D Peter Maus wrote:
Dave wrote:
On Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:48:53 +0000, D Peter Maus wrote:





Well, you start by not trading it for convenience. You follow that up
by placing sharp restrictions on what information may be gathered and
what may be done with it.

And you wrap things up by keeping your business YOUR business.

So many times, European information gathering practices are cited,
especially by businesses wishing to gather information about it's
patrons, potential patrons, or people walking by in front of the store.
What's NOT cited is the enormous firewall between gathered information
and it's dissemination. What we do with gathered information, today is
obscene. And though the government may not, itself, gather information
about citizens, it MAY, according to recent court decisions, access
privately gathered information, virtually at will. So there are business
that do nothing but gather, collate and disseminate personal information
gathered about US citizens. Usually through credit card transactions, EZ
Pass movements, and cell phone activities. All of this information is
then accessible, with a friendly judge, to the government. In the case
of TelCo's, all that's needed is that someone ask.

This is obscene.

But we allow it 1) for our own convenience, and 2) because we believe
that 'if you have nothing to hide...' Few ever consider the possibility
of abuse. Until they someone takes their house.

I had a conversation with the mangler of the local grocery store, here
a few years ago. He wanted to know why I didn't have a 'preferred
customer card.' I told him that just knowing his first name and that he
worked at this store, it would take me only about 20 minutes to come up
with the balance on his mortgage. Accessing, directly, the information
tied to his Piggly Wiggly card.

He laughed.

I came back in less than 20 minutes with his mortgage balance, his
last month's telephone activity, the last 2 days of websites he's
visited on his home PC, his wife's name, age and previous marital
history, and the names and ages of two of his daughters and the dog.

And the name and address of his mistress.

All because I knew he had a Piggly Wiggly card.

Those preferred cards are tied to a credit card. Some, like Dominick's
even require a social security number. Once you have those, you've have
someone's entire life.

Well, needless to say, he was mortified. And probably divorced within
the year. He left the company about 3 weeks later.

But that's just one example. Look at the amount of data that's
available about you. Or any of us. And who has access to it.

How to you exercise privacy? Start by paying attention to it.


BTW, for more information about the gathering of information through
credit, and preferred club cards, go to

www.nocards.org


You'll be amazed.

Vary well put Peter. but, you better watch yourself,
the neo-cons/ bush crime family will be taking your
conserv club card back. thanks to dub-yas fear and
hate the last 8 years, we have lost almost everything
we hold dear. most people just don't see it that way.
big money wins again.

Drifter...