PRISM: Internet surveillance & You

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TVR
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With the exposure of PRISM, along with the USA's many other global internet and phone surveillance systems, we now know that the government can theoretically find out who said what and how to track them down.

It made me wonder, what do you all think of these kinds of surveillance systems, and would your use of the internet and telecom change if you knew everything you read or post online and everything you say, send or hear on your phone goes on your permanent record?
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Autohummer
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I happen to be living in Hong Kong, where Snowden is (supposedly) hiding right now. Nobody here quite cared even if published evidence says that the US has tapped into HK networks, though.
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TVR
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Democracy & apathy aren't exactly known to be compatible... to take something for granted is quite possibly the fastest way to lose it, or so I've been informed.

I feel as if we are hurling towards a Cyberpunk future, unbelievably enough.
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Jay2Jay
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*checks watch, says 3:02am*
This may be the high from the ten five hour energies mixted with a redbull, some gatorade, vodka, and something I found growing under my toilet talking, but I say we nuke Canada, its always the best option. Nothing can possibly go wrong if you nuke Canada. And if anyone asks us why, lets just say "for @#$!'s and giggles" it's why dolphines get away with torturing sharks and raping women. After that me and the Shane's Evil Decker Clone can go find that cheap kirby ripoff (the one piloting the huge frog Mecha/Gunman thing) and see if he tastes nice. I think the Government would enjoy the fan service.

EDIT: BRING ME THE FANSERVICE.
FourFire
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TVR wrote:Democracy & apathy aren't exactly known to be compatible... to take something for granted is quite possibly the fastest way to lose it, or so I've been informed.

I feel as if we are hurling towards a Cyberpunk future, unbelievably enough.
[Politics]

The problem in HK is that the older generation are used to not caring about who's in charge and what's going on in the government as long as they get to live their lives as-is. I've heard someone in their 40s saying in an news interview that he doesn't care who the new Chief Executive of Hong Kong would be, as it is just like the company having a new boss ("Chief Executive" is how we call the biggest cheese in the gov't, sometimes I feel Hong Kong is a bloody corpocracy.)

Meanwhile, the younger generation (eg me) are spilt between "caring politics because it affects our lives" and "I don't bleeding care, I'm leaving this place ASAP/too busy playing Candy Crush/etc."

Hong Kong is pretty close to Snow Crash, if you ask me. The government is more-or-less rubber-stamping for the megacorps. Fortunately the corporations haven't found it useful/profitable to field their own military.

[/Politics]

@Jay2Jay: I say we bomb the hell out of Hong Kong.
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digdug
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Thinking about PRISM reminded me instantly of the extreme monitoring of The Prisoner:
"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_prisoner
Jay2Jay
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Crap, that post up there is wierd. I have to take anti-anxiety pills once in the mornin and once at night, and I forgot you can't drink caffiene with them so I couldn't sleep and that happened....
BTW it is 11:20am here so I got some sleep and well.... sorry I disturbed your otherwise serious conversation...
@Autohummer: Don't you live in hong kong? I live in Alabama USA BTW
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@Jay2Jay [notbeingserious] Why yes, I do live there, and since I am un Bond Villain™, I don't mind getting caught inside le blast radius of my Evil Plan™! Oui, I've got le tickets to le front row of les Apocalypse! [/notbeingserious]
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TVR
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Political corruption never remains as-is, the only thing that seems to limit its growth is accountibility. I wonder just how many people understand that as consolidation of power goes up, accountibility goes down, or why accountibility by self-restraint is also known as Conflict of Interest?

@digdug

"You are number six."

Also relevant, "The Matrix has you."

For us to think critically about these systems is probably unwanted.
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Jay2Jay
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@TVR

Dafuq did you just say? Are you calling me black?
TVR
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Please, Jay2Jay, please try harder to understand what we are talking about.

You are a young man, full of energy and ready to take on the world. I like that, I like to see free spirits who aren't afraid to say what they think and do something other than conform like the rest.

So are you someone who needs an all-consuming system like PRISM because you fear that the Terrorists will get you?

Because to me, you seem like someone who can live without fearing the Terrorists, the Police, or the God(s) of any religion there is.

The authorities of this world, the government, the corporations, the courts, the military, the church, your parents, even this very Transcendence community all share one thing in common: they're made up of old people with old ideas, who hate young people like you.

Did you know that there once was another young teenage boy like you, who was incredibly creative and passionate, who also wanted to create the best Transcendence mod ever, and became hated by the older & "mature" men in this community? We ended up PERMANENTLY BANNING him over the stupidest misunderstandings. His mother blamed us for "tainting his mind", and we actually use that as further justification to keep the ban.

Whatever the authorities can't control, they will just throw out like trash and make up an excuse afterwards.

My last word of advice, don't fall into traps like judging people by the color of their skin, it's completely meaningless. It's just another way for authority to split people into smaller groups so that they are easier to control.
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Jay2Jay
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Okay I admit that that comment was *a bit* racist, but I was kidding and pocking fun at your technical talk. I really don't care if the government does that, as I am doing nothing that would actually criminify me and I have no issues with it as far as privacy. I really think that if it can help others (even if it is a positive psychological effect) or help prevent potiential criminals/terrorists from actually doing anything, then it is worth it. As long as the government doesn't use it inapropriately (like, say to see when and where the nearest peaceful demonstration will be and assasinating (or some other form of violent act) someone to prevent it).
Last edited by Jay2Jay on Fri Jun 21, 2013 3:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jay2Jay
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Oh and one more thing...
Was he actually insane and a douche/jackass/annoying prick like most have told me, or that free-creative-spirit-that-does-not-care-about-what-others-tell-him thing.

Now that I think about it... they are almost the same thing except one is insulting and the other is uplifting.
TVR
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This is a very simple (basic logic/political science) question:

Q: What is an authority's first priority?

A) Protecting its citizens
B) Protecting itself

Now, what happens when the citizens turn against the government?
Jay2Jay wrote:Was he actually insane and a douche/jackass/annoying prick like most have told me, or that free-creative-spirit-that-does-not-care-about-what-others-tell-him thing.
In my opinion, he was exactly like you, or I could say, you are exactly like him.

Where you've made racist jokes, he made sexist jokes. This is not an important distinction.

For the record: "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire
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