Fwd: Re: [funsec] FW: Windows Live and Privacy

[Brian Loe]

A very good response didn't appear to make it to the list, so:

--- chris at loftyperch.com wrote:

> --- Randall M <randallm at fidmail.com> wrote:
>
> > An anonymous reader writes "Today as we were biking around our neighborhood
> > in a small city we saw a strange vehicle slowly driving around. It appeared
> > to be an SUV, bristling with cameras mounted on the roof, and pointing just
> > about every possible direction. The first time we saw it, all we could see
> > was that it had a sign on the side, something about Windows. The second
> time
> > we saw it, we stared at it so hard that the driver stopped and we had a
> > chance to ask him what it was all about. He said he was driving around,
> > filming streets, and that there were people doing this all over the world,
> > and getting data from the air too. It was going to be available on the Web.
> > I asked him if this was Microsoft's answer to Google Earth, and he
> indicated
> > that it was. There seems to be very little about this on the Web, and I
> > found no mention of Microsoft's collection of this sort of detailed street
> > level data. The Windows site appears to be http://preview.local.live.com/,
> > although since I use a Mac it didn't work properly. I'm not sure I want my
> > neighborhood viewable on the Web from ground level. And are they going to
> > edit all the people out? I don't see how they could."
>
> This is the basic issue of privacy in the modern world, anyone not paying
> attention needs to adjust their world-view.  People who focus on this type of
> thing should not be naive about it (I assume this list is primarily industry
> folks ?).  When even we pretend (?) to be surprised about it, it is an
> interesting indicator of the state of awareness of the general public, but it
> changes nothing.
>
> Anyone can point a webcam out their window and stream it to the web.  Anyone
> can take a digital picture of anything and post it to a site.  Anyone can
> take
> a digital video of anything and post it on Youtube et al.  It's the "Globe as
> a
> Small Town" phenomenon (anyone live in a small town?  How private is your
> front
> yard?).
>
> The inside of your home is and should be your private space.  If you want
> your
> front yard private, plant a row of big evergreens, and don't trim the lower
> branches.
>
> -welcome to the world!
>
> -chris
>
> NO
>
> Chris Blask
> Founder and CEO
>
> Lofty Perch Inc
>
> A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are for. Sail out to sea
> and do new things. - Admiral Grace Hopper, Computer Pioneer
>
> 1231 King Street West
> Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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>
> chris at loftyperch.com