Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Gold/Mining/Energy : Gold Price Monitor -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: philv who wrote (13957)	6/29/1998 3:31:00 PM
From: xray	Respond to of 116796

I agree. Perhaps people will grow to prefer an implanted chip, rather than a smart card that can be easily lost. An implanted chip allows the bearer a great deal of freedom and security that may win out over the initial aversion to the invasion, albeit minor, of their bodies by a microchip device. Whether such implanted chips are detrimental to the individual or society, I reserve comment in favor of responding to the comments of others.

To: philv who wrote (13957)	6/29/1998 4:06:00 PM
From: Henry Volquardsen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 116796

First off Phil I apologize if my initial response was rude. It was 6 am and I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet ;) I am a Libertarian and sensitive to the issue of privacy. That said I believe a number of people, including the individual in the post you linked, are going a little bit overboard on the conspiracy theories. Our loss of personal freedom is not going to come kicking its way through the front door with such an obvious issue as a national id card. Afterall we are talking drivers licenses here and I have been to the DMV and find it a bit comical that they could be involved in a plan to steal our liberties. If they have control of the info and our responsible to get it the rest of the conspiracy, we are home free :) The loss privacy will come in the thousand pieces of information we hand out everyday to live in the modern world .All the information that is included on these smart cards is already available to everyone who wants it. There is an argument to be paid that our privacy has been breeched so much and there is already so much information about us that it swamps the system. Anyone who is trying to use the system to control us has a mountain of information to wade through. The shere volume of info serves to protect us. Each of us becomes the needle in the haystack. As I said I am personally and philosophically interested in the idea of privacy. However we have to deal with life in the modern world and commerce has already breeched our privacy more than the government can ever hope to. We need to figure out how to deal with that reality. I am more worried about being harrassed by companies who want to sell me somrthing than I am worried about our government (at the moment). I have been thinking about this recently. A book with a novel view of how to deal with this issue is "The Transparent Society : Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom?" by David Brin. I have not read the book yet but am familiar with Brin's writing (fiction). Apparently he puts forward the theseis that the only way to obtain freedom in the modern world is to give up privacy. I have ordered the book and look forward to reading it. Henry