Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!know!slug!wex From: wex@dali.pws.bull.com (Komarimasen) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: The end of privacy... and so what comes next? Message-ID: Date: 5 Apr 91 22:30:36 GMT References: <63473@bbn.BBN.COM> Sender: news@pws.bulL.com Organization: Bull Worldwide Information Systems Inc. Lines: 30 Nntp-Posting-Host: dali.pws.bull.com In-reply-to: cosell@bbn.com's message of 31 Mar 91 12:33:12 GMT Bernie writes an excellent article. Rather than respond point-by-point, let me make a general response, and then repeat one of my favorite quotes. Bernie's thesis both rises and falls around a slippery-slope arguments. In his strawman, he says "why don't we give up privacy in return for ." The argument is that we've already given up so much, plus most people want the benefit more than the privacy, so why are we wasting our time. The objections to giving up privacy (or for that matter, any right assumed to be reserved to the people) is also based on the slippery-slope principle. That is, if we don't resist the attempt to take away the least little bit of then we will have no logical basis for attempting to resist further taking away of bits of that right. In essence, once you're past a certain point, it's hard to find a logical stopping point. This is why some debates are essentially unsolvable (abortion, my religion vs your religion). It's also why I tend to be an absolutist in areas like this. In closing, let me re-quote Pat Cadigan who remarked: "What is privacy? Maybe privacy is not having to tell anyone what you're thinking *right now*." This quote shows how far the slippery slope might lead and also points out that it may be worthwhile to radically rethink our conception(s) of privacy. -- --Alan Wexelblat phone: (508)294-7485 Bull Worldwide Information Systems internet: wex@pws.bull.com "People will accept your ideas much more readily if you tell them that Benjamin Franklin said it first."