Complacency

[Eugene Leitl]

On Wed, 4 Jul 2001, Gordon Mohr wrote:

> And what if everyone has this information on everyone?

That would be a totally different scenario. Because we don't have that, I
don't lose much sleep thinking about it.

> That is, I know you're running a realtime reporting service on me.
> I know exactly who you give that information to. Before the police
> show up at my door, I saw them, at the station, arguing about
> whether to pick me up.

Talk to the local authorities, about installing such cameras, and giving
the public access to it. I'm sure you have the $$$s to buy the hardware
and hire the programmers and the sysadmins to run your very own
surveillance service.

After you're done, then we can start discussing about whether it was a
smart idea, or not.

> My neighbors (& co-conspirators & enemies) all saw the authorities
> arrive at my door, every word they spoke and action they took. And
> the public can see the inner workings of every government office,
> every prison, every court.

Yes, have fun dreaming about it teogether with Brin and Co.

> Again, for Eugene the question I asked Jeff: Are you arguing for
> voluntarily relinquishment of surveillance technology? Laws against

I'm arguing against installing blanket surveillance infrastructure.

> its development and use, by both public and private entities?

You can develop it, and use it, just not as unilateral blanket approach,
and paid from my taxes, to add insult to the injury.

> Will those laws protect us from the government, or other sufficiently
> powerful entities which choose to ignore the laws?

Well, once we ignore laws, we're talking about either a surrender, or a
guerilla warfare scenario. We don't have to discuss these yet.

> Let's say we all agree this technology will exist (already does
> exist!) and no government can ban its use. What, then, is the best
> achievable policy?
>

Not to install blanket surveillance in public places.

> I've proposed that it is total openness and equality of access.
> That's the only way to mitigate abuses. If I'm being recorded, let
> me (and the public at large) record the people who are recording
> me. Watch the watchmen.

If you're volunteering, how good are your with machine vision? Data
warehousing? System security? Fiber to the home? Sysadmining, at least?

Failing that, how many megabucks are you worth, and how much of that are
you going to contribute for that infrastructure, assuming the gummit gives
you access to the raw video, or even face biometrics?

>
> You've identified a problem. I've suggested a solution.

SOLUTION ANALYZED AND FOUND WANTING. SOLUTION DISMISSED. BETTER SOLUTION:
ELIMINATE ALL CARBON-BASED BIPEDS. IMPLEMENTATION: IN PROGRESS. COMPLETED:
98% HAVE A NICE DAY.

> WHAT IS YOUR OH-SO-SOPHISTICATED PROPOSAL?


Form a lobby to not install the darn things in the first place. Inform the
general public (the stupid fools) about the abuse potential.

-- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://www.lrz.de/~ui22204/">leitl</a>
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