reply to post by havok
Even though humans have existed for millenia without bar codes. Or credit cards for that matter...
Yes but for some, that survival meant death. Credit, if used wisely, has changed the way our society works, sure, it's a trap and is corrupted like
everything else, but without credit......
Your boss might not have been able to start his business
Your parents might never have been able to afford a home
etc etc.
Technology is just that, a tool, it's what we do with it, or allow others to do with it, that matters. Some of you sound pretty hypocritical to sit
here at a computer blasting away at your keyboard, posting to a forum on the internet about how bad technology is and how it spells the end of the
world.
without this horrible, privacy destroying, technology, you'd have little means or methods at your disposal to find people to discuss things like you
do here.
Our "modern" way of life does indeed require some of this technology. We can easily live with out it, that said, those who live without now, would
be the first to do without the advancements in technology, most of which come about because of war.
Sure, a hundred or two hundred years ago, farmer Joe didn't have access to a credit card, he just grew food and sold it, case closed.
Cept you are ignoring the fact that farmer joe would be destitute if 1 single growing season failed, without credit.
I hear people lament about facebook, over and over. Ignoring the fact that you opt INTO that service, and they can only mine data you allow to be
collected. And let me tell you, your life is not interesting enough to be worried about "them" getting your data. It's all about marketing, and
as such, most of the data being used (used, not collected) is stripped of anything other than key demographics.
I hear people lament over smartphones. Mostly those who can't afford one I guess, because all of the scary nasty stuff can, and should be, disabled.
I use technology for work, and pleasure. I guess I'm just keen on understanding it. Don't get me wrong, I'm the first to point out the scary road
some of this leads towards, but I've also seen technology come and go without many waves or even ripples.
No one is "just short of being barcoded" You have been tracked, from birth, by your government at every milestone in your life. The new systems
are integrating. The benefit, a single system requires less overhead, costs less, is easier to maintain, and reduces inter-connectivity problems.
The con is that, as with anything, this integration makes it much more worrisome if it's used for nefarious purposes.
So let me pose this question, and no, I'm not in favor of a totalitarian police state.
If the government mandates you be chipped at birth, all tracking systems are integrated, all data is shared between agencies, almost down to real time
locational tracking thanks to your phone.
What are you losing? The freedom to commit crimes with a chance to get away with them? Choice? I'm just not sure what exactly would be lost. Do
you honestly think the modern governments, at least the western ones, are that close to just flat out becoming tyrannical?
Is it the real issues with this technology that scare you, or is it the perceived issues?
Looking at it from my own standpoint, sure, I'd have a problem with someone tracking me at all times, but outside of me having a problem with it, how
exactly would if affect my everyday life negatively? Realistically, I don't see much, ignoring committing crimes of course. I foresee something
along the lines of Minority report, annoying targeted ads in real time based on either tracking chips or biometrics.
For example, the latest craze is using facebook or google+ accounts to signup for sites or games, instead of creating seperate accounts for each. The
drawback, they can access your data, the plus, a single coherent login system over various platforms with complete transparency to the end user. By
going into my settings and disabling the service from accessing my data, I both get to use my facebook to login, and also don't have to worry about
them mining my data.
Drawbacks and benefits all over the place when it comes to technology.