Hello Thomas!
On Thursday, November 21, 2002 at 8:24:39 AM you wrote:
> A special discount is given for those who are in the educational field
> *and* are not ashamed of it. If one of the two doesn't apply, why do
> you want to take advantage of a special discount that is only given
> when both conditions are met, i.e. does not apply to you?
When did "shame" enter the equation? And since when has privacy
anything to do with it? And who are you to tell me when I have to be
ashamed?
I am in advertising but have never been proud of it; the only reason I
am not ashamed of it is that I joke about myself. I have a degree in
English and American Studies, Sociology, Philosophy and have never
been a big fan of university, particularly German ones, especially my
own Alma Mater Hamburg - maybe the worst educational institute for a
lot of fields (definitely not all, the medical, the physics, even the
biology departments are quite good).
But none of that has anything to do with privacy. The main point is
that *I* decide what I want to give away and what not - nobody else.
The argument you are bringing up reminds me a lot of the age old "If
you don't do anything wrong, you have nothing to fear by our new
measures". This is so stupid I don't want to, but seemingly have to,
point it out again.
Just two examples where information gathering seemed perfectly
harmless until times changed:
1. In Denmark you didn't have anything to fear in the 1930s
when a survey was made to record all Jews in the country -
rest assured, the intentions were really perfectly harmless.
Guess what happened when Germany invaded. When the War ended
not many Danish Jews were left. Have Jews really be ashamed
of their religious roots?
2. Until the 7th December 1941 there wasn't a reason to be
ashamed of Asian forefathers. After that you were likely to
be interned just because you looked Japanese - even if you
were a third generation US citizen of Chinese decent. John
Milius, Oliver Stone and Steven Spielberg showed the Asian
Hysteria of Americans quite funny in *1941*.
With an ever-growing marketing/advertising industry keen on
information about everyone with the slightest cent to spend I don't
like the frivolous approach to Privacy you showed. Actually I fear
information about me in the hands of private corporations much more
than officials knowing something about me.
> How much is your percieved privacy issue worth to you?
Privacy is a Human Right. There is no price tag. Except in Red China!
--
Dierk Haasis
The Bat 1.62/Beta6 on Windows XP 5.1 2600Service Pack 1
One thing about the past. It's likely to last. (Ogden Nash)
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