility would go out the window - there is a time and a place for anonymity and privacy, driving around on public roads is not one of them). And why should I stop putting my name on things? I'm the one who did them, after all. Besides, if I were at all concerned that what I was saying would land me in trouble, I'd create a new face. I'm not against privacy, I just don't think you have any when you're in public.