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I have increased the amount of chatter I put out, trying to raise awareness with friends and family, but I feel myself evaluating each and every post - what fla

I have increased the amount of chatter I put out, trying to raise awareness with friends and family, but I feel myself evaluating each and every post - what flags is this raising? How might this be used against me in the future? I am travelling to the US from Canada for Thanksgiving, and that fact alone gives me pause when I say things critical of the political system. I warm my chilled self by holding onto the thought that recognizing our self-censorship is the first step to fighting against it.

Nerdfest 13y ago
I do the same thing, and as a Canadian, I wonder about exactly the same thing. I was boycotting travelling to the US but need to travel through there on my way somewhere. I probably shouldn't be concerned as I'm a complete nobody, but I am. I would guess lots of others are as well. It can't be good for tourism. I'm a little shocked there isn't more outrage in the 'Land of the Free'. Things have degraded to the point that I would think there would be a story on major TV news sites every night.
- bnolsen 13y ago
  the news media here is by and large complicit, almost all of them voted for the current administration in the last election.
  - scarmig 13y ago
    If it's any consolation, they'd be doing the same for the "don't call it torture" Bush Administration.
- grecy 13y ago
  > I'm a little shocked there isn't more outrage in the 'Land of the Free'. Things have degraded to the point that I would think there would be a story on major TV news sites every night. So long as the people get their professional sport, VMAs with scantily clad women and can buy alcohol and cigarettes very cheaply, their needs are being met and they are not interested in the big picture.
  - orthecreedence 13y ago
    Don't forget smartphones, Facebook, and Farmville. Seriously, talk about opiates.
mpyne 13y ago
> How might this be used against me in the future? I was already doing that, but because "The Internet never forgets", not because of surveillance. Or in other words, I've already assumed either outright surveillance from the ISP or the botnetted-computers my friends/family use to go to visit my Facebook crap, or later database breaches/hacks conducted by criminal elements. I mean, all you have to do is look at /r/cringepics, "lamebook", 4chan, etc. etc. to realize that people actually are watching what you post, commenting about those things you post (in forms easily queried by Google) and those people don't work for NSA (who in any event can neither retain the entire Internet indefinitely, nor actually look at everything that's captured even if they felt like it). So watch what you say if you feel you must, but I don't see why NSA in particular would cause a shift in your behavior, if having things you said come back to bite you later is something you're worried about as a concept, you've long had reason to be concerned.
orthecreedence 13y ago
I was like this too, then I took the plunge. I installed the Flagger app linked in the post and regularly chat on AIM about things a Good American should not. I recently flew to DC (for the StopWatchingUs protest) and even did a body scanner opt-out. Went through without a squeak. The government...they don't care about terrorism. They're just grabbing for power. Even if they did finger me somehow, the TSA is too hairbrained to figure it out. Just remember that by saying exactly what is on your mind is exactly what makes you a patriot. This is the founding principal of our country. By doing this, you are fighting the same way our founders did.
- Zoomla 13y ago
  The NSA can't even catch an internal problem (leak).

Nerdfest 13y ago

I do the same thing, and as a Canadian, I wonder about exactly the same thing. I was boycotting travelling to the US but need to travel through there on my way somewhere. I probably shouldn't be concerned as I'm a complete nobody, but I am. I would guess lots of others are as well. It can't be good for tourism. I'm a little shocked there isn't more outrage in the 'Land of the Free'. Things have degraded to the point that I would think there would be a story on major TV news sites every night.

bnolsen 13y ago
the news media here is by and large complicit, almost all of them voted for the current administration in the last election.
- scarmig 13y ago
  If it's any consolation, they'd be doing the same for the "don't call it torture" Bush Administration.
grecy 13y ago
> I'm a little shocked there isn't more outrage in the 'Land of the Free'. Things have degraded to the point that I would think there would be a story on major TV news sites every night. So long as the people get their professional sport, VMAs with scantily clad women and can buy alcohol and cigarettes very cheaply, their needs are being met and they are not interested in the big picture.
- orthecreedence 13y ago
  Don't forget smartphones, Facebook, and Farmville. Seriously, talk about opiates.

mpyne 13y ago

> How might this be used against me in the future? I was already doing that, but because "The Internet never forgets", not because of surveillance. Or in other words, I've already assumed either outright surveillance from the ISP or the botnetted-computers my friends/family use to go to visit my Facebook crap, or later database breaches/hacks conducted by criminal elements. I mean, all you have to do is look at /r/cringepics, "lamebook", 4chan, etc. etc. to realize that people actually are watching what you post, commenting about those things you post (in forms easily queried by Google) and those people don't work for NSA (who in any event can neither retain the entire Internet indefinitely, nor actually look at everything that's captured even if they felt like it). So watch what you say if you feel you must, but I don't see why NSA in particular would cause a shift in your behavior, if having things you said come back to bite you later is something you're worried about as a concept, you've long had reason to be concerned.

orthecreedence 13y ago

I was like this too, then I took the plunge. I installed the Flagger app linked in the post and regularly chat on AIM about things a Good American should not. I recently flew to DC (for the StopWatchingUs protest) and even did a body scanner opt-out. Went through without a squeak. The government...they don't care about terrorism. They're just grabbing for power. Even if they did finger me somehow, the TSA is too hairbrained to figure it out. Just remember that by saying exactly what is on your mind is exactly what makes you a patriot. This is the founding principal of our country. By doing this, you are fighting the same way our founders did.

Zoomla 13y ago
The NSA can't even catch an internal problem (leak).