Re: [tlug] gmail

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

>>>>> "Ian" == Ian Barwick <barwick@example.com> writes:

    Ian> On Thu, 6 May 2004 01:23:23 -0700, Jonathan Byrne
    Ian> <jq@example.com> wrote:

    >> Now, I know that a great many people won't really care that
    >> Google builds a profile on their reading habits (or that said
    >> profile could be either subpoenaed or outright illegally
    >> obtained) any time during its retention period.  It kind of
    >> gives me the creeps, though.

In fact, many people will actually be quite pleased with it, because
it enables Google to give them better service.  Why be spammed with
ads you don't want to see and will never buy the product when you can
be spammed with ads you don't want to see but will buy the product
anyway?  And then there's the distinct possibility that (like TV) the
ads will be far more fun than most of the alleged content once they
figure out what you want to see.

Creepy, yes, because of the sheer amount of information that is
available to leak to third parties automagically, but this is really
just the same principle as going to the corner pub and having your
black'n'tan in front of you before you finish asking baaten-san if his
kid won the kendo shiai.

    Ian> For anything remotely private I have my own mailserver
    Ian> anyway. Not that that would stop three-letter agencies
    Ian> sniffing unencrypted mail traffic, or gaining access to the
    Ian> colo centre... (Note to self: must acquire carrier pigeons
    Ian> ASAP).

If you're hooked up to the network, you're insecure.  That's the way
the 3LA define security.  I would not bet that they don't know
something we don't know about breaking encryption.  And don't forget
that the 3LA can literally scrape your screen (cameras + OCR) or the
digital equivalent (FCC Class B allowed emissions are plenty to allow
reading the conversation between the video card and the monitor).


-- 
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences     http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
University of Tsukuba                    Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
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