Government snooping, backdoors and #necessaryhashtags

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

Except that those most capable of misusing the information are not subject to any kind of sanction by the rest of the "villagers" here.

What about those who are stupid enough to tell the world what they're doing every minute of every day? Facebook and Twitter anyone?

It used to be Voyeurism. Now it's Exhibitionism.

Earth to participants: It's not in your best interests....

[jasong]

This is a bit off-topic, but I wonder how people would feel if PRISM stuck around, but was searchable for anyone who had access to the internet?

A lot of people think lying is a necessary part of society, so what would happen if it suddenly became impossible? What if you were capable of keeping your mouth shut, but if you said something, it had to be something you believed to be true?

[xilman]

Originally Posted by jasong

This is a bit off-topic, but I wonder how people would feel if PRISM stuck around, but was searchable for anyone who had access to the internet?

A lot of people think lying is a necessary part of society, so what would happen if it suddenly became impossible? What if you were capable of keeping your mouth shut, but if you said something, it had to be something you believed to be true?

The recently late Iain M Banks wrote extensively of a society in which the only thing you could reasonably be sure to be private was the thoughts inside your own mind. Even that was a matter of convention only, but a convention which was widely observed by almost everyone almost all the time.

I strongly recommend you read The Culture works if you haven't already done so.


To address your question, I would suggest that a more appropriate version would be: what if your utterances (by which, I mean any form of communication) could have their veracity verified quickly and accurately. You would still be able to lie but it would be clear that was the case. I see no reason to forbid you to relate a fictional narrative as long as your audience is aware of the situation. Would you really want to make it impossible to repeat existing mythologies or to create new ones?

Once upon a time, ...

[kladner]

I'll have to have a look at Banks. Thanks to all who have recommended his works.

[Xyzzy]

A lot of people think lying is a necessary part of society, so what would happen if it suddenly became impossible?

Going to church would suddenly become very interesting!

[CRGreathouse]

Originally Posted by xilman

To address your question, I would suggest that a more appropriate version would be: what if your utterances (by which, I mean any form of communication) could have their veracity verified quickly and accurately. You would still be able to lie but it would be clear that was the case. I see no reason to forbid you to relate a fictional narrative as long as your audience is aware of the situation. Would you really want to make it impossible to repeat existing mythologies or to create new ones?

Probably this is the more realistic society, since transparent lies are still possible under the strict regime. "The world sits on the back of a giant tortoise, or else 1 + 1 = 2."

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by xilman

The recently late Iain M Banks wrote extensively of a society in which the only thing you could reasonably be sure to be private was the thoughts inside your own mind.

"We're working on it ... check out our in-beta Google Glass fMRI add-on!"

[chappy]

A Fun short story about the whole thing. I've decrypted some of it. Anyone got an idea who Agent O'Brien might be?

http://warscapes.com/literature/cryptogams-nsa

[chappy]

Originally Posted by xilman

The recently late Iain M Banks wrote extensively of a society in which the only thing you could reasonably be sure to be private was the thoughts inside your own mind. Even that was a matter of convention only, but a convention which was widely observed by almost everyone almost all the time.

You didn't want to be a meat-fucker.

Look to Windward is my personal fav. Though I believe Consider Phlebas (the first written Culture Novel) is generally considered the best.

[ewmayer]

Lyin' Joe Biden was in my neck of the woods today - attending his niece's graduation from Stanford. Caught him on the 5pm news this afternoon gladhanding the adoring mobs at a surprise visit to the Hobee's restaurant in Palo Alto - the very same Hobee's, as it happens, where fellow GIMPSer Scott Kurowski and I had breakfast with Don Knuth back in 2000 (I think it was 2000 - man, the years have flown by).

Anyhoo, I happened to send a friend this ZeroHedge link yesterday, which funnily sets up a mock debate about NSA-style snooping between Joe Biden of 2006 and Barack Obama of today:

The NSA Spy Scandal Debate: Obama 2013 Vs Biden 2006

As it happens, some uncouth member of the hoi polloi asked the VP about this very same speech of his at today's meet-the-rabble-ing. Joezo the Clown's ready answer? Get this:

"That was a different program".

[Which, even if true - dubious, but what the heck, "he deserves the benefit of the doubt" or some such nonsense - is massively disingenuous because the mass-scale domestic snooping being alleged is far, far worse than any known Bush-era snooping was.]

[xilman]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

As it happens, some uncouth member of the hoi polloi asked

Also as it happens, hoi polloi, or some of the less couthful them at least, forget that "hoi polloi" is literally "the people" and doesn't take a preceding definitive article.