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From: herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Citizens of the City of Mind
Message-ID: <3864.27e65b51@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>
Date: 19 Mar 91 23:41:21 GMT
References: <7259@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> <1204@airs.UUCP> <3622.27d4c133@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> <1991Mar11.070712.4223@cs.ucla.edu> <3778.27dd2150@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> <7T%=GY_@rpi.edu>
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In article <7T%=GY_@rpi.edu>, night@itsgw.rpi.edu (Trip Martin) writes:
> herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (daniel lance herrick) writes:
> 
>>In article <1991Mar11.070712.4223@cs.ucla.edu>, gast@lanai.cs.ucla.edu (David Gast) writes:
>>> 
>>> Anyway, when did I ever make Equifax my agent and ask them to sell info
>>> about me?
>>> 
>>You freely gave information that is valuable and Equifax is selling
>>it as the agent of the person you gave it to or as their own agent.
> 
> More like he was forced to give that information or be denied service.

Ok, let's express it differently.  He bought something that had two
components to its price - some money and some information.  He is 
keeping the thing he bought, but now he wants the information back 
(rendered unavailable to the person to whom he sold it).

If the price was too high, he should not have paid it.  When the
market agrees with him, the price will come down.

Don't talk about stealing the business assets of Equifax.  That horse
is already out of the barn.  Close the barn door and keep the rest of
your private information private by not giving it away.

When you are signing insurance releases at a hospital admissions desk, 
add a time limitation clause.  Or tell them you will pay and don't 
sign insurance releases.  Move your checking account to a money
market fund because *their* bank makes the obligatory pictures of all
the checks of all the clients of the mmf and it is harder to segregate
yours.  Use cash instead of a credit card or check.  Don't tell *their*
computers where you are and what you are doing.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.  If you have been asleep
at the watch tower, then you have given away some freedom.  Start
watching where you make a computerized record that is easy for them
to use and stop doing it.

dan herrick
herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com