Comment by Razengan
1 day ago
The EFF or some other watchdog should put out some public ads that depict corporations as a creepy person stalking someone:
It's a lot more disgusting and universally hated when you hear about a peeping tom, or a pervert, or a jealous ex hounding someone,
but when faceless corporations and governments do it to EVERYBODY 24/7, everyone's like, ehh.
I mean, right now, just think about me, clicking on your HN profile, googling your name, going through all your public photos.. Don't you find me repulsive just talking about that?
This puts me in mind of the infamous GMail Man commercial that Microsoft put out:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oR4jTvxPruw
Infamous because of what GMail is doing, or infamous because Microsoft does the same?
It's about intention. I don't want someone threatening or evil going through my info but don't mind stuff being public in general, like this comment for example.
Yes, but when the surveillance is sweeping, global and total, you can’t really be sure about “intent”, current or future.
i get a little thrill knowing im that important to someone :)
You are important to me, please send your whole photo album to me so i can appreciate it.
Right? There are 8 billion humans on those planet. You are 0.0000000125% of humanity. No one outside your family and friends even knows you, nevermind gives a shit about you, unless you stick out in some way. If GP wants to take a tour of my GitHub or my blog and send me a thoughtful email, I'd be delighted!
How about when that thoughtful email becomes a visit from law enforcement because your projects don’t align with the current administration’s views? When something you said offers support for anyone other than The Party’s chosen ethnic group?
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No. Why should I find you repulsive?
You might find something I wrote interesting. Then whatever public info there is on me helps you to get to know me a bit better. You may stop there and forget about me, or you may try to reach out.
There is nothing wrong about that.
>Why should I find you repulsive?
There could be a number of reasons. Am I not trying hard enough?
> Why should I find you repulsive?
Me googling your shit might lead to your real name, your family photos etc
Just because it's all public doesn't mean you want the cashier from the supermarket following you around to your family picnic
or just because you like to let the sunlight in doesn't mean you want random pedestrians peering in through your windows..
I can't believe this needs to be spelled out here: "Public" life is compartmentalized.
> Just because it's all public doesn't mean you want the cashier from the supermarket following you around to your family picnic.
This has never happened to me. Out of the space of “bad things that can happen to me” I don’t have time to worry about things with such a small probability of occurring.
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Don't put on the Internet what you don't want found as it's always and forever public, I thought everyone knew the first rule.
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I think people's idea of privacy is very simplistic and personal and relies on the disgust of a human peering over your files. Most laypeople don't have the same disgust of machines peering over their personal files that is why the weirdo video recording elicits a negative response but Meta or Alphabet doing it doesn't. Plus the fact that they "depend" on Meta and Alphabet tech makes it easier to give them a pass not unlike fans of [insert your favourite celebrity] who happily look away or justify the celebrity's bad actions.
Or people naively assume that the machine is wayyyy more impartial and privacy-isolated than it really is.
I think people would find it disgusting, it's just very hard to know what data is being used and how and sold to whom by these companies. It's a very opaque by design.
You've tripped right over the difference though.
Corporations aren't people. They do not and cannot present a personal threat to you.
Even your trailing example falls flat on this: for the activity to be distressing you had to recontextualize it back to the individual level.
It might be worth revisiting the definition of the term "Banana Republic" and the history of the United Fruit Company[1].
Corporations have toppled democratic governments, run dodgy drug trials and given breast feeding mothers just enough free powdered milk to stop being able to feed their babies.
We have large online retailers, Temu and Shein, accused of using forced labour aka slavery.
Even a well known SaaS operation like eBay was caught sending live spiders to woman who criticised them[2].
Corporations are entities with legal rights but are motivated solely by profit. Without laws to regulate them they would unemotionally run right over you.
Corporation are, and I choose my words carefully, absolute cunts.
They can 100% can present a threat to you. We wouldn't have the concept of corporate manslaughter if they didn't.
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Fruit_Company
2. https://apnews.com/article/786117108cdfefb40e691b1b3420c689
Not to mention corporations GOVERNED ENTIRE COUNTRIES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company
There were literal wars started and people murdered over corporate interests.
> Corporations ... do not and cannot present a personal threat to you.
...is this for real
Holy fucking hell. Someone please, I can't