It is interesting that so many people have absolutely no problem with Google, Facebook... to trample on their privacy like a big white elephant but are more cautious when we are talking about physical property.
Do the not realize what these companies are doing, ... or is it just me overrating my own privacy?
No, I think that's an absolutely great point. My guess is that the masses really don't grasp what they are 'paying' (both now, but especially in the future) in trade for some free services. That said, letting strangers directly into your home is a pretty immediate danger. While, the danger Google, Facebook, etc. pose is more distant or under-the-radar in impact.
Oh, and it isn't *just* about privacy, or what people often think of when they use the term. For example, I heard 'through the grapevine' that I lost a job opportunity over some info about me that is technically illegal to discriminate upon. For stuff like that, it could be a matter of making a living... not just trying to hide some deep dark secret. With our whole lives out there in some ways, and others willing to share *way* more than seems safe or prudent, it could lead to all kinds of problems, from discrimination, job losses, or even your children being abused or abducted. When I hear people make that, 'I have nothing to hide' argument... I just think, wow, how naive you are!
Do the not realize what these companies are doing, ... or is it just me overrating my own privacy?
The worst illiterate is the political illiterate. He hears nothing, sees nothing, takes no part in political life. He doesn’t seem to know that the cost of living–the price of beans, of flour, of rent, of medicines–all depend on political decisions. He even prides himself on his political ignorance, sticks out his chest and says he hates politics. He doesn’t know, the imbecile, that from his political non-participation comes the prostitute, the abandoned child, the robber, and, worst of all, corrupt officials–the lackeys of exploitive multinational corporations. – Bertolt Brecht
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Oh, and it isn't *just* about privacy, or what people often think of when they use the term. For example, I heard 'through the grapevine' that I lost a job opportunity over some info about me that is technically illegal to discriminate upon. For stuff like that, it could be a matter of making a living... not just trying to hide some deep dark secret. With our whole lives out there in some ways, and others willing to share *way* more than seems safe or prudent, it could lead to all kinds of problems, from discrimination, job losses, or even your children being abused or abducted. When I hear people make that, 'I have nothing to hide' argument... I just think, wow, how naive you are!
The worst illiterate is the political illiterate. He hears nothing, sees nothing, takes no part in political life. He doesn’t seem to know that the cost of living–the price of beans, of flour, of rent, of medicines–all depend on political decisions. He even prides himself on his political ignorance, sticks out his chest and says he hates politics. He doesn’t know, the imbecile, that from his political non-participation comes the prostitute, the abandoned child, the robber, and, worst of all, corrupt officials–the lackeys of exploitive multinational corporations. – Bertolt Brecht