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From: new@ee.udel.edu (Darren New)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: The end of privacy... and so what comes next?
Message-ID: <49742@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 4 Apr 91 03:11:22 GMT
References: <63473@bbn.BBN.COM>
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In article <63473@bbn.BBN.COM> cosell@BBN.COM (Bernie Cosell) writes:
>CAN one make a case that privacy is
>protectable, or worthwhile, or even means anything?

Well, I wouldn't mind having no private information about myself if I
would be accepted for what I am.  However, even though it is completely
legal to be (say) bisexual, people from whom I wish to buy computers
might not sell them to me if they found out I was bisexual (which I'm
not :-).  If I were black (which I may or may not be), then racists
wouldn't naturally dismiss my ideas coming as from "one of those".  I
think that USENET and its future equivalents are wonderful in the sense
that it is an exchange of pure ideas usually unencumbered by any
bigotry or hatred.  Those who are hated are hated because others
disagree with what or how they write, not because they are black or
female or whatever.  We wouldn't need laws like Equal Opportunity laws
if it was all done electronically with the proper privacy.

If I was in Germany a few decades ago, I wouldn't want PTT records of
calls to the local synagog (sp?) made from my home phone to be public
information.  When you disagree with the government, privacy is very
important.  

			  -- Darren

-- 
--- Darren New --- Grad Student --- CIS --- Univ. of Delaware ---
----- Network Protocols, Graphics, Programming Languages, FDTs -----
  +=+=+ My time is very valuable, but unfortunately only to me +=+=+
+ When you drive screws with a hammer, screwdrivers are unrecognisable +