Readers of this blog are no doubt aware of the brouhaha over Bush's wiretapping activities. I haven't commented on it for a number of reasons, chiefly because it's not something that interests me a great deal and I'm not even sure I have a full grasp of exactly all that's involved (granted, that's rarely stopped me before). I have seen some indications that the same stuff went on under Bill Clinton, but then again saying Clinton did something doesn't strike me as a great way to evaluate whether a policy is actually correct or not.
But something that hasn't been mentioned too much in this debate -- or maybe has and I just haven't seen it -- is just how much our lives are being monitored already. Credit card companies know exactly what you buy. If you use a loyalty card at grocery stores they know exactly what you eat. Amazon.com knows what kind of books I prefer to read. And so on. It's not as if we enjoy perfect privacy anyway. I'm not saying that's good or bad, that's just reality.
Just how much info there is out there was driven home to me today when I emailed my sister asking if she knows Lindsey Kildow since they both live in Vail. My sister, as expected, didn't but said that she has her contact info if I am interested in stalking her. Apparently if you go skiing in Vail you have to provide some info -- including your mailing and email addresses -- to obtain a ski pass that is then entered into a database. If you've skiied Vail, they've probably got the goods on you.
So right now I have Lindsey's email address, which some might say is a far bigger concern than the government running some wiretaps with dubious authorization.
And no, I'm not giving it out.
But something that hasn't been mentioned too much in this debate -- or maybe has and I just haven't seen it -- is just how much our lives are being monitored already. Credit card companies know exactly what you buy. If you use a loyalty card at grocery stores they know exactly what you eat. Amazon.com knows what kind of books I prefer to read. And so on. It's not as if we enjoy perfect privacy anyway. I'm not saying that's good or bad, that's just reality.
Just how much info there is out there was driven home to me today when I emailed my sister asking if she knows Lindsey Kildow since they both live in Vail. My sister, as expected, didn't but said that she has her contact info if I am interested in stalking her. Apparently if you go skiing in Vail you have to provide some info -- including your mailing and email addresses -- to obtain a ski pass that is then entered into a database. If you've skiied Vail, they've probably got the goods on you.
So right now I have Lindsey's email address, which some might say is a far bigger concern than the government running some wiretaps with dubious authorization.
And no, I'm not giving it out.
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