Hi, David. I have found your insights on digital privacy to be very valuable, as it is difficult to try to mitigate a problem if you are not aware it exists. You have helped me to be much more aware of the threats to my privacy. With this awareness, I have been able to make informed decisions on the products and services I choose to use, and which I have advised my clients to use also. Thank you for providing this awareness and your insightful perspective.
I wish you continued success in your endeavors, whichever path you decide to take next. Hope to hear from you again, if and when it makes sense for you to do so.
Thank you for being one of two people to reach out, Paul. Kinda proves my point, actually. Shouting into the wind seems more like something for an angry, young man to do, not myself. But I'm considering options.
I've been chewing on this since I read this post on the 10th, and I decided I better just sit down and write it, or my thoughts would dry up and blow away.
Here's how I see things, with a tiny preamble for some context for my views. I was born late in the first half of the 20th century. In the mid-80s, I taught myself DOS 3.1 after-hours on a PC at work, and by the late-90s I had maneuvered myself into a third career -- computers and computing forevermore!
Modern computing for the masses and the expansion of what is possible is stunning beyond realistic description. Watching and working in the hyper-expansion during the last 10 or so years has guided me to a view that settles me when I get too overwrought by the Internet's offerings. Leave the binary thinking to the chips. Computing is still analog for us humans because there are no absolutes, so long as we pause for a moment and think it through.
Near-instant online access to anything we want has caused a compression of time between action and result. Want to know the population of Namibia? Siri or Alexa can answer that faster than we can ask the damn question! This time compression problem has us unconsciously tuned to binary thinking. Have a question? Bang!, here's an answer. Move on. If we allow that binary syndrome to infect privacy considerations, it's a very short trip to, "So much of my PII is already out there, why bother at all? It's impossible to erase now."
So, to your point that personal privacy can no longer coexist with technology, I say: Can we look at privacy by degrees rather than seeing it already crushed dead under the boot heel of MetaGoogAmazX? Privacy is not either purely present or completely absent.
In online security - which overlaps quite a bit with privacy - we guide people to start slowly; learn about better passwords; do the most important accounts first; turn on 2FA where ever possible; begin learning and using a password manager; do the OS/app/hardware updates; adopt a routine. Can't the same approach be used to guide improved personal privacy, rather than just giving up?
I've been following your insights and efforts to spread the word almost since the beginning of Tech Talk. I've agreed with most of your points, adopted many (or already was doing them), and consider all of it worth my time. Your material IS WORTHWHILE. Post #101 shows your discouragement, but I hope you won't give up. Please, don't give up.
(I do understand that this is not the only part of your life that matters, so above all else, be good to your family and yourself first.)
Hi, David. I have found your insights on digital privacy to be very valuable, as it is difficult to try to mitigate a problem if you are not aware it exists. You have helped me to be much more aware of the threats to my privacy. With this awareness, I have been able to make informed decisions on the products and services I choose to use, and which I have advised my clients to use also. Thank you for providing this awareness and your insightful perspective.
I wish you continued success in your endeavors, whichever path you decide to take next. Hope to hear from you again, if and when it makes sense for you to do so.
Thank you for being one of two people to reach out, Paul. Kinda proves my point, actually. Shouting into the wind seems more like something for an angry, young man to do, not myself. But I'm considering options.
David,
I've been chewing on this since I read this post on the 10th, and I decided I better just sit down and write it, or my thoughts would dry up and blow away.
Here's how I see things, with a tiny preamble for some context for my views. I was born late in the first half of the 20th century. In the mid-80s, I taught myself DOS 3.1 after-hours on a PC at work, and by the late-90s I had maneuvered myself into a third career -- computers and computing forevermore!
Modern computing for the masses and the expansion of what is possible is stunning beyond realistic description. Watching and working in the hyper-expansion during the last 10 or so years has guided me to a view that settles me when I get too overwrought by the Internet's offerings. Leave the binary thinking to the chips. Computing is still analog for us humans because there are no absolutes, so long as we pause for a moment and think it through.
Near-instant online access to anything we want has caused a compression of time between action and result. Want to know the population of Namibia? Siri or Alexa can answer that faster than we can ask the damn question! This time compression problem has us unconsciously tuned to binary thinking. Have a question? Bang!, here's an answer. Move on. If we allow that binary syndrome to infect privacy considerations, it's a very short trip to, "So much of my PII is already out there, why bother at all? It's impossible to erase now."
So, to your point that personal privacy can no longer coexist with technology, I say: Can we look at privacy by degrees rather than seeing it already crushed dead under the boot heel of MetaGoogAmazX? Privacy is not either purely present or completely absent.
In online security - which overlaps quite a bit with privacy - we guide people to start slowly; learn about better passwords; do the most important accounts first; turn on 2FA where ever possible; begin learning and using a password manager; do the OS/app/hardware updates; adopt a routine. Can't the same approach be used to guide improved personal privacy, rather than just giving up?
I've been following your insights and efforts to spread the word almost since the beginning of Tech Talk. I've agreed with most of your points, adopted many (or already was doing them), and consider all of it worth my time. Your material IS WORTHWHILE. Post #101 shows your discouragement, but I hope you won't give up. Please, don't give up.
(I do understand that this is not the only part of your life that matters, so above all else, be good to your family and yourself first.)
Hope our paths cross again. Safe travels!