The Ostrich Security Principle

[tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)]

At 2:47 PM 8/9/96, Sandy Sandfort wrote:

>It probably needs a whole new domain.  How 'bout:
>
>                        burglary.org
>
>That way, when burglars see an Oregon car loaded with a family
>heading south into California on vacation, they can just go on
>line and get those folks' address from the database.
>
>Afterwards, a thank you note to Oregon's DMV would be in order.


Sounds like a market niche to me...people at the border could sell the
plate numbers (and even full DMV searches) of cars they see....maybe with a
higher price paid for "real-time quotes," and a lower price paid for
"15-minute-delayed quotes." Just like the stock market.

By the way, I'm watching MSNBC and they're engaging in a fretfest about
this Oregon situation, with calls for "regulating the Internet."

"There is no good reason for this to be on the Internet." is one line I
heard. (If the stuff is legal to own, and is "public information," just
what exception to the First Amendment could be used to bar publishing?)

BTW, this latest issue is similar to the flap several years ago over Lotus'
plan to sell to the public a CD-ROM of zipcodes and whatnot. (I think it
was called "Lotus Neighborhoods.") So-called "privacy activists" raised a
hue and cry and the plan was cancelled. Of course, corporations and other
such interest groups can get the data, so not much was accomplished. Many
of us thought it was a blow to real privacy issues.

The Ostrich Security Principle: "It is more important to have the
_illusion_ of privacy than to have real privacy."

--Tim May

Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software!
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Licensed Ontologist         | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."