do you think we are somewhat conditioned from birth to accept state surveillance?
whether it be Santa Claus, or a God that watches your every move, it seems many cultures have this idea ingrained in minds as soon as they can think.
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do you think we are somewhat conditioned from birth to accept state surveillance?
whether it be Santa Claus, or a God that watches your every move, it seems many cultures have this idea ingrained in minds as soon as they can think.
I think we are conditioned by Orwell to be paranoid that we are living in a surveillance state. The fact that somebody (real or fictitious) is constantly watching you is just too egotistical. If God is real, then God has better things to do than just watch you every moment of the day. Same with governments: this notion that every time you send an email it is being read by some shadowy figure (see current US paranoia) is absurd.
I don't think anybody actually believes the government is specifically watching them (except for Alex Jones), they're more concerned that the government has the power to look at your emails, etc, without you knowing about it. This is more of a concern in the US than in other places I believe, since America is meant to be founded on freedom and the Constitution and all that malarkey.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Darnay
I agree. And then there is this new BS about the recording of phone conversations. This is old hat. I was an expert in AI and low level communications in the 80's. I took a contract with Bell where my function was to work on a so-called blackbox by means of which Every phone conversation was recorded. Nothing is different today. But if it is a case of national security, the access is very restricted and requires the authorization of several people. No thing has actually changed from what it always was.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Darnay
Got to agree about the paranoia surrounding recent revelations regarding US and UK security surveillance. Given the millions of email users, it's obvious that any checking will be targeted at suspect individuals. The atrocities committed against innocent civilians by religious and politically motivated fanatics in recent years has made it necessary to spy on those who may be of their number; the alternative being more innocent lives lost to the lunatics. If GCHQ or any similar agency want to read my emails, they are more than welcome even though it would be time wasted in the cause of reading those that might be of genuine interest to the people charged with protecting the general public.
Volya got the jist of what I'm saying.
That implies a few things:Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Darnay
1) that everyone reads Orwell
2) that God has to split mental resources
When the revolution starts I'll be dragged into a van and renditioned along with my radical friends after they develop some algorithm to comb through the internet in search of deviant anti-establishment writings and search histories.
they don't need an algorithm, just Google some choice keywords :P
Whether your government is specifically watching you or not depends upon whether you attract their attention. But it doesn't have to be your own government.
That someone may be interested in what you are doing, for good or bad, is a condition of living within human society.
it wasn't always like that though.
I wouldn't be so sure. Haven't governments always had spies and intelligence services, these current cyber-surveillance methods are merely an extension of that (not to say I'm fine with it though). In a world where vast amounts of information can and are communicated via the internet, it would make sense for the government to monitor it.Quote:
Originally Posted by hypatia_
surveillance did you say? you should come to England and you will see for yourself. We are surveilled 24/7 and publically.
People know they are surveilled. The computer is your biggest spy gadget you will ever come across in your life. Everything you do or say in a computer is know to others. The History bit part of the computer facilitate the surveillee to have a wee look. Nothing goes unnoticed when you are on a computer.
The computer is a gadget which is fitted with a camera recorder sound system and a History recorder. That is your top of the range gadgets for spying. Digital is what makes spying fast and efficient.
On one Apple mac computer box I purchased a while ago there is a little camera fitted at the from of the gadget. It looks like a little blue light. That is a lense camera. Tiny minute lense cameras look a bright light when you turned on and off.
If you are talking about the behind doors surveillance then of course it is a YES. I would call it spying myself. It happens in politics too. Politicians and other significant others are set up by hidden cameras to show them up at their worse and the law lapse it up as if it was a piece of cake in need of sharing.
The bottom line is when the law is in your favour to spy on others using hidden cameras then anything goes. MI5 is a spy agent and I guess the CIA is the same so one must surveille if one is to prove the law and these spy agencies have a point to make and a reason to be.
There are no conspiracies about it what there is a good a reality check on them.
I think we are rapidly approaching a 1984-esque surveillance state. The common person has nothing to fear, but those involved in activism ought to be concerned about all this. The only place they can't get is inside your head. They can gain access to email, can ascertain your search history. Cameras are everywhere. It isn't hard to electronically surveil someone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Darnay
I don't think so. It is more likely that we are spied on electronically by business wanting to maximise their sales. Business is the digital big brother.
Don't you think governments have enough on tracking and picking up potential terrorists, monitoring the borders etc.
The other thing about surveillance that Orwell did not predict is that common citizens can easily record a state's actions and publicise it easily on the internet. That's why China has tried to control the internet so much. Surveillance is now two way street. That'show the arab spring was able to spread effectively through social networks.
Great point. Social media and blogging has really opened up people's eyes to what is going on in the world.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulclem
I'm not saying the country is a surveillance state in that the common man is being spied upon. but what we are dealing with is a slippery slope since the Patriot Act was instituted in 2001.