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I've always thought that the problem with the NSA behemoth is not so much that its collecting everything, on everyone, but that its the only one allowed to do a

I've always thought that the problem with the NSA behemoth is not so much that its collecting everything, on everyone, but that its the only one allowed to do anything with it. I don't think the solution is privacy. I think the solution is to make the NSA's databank available to everyone. This is just as impossible a goal, I know, as getting rid of the NSA in the first place - but hear me out. Just imagine what sort of world we would be living in if everything the NSA has been collecting and storing about our modern civilization for the last 15 years was available for anyone and everyone to access. I'd be perfectly okay with harvesting all data, everywhere, on everyone - if everyone had access to it, freely and without secrecy. I think, were this the case, people would be a lot more careful - and more importantly, aware - about the things they do and say online. The only reason this whole thing is so damaging is that its shrouded in total secrecy - I have no idea what sort of 'bad data' is in the database about me, or those around me - were I able to access this data, it wouldn't have as much of a negative effect on me, personally. I could correct it, get it removed, and so on. Teaching encryption is one thing. Teaching the value of open and honest communication is another thing entirely. Somehow, the solution to the problem of having masters and overlords who have immense power over me, is for me to have some of that power myself. If this were true for everyone - and not just an elite class of humans who have decided to rule humanity through secrecy and domination - then I think the problem would be a lot less relevant. I know as an artist, I'd sure love to be able to broadcast my art far and wide; it seems the NSA would be a perfect platform for that. Kind of like what the Internet was originally promised to be/do, before it became the playground of the corporate elite ..

thawkins 12y ago
But its not just about "open and honest" communication, its about them also tracking behaviour, who gets to judge what is "open and honest" behaviour. Do you want somebody trawling through your search and browsing history?
- fit2rule 12y ago
  As long as I know who is doing it, and where, I've got no problem with that - because then I can do something about it, like track the person down and ask them why they're doing it. But of course its not as simple as that - of course there are still nefarious no-good types out there who would use this information to their advantage - and thats exactly the problem we have with the secrecy. If I knew who was tracking me, because their activity is also open and available for scrutiny, it makes it a lot easier to do something effective in the circumstance that I disagree with their doing so; it may also help me find others who are interested in the same things as me. Its a two-edged sword.

thawkins 12y ago

But its not just about "open and honest" communication, its about them also tracking behaviour, who gets to judge what is "open and honest" behaviour. Do you want somebody trawling through your search and browsing history?

fit2rule 12y ago
As long as I know who is doing it, and where, I've got no problem with that - because then I can do something about it, like track the person down and ask them why they're doing it. But of course its not as simple as that - of course there are still nefarious no-good types out there who would use this information to their advantage - and thats exactly the problem we have with the secrecy. If I knew who was tracking me, because their activity is also open and available for scrutiny, it makes it a lot easier to do something effective in the circumstance that I disagree with their doing so; it may also help me find others who are interested in the same things as me. Its a two-edged sword.