I actually don't have a problem with _humans_ knowing where I am and what I am doing. Consider that I use my real name here at HN as well as most other online communities, and that I am quite public about my mental illness.
What I find disturbing as that computers are able to correllate my activities in an automated way. I'm not so much worried about the NSA spying on me. What bothers me is that this is done for targeted advertising.
I am completely cool with certain kinds of targeted advertising. Say I visit slashdot and get an ad for a development tool; I'm fine with that.
What I'm not OK with, would be visiting at first slashdot, then after that, say, FaceBook, then getting an ad for a development tool because FB knows that I also hang out at /.
I've been heavily into sales and marketing for many years. I understand how it works rather more deeply than do most folks, for example, it is quite common for marketing people to have Psychology PhDs.
I expect that it's my understanding of marketing that makes me so upset about all this surveillance.
There are lots of things that I could legitimately worry about, but do not. For example I jaywalk across busy streets quite a lot, but don't worry about getting hurt. I also wander through bad neighborhoods late at night quite a lot, usually carrying my MacBook Pro, yet I do not worry about getting robbed.
What I find disturbing as that computers are able to correllate my activities in an automated way. I'm not so much worried about the NSA spying on me. What bothers me is that this is done for targeted advertising.
I am completely cool with certain kinds of targeted advertising. Say I visit slashdot and get an ad for a development tool; I'm fine with that.
What I'm not OK with, would be visiting at first slashdot, then after that, say, FaceBook, then getting an ad for a development tool because FB knows that I also hang out at /.
I've been heavily into sales and marketing for many years. I understand how it works rather more deeply than do most folks, for example, it is quite common for marketing people to have Psychology PhDs.
I expect that it's my understanding of marketing that makes me so upset about all this surveillance.
There are lots of things that I could legitimately worry about, but do not. For example I jaywalk across busy streets quite a lot, but don't worry about getting hurt. I also wander through bad neighborhoods late at night quite a lot, usually carrying my MacBook Pro, yet I do not worry about getting robbed.