The purpose of this conversation is not that any of us need to hide from anything. Infringement on our rights IS AGAINST THE LAW. Also it is really easy to just let your rights go here and there. Then what you though you did not have to hide from, is the very thing that is outlawed, and now anybody with any suspicion or that fits a curtain group is now a law breaker. I find it really crazy that people that do not think that they are the ones to get hurt in this process of taking away our civil liberties are usually the ones that get indirectly hurt. This is the problem of where we are at today, and there seems nothing the rest of us can do about it, because of comments like that. I will never sacrifice my liberty for the warm cozy feeling of being safe!!! In that circumstance you do not make the law anymore, you are now owned by the law!!

one more thing to add to that last post....sorry i type and submit to fast.

The reason that I am talking about civil liberties when it comes to a device like this, is because this is only the beginning of devices like this. They will claim to be at first for your comfort or to make our lives easier, but in reality it will end up doing neater. It seems that as we invent technology, as of now the first thing it is used for is military purposes, but the original idea was for good. Or maybe its really just money thing, the government has a lot of money so they can buy it and use it to screen for terrorists.

I am not saying it is not doing this, however....
"There is always a however"

With the governments black box's at all ISP's, Big Brother (I avoid the obvious Obama Joke's) does not need that to track you nor where you go.

You see, fire walls generally prevent something from entering your computer or leaving it.

Once you allow a program out as well as bring information in, it can be tracked to and from by the black box's @ ISP's.

ISPs are what seem to be a very gray area. The only way to actually see what an ISP is doing, is goverment requested documents, data required by the goverment to display, or an employee that has witnessed it first hand. If there are any of you out there, that have witnessed the tracking of personal information and its malicious intent to use this information to the goverment, or otherwise please post. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE NOT BREAKING THE LAW IF YOU DO THIS. The govements request for information is something completely different. What they can do with that information its completely debatable. I you watched SPYFACTORY on PBS (its available online) its shows the monumental task of manage data on such a large scale, and how to find what you are looking for. The cost is one factor, and physical ability to store data like this, on everybody every where simply just does not exist. Even if there is some expensive goverment project that is dedicated to this, electronic components die and in a bureaucratic goverment important data needs to be verified and cataloged. A extremely hard task to do.

thanks themuse for providing the hidden files info [applause]
i didn know,i suspected a bit.

I just bought a new computer and am waiting for my free upgrade.
I am worried though that it will not work with my all in one, camera and video cam corders etc.

I really HATE vista though so I am on the fence what to do.
I can not afford to go replace all this stuff.

When vista came out, I had to buy new crap, do not want to do that again.
Sony and everyone must love it because people will have to buy new gadgets and the current ones will be useless.

Seems to me like paranoia. It was done due to technical reasons, if you don't like it - disable it. And for all you that whine about how bad Microsoft is, go use Linux and enjoy it (and WINE ) Fact is, user reports of Windows 7 are glowing.

[edit on 13/10/2009 by C0bzz]