Data mining

Craig’s recent thread on his experience with intrusive ads has made me think we should raise awareness of how we open up our private lives to data mining operations.
You should know that just by browsing the web, using internet music or shopping on line you expose yourself.

Every browser on the market uses tracking software to monitor what you search for and what web sites you visit and especially what consumer goods and services you investigate.

Every social media tracks your posts for content key words, buys data from browsers as to your shopping habits (not just Facebook). Amazon, WalMart and every other on-line retailer track your viewing habits as well as your purchases.

That music station you have (Pandora, Sirius, Amazon Echo, Google Home Speakers, iTunes, whatever), is very helpful in letting you rate the tracks in order to fine tune your enjoyment. However, that same process is added to your other choices to develop a better picture of your marketing profile.

Google tracks your physical position! That’s the core of accuracy to Google Map’s traffic data. The app monitors millions of users’ motion down highways to detect slowdowns and traffic jams.

Smart phones and smart TVs track viewing data, including what you order from Redbox, call up on Netflix or pay channels.

Now that you’ve heard the above, understand that this exposition is barely the tip of the iceberg.

Now what? How do you make choices to protect your privacy? The forum is open.

That is how progress is, exhilarating and scary!!

Read 1984

In 1999 I wrote a book, never did anything with it though.
In this book physical currency no longer existed everything was done by the touch of your finger, you also spoke to your home hub that tracked and managed everything in your life. Everybody carried around hand held computers that could do everything for them.
The idea behind the book was a core of people were trying to break away from the 'tracked' life and trying to bring down the corrupt government.
The core of the story was that the government was trying to achieve a debtless society, to avoid a financial crash that would cause problems with arming itself against a hostile 'former Europe'
Those that racked up sufficient debt went into hiding and could be hunted down, eliminated and all of their assets liquidised with half going to the government. This kept the treasury full and also helped with the problem of over population.

Eerily 20 years later some of what I wrote has come to pass.

If it isn't already, I believe 1984 will come to be regarded as the most important piece of literature ever written. The man's foresight was incredible if spine chilling. Also, read Brave New World.

Larry its great that you are bringing this up. I don't think people realise that ever since computers became mainstream every keystroke you do can be traced and monitored at work and at home and even if you delete information it can be retrieved. Especially with internet access because everything that goes through your service provider is recorded and don't get me started on the cloud.

Years ago I was an IT manager and that far back I could see everything the staff did on their computers, every letter word for word that they wrote, game played, what they were logging into etc. I could also see exactly how many minutes anyone spent using each package during the day. Who was working and who wasn't and that was twenty years ago. Technology is far more advanced now. So pretty much if you type it, its there for someone to view. Certainly if you are accessing net anything you access even if you hide your IP address and put up a fire wall it all still has to go through your service provider so they know what you are accessing. It can all still be traced.

I have heard rumours (and I don't honestly know if they are true or not) that any gadget that uses the internet can potentially used for listening into conversations and taking film footage (if it has a camera facility) but I think it is what it is. I don't think there is any sure fire method to retain your privacy if someone is intent on hacking you. Its like breaking into a house. If someone wants to they will no matter how many locks you have on your door.

I don't think there is any privacy anymore in this world. I see so many predictions in books I have read coming true so its not so far fetched to believe that in twenty years that all new babies will be micro chipped and that chip will be their identification, means to purchase things, record of every word they utter and every deed they do. Has anyone watched the movie Gattica? It freaked me out at the time but I see us getting closer and closer to it. Milly x