Comments on: What happens in Vegas

By: Jeff Barr

Jeff Barr — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:05:12 +0000

Galaxian, now that brings back memories!

By: Paul C. Bryan

Paul C. Bryan — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:10:51 +0000

Queen of too-much-infromation? Excuse me, I beg to differ. You are the queen of Venn diagrams. Venn diagrams reduce too-much-infromation into bite-sized, beautifully disguised set theory graphical representations.

By: Eve

Eve — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:49:33 +0000

Dennis, indeed you’re right, there’s a world of difference. But it’s awfully hard to enforce privacy restrictions, or to “sell” privacy as a service feature, when people are willing to blab any old thing without demanding something in return. As far as vendors are concerned, why buy the cow if you’re getting the milk for free?

I had been calling this the “self-revelation imperative” but maybe a better name — more alliterative, anyway — is the “TMI tendency”. :)

We do need practical systems to let us share data in finer granularity — that is, both the “data size” and the “recipient list” need to be more finely controllable. I think, though, that we’ll have more success selling the benefits of truly selective sharing than the benefits of keeping our data out of others’ hands.

By: orcmid

orcmid — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:22:44 +0000

Well, however far over you go on the TMI meter, it’s your TMI meter, not someone else deciding what they can know about you and what they can do with that.

That seems like a world of difference to me. Now, with being data-mined for all of our TMI spoutings, I am reminded of an old saying about what such invasive and humorless folks can do with themselves.

By: Darren

Darren — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:07:28 +0000

Never TMI about video games! Great tip on GameWorks. They also have a pub/lounge there that is adults only (and so is often empty and very comfortable).

By: Eve

Eve — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:27:00 +0000

Yep, you're right, and don't forget that paper currency generally has individual serial numbers!

By: John Cowan

John Cowan — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:04:08 +0000

As I’ve said before, the only way to keep your privacy while doing business with other people is to do it all in person, pay cash, and wear heavy black clothes, work gloves, and a ski mask at all times. But then other people may well be excused if they refuse to do business with you. (And anyway, you still drop DNA wherever you go.)