[Search-l] and it (officially) begins, 24 years late

[Balinny]

Linas Vepstas wrote:
> Yeah, a sentiment that is perhaps widely shared. But perhaps
> a study of history, say, starting with J. Edgar Hoover, might
> lead one to conclude the opposite.  As a human race, we've
> experienced both benign and malicious surveillance, and we
> still don't have terribly good mechanisms for keeping the two
> apart.  Vigilance  and paranoia about intentions, a healthy
> skeptical attitude, would seem to be very prudent, lest some
> nasty, ugly history repeat itself.
>
> --linas
Ok, but why would i want any surveillance at all on the Internet? You 
may want to restrict your freedom having a security company with a 
surveillance camera on your house, because that gives you en enhaced 
security.
But on the Internet? You have antivirus, even your browser may be 
checking all your sites urls against phising lists. Still, they're not 
trying to trace you as Google is able to. Even worse, the benefit of 
this is very low. It is in the interest of Google for improving their 
search, better ad targetting... but the final user will hardly notice 
that (and not always for good).