The New Your Times today reported: "U.S. Wants to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet" (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27wiretap.html) The Times writes: "Federal law enforcement and national security officials are preparing to seek sweeping new regulations for the Internet, arguing that their ability to wiretap criminal and terrorism suspects is “going dark” as people increasingly communicate online instead of by telephone. ... Essentially, officials want Congress to require all services that enable communications — including encrypted e-mail transmitters like BlackBerry, social networking Web sites like Facebook and software that allows direct “peer to peer” messaging like Skype — to be technically capable of complying if served with a wiretap order. The mandate would include being able to intercept and unscramble encrypted messages.

Previously posted was the article: Federal rules on campus file sharing kick in today (http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=195307&highlight=student), which forces schools to inspect the data stream to assure that piracy is not occurring.

Essentially both the government and private industry are asserting that they have a "right" to inspect your data stream and even inspect your computer at their whim to verify that you are being a good upstanding citizen, at your expense of course. If they don't like what you are doing (or even if it simply is a policy cahnge on their part) they can take adverse action against you without due process and maybe even "brick" your equipment. Remember the Kindle (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html) and Sony root-kit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_CD_copy_protection_scandal) incidents?

As an aside. CNET news even had this particularly "chilling" article: The end of software ownership--and why to smile. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-20016864-92.html?tag=topTechContentWrap;editorPicks) I am not smiling. This article could be interpreted as a precursor for establishing the concept that the consumer has no property rights to products "sold" (leased) to them. A more detailed response can be found here: The Concept of "Sale" is Under Attack (http://srynas.blogspot.com/2010/09/concept-of-sale-is-under-attack.html)

These are the ground rules laid out for use of the products within the society you live. Dont like it - dont use it - or remove yourself from the society.

Privacy is actually a very new concept. In human history folks lived in villages, everyone knew everyone else’s business.

In ways though, the more they are allowed to snoop, the more privacy you actually have. What are they going to do, hire one half of the world to listen in on the other?
Maybe they could add a rotating schedule to keep the one half honest?
Not enough hours in a millennia to hear it all.

Privacy is actually a very new concept. Correct. I didn't like using the word "privacy". It was an word of expediency since that is how the debate is usually characterized. Nevertheless, neither government nor the private sector should have any inherent right to spy on you or to "manage" your data stream.

In human history folks lived in villages, everyone knew everyone else’s business. Actually a very powerful concept. It may be politically incorrect, but may of today's ills can be attributed to the anonymity that a mass society provides. Would Madoff or Lehman Brothers been willing or able to defraud investors had Madoff or Lehman Brothers been limited to the world of a village?

Would Madoff or Lehman Bros been as successful in their ruse if their files were "raided by big brother"?


Actually they were only successful because of capitalistic greed...

Correct. I didn't like using the word "privacy". It was an word of expediency since that is how the debate is usually characterized. Nevertheless, neither government nor the private sector should have any inherent right to spy on you or to "manage" your data stream.

Actually a very powerful concept. It may be politically incorrect, but may of today's ills can be attributed to the anonymity that a mass society provides. Would Madoff or Lehman Brothers been willing or able to defraud investors had Madoff or Lehman Brothers been limited to the world of a village?

It infuriates me that our government is so controlled by corporations and serve to please their interests over the people who voted them in. This two party system has got to go. I challenge everyone to vote outside the box this year. Say no to Republicans and Democrats and anyone who associates with them!

The encryption algorithms are in fact very, very good. You'd be a sucker for trying to attack their mathematical foundations. If you really want to know what someone does, there must be a program between the keypad and encryption. There are actually quite easy.