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In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

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Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#731

Post by superkuh »

btbuildem wrote: post #723
romaniv wrote: post #164

> The government’s action is troubling enough, but what should really disturb us is the ease and invisibility with which it is being done. This is such a great point. I'm not sure why it needs to be made over and over again, but it seems that's the only way it doesn't get buried. Let's play a game. I will be the institution, you will be the person. You will get ability to record me with your cellphone and post stuff…

You forgot the part that as an individual I am practically invisible to the institution, and it would take a mob of mes to attract Sauron's eye.

You think that, until one day you wake up to the pounding of the FBI (or CSIS...) on your door at 6am. I thought I was a no one, I literally used the same Lotr metaphor as you, but in 2009/2010 during the occupy and wikileaks protests the US government must have decided I was enough (despite never going to a protest and commiting no crimes) and they raided me and ruined my life. I was never charged with a crime. Never even indicted. Their action was simply to ruin my life and scare me.

It can happen to you too. Even if you think you're a no one.

Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#732

Post by PKop »

romaniv wrote: post #164

> The government’s action is troubling enough, but what should really disturb us is the ease and invisibility with which it is being done. This is such a great point. I'm not sure why it needs to be made over and over again, but it seems that's the only way it doesn't get buried. Let's play a game. I will be the institution, you will be the person. You will get ability to record me with your cellphone and post stuff…

"The sovereign is he who decides on the exception" -Carl Schmitt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_exception

Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#733

Post by [deleted] »

ladallada wrote: post #578
romaniv wrote: post #164

> The government’s action is troubling enough, but what should really disturb us is the ease and invisibility with which it is being done. This is such a great point. I'm not sure why it needs to be made over and over again, but it seems that's the only way it doesn't get buried. Let's play a game. I will be the institution, you will be the person. You will get ability to record me with your cellphone and post stuff…

I'm all for putting more transparency and reasonable bounds on the process formally, but I think you're missing two points: 1. While having formal bounds would be great, in this case, it hasn't been shown yet that they applied force unreasonably and beyond what those bounds should be. Some people want to believe they froze assets of innocent bystanders or small local donors, but that's just conjecture right now. 2. I…

[deleted]

Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#734

Post by repsilat »

ladallada wrote: post #578
romaniv wrote: post #164

> The government’s action is troubling enough, but what should really disturb us is the ease and invisibility with which it is being done. This is such a great point. I'm not sure why it needs to be made over and over again, but it seems that's the only way it doesn't get buried. Let's play a game. I will be the institution, you will be the person. You will get ability to record me with your cellphone and post stuff…

I'm all for putting more transparency and reasonable bounds on the process formally, but I think you're missing two points: 1. While having formal bounds would be great, in this case, it hasn't been shown yet that they applied force unreasonably and beyond what those bounds should be. Some people want to believe they froze assets of innocent bystanders or small local donors, but that's just conjecture right now. 2. I…

The border crossing was unblocked without much fuss, and without the use of wild emergency powers. Several arrests were made. No "tear gas", wtf.

A Canadian MP has claimed that a small-donor constituent had their bank account frozen. In any case it sounds like despite their rhetoric (calling protestors and their supporters white supremacists and lawbreakers), the government wasn't going ham and using these broad powers on all of them. Good for them. Regardless, it's not encouraging -- the powers granted were very broad, weren't needed when granted, and obviously aren't needed now even though the government won't give them up.

And I'm not sure about how targeted the response has been. Aside from the rhetoric, peaceful protestors have been met with violence. Funds donated to support them have been blocked.

Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#735

Post by techdragon »

daedlanth wrote: post #730
throw10920 wrote: post #727

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a digital world, the Eye of Sauron is multi-threaded. (your statement isn't true when it comes to virtual + automated surveillance)

My dagger is multi threaded too.

It’s also smaller than a gnat’s tooth in terms of practical power against them.

Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#736

Post by techdragon »

superkuh wrote: post #731
btbuildem wrote: post #723

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You forgot the part that as an individual I am practically invisible to the institution, and it would take a mob of mes to attract Sauron's eye.

You think that, until one day you wake up to the pounding of the FBI (or CSIS...) on your door at 6am. I thought I was a no one, I literally used the same Lotr metaphor as you, but in 2009/2010 during the occupy and wikileaks protests the US government must have decided I was enough (despite never going to a protest and commiting no crimes) and they raided me and ruined my life. I was never charged with a crime. Neve…

You don’t have to have committed a crime to be suspected of one. Investigation alone can be damaging enough depending on circumstances.

Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#737

Post by dustymcp »

maccard wrote: post #697
auggierose wrote: post #675

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Card reader acting up is very different from your bank account being frozen for weeks.

Agreed, however it's also an experience that almost everyone has had, and the straightforward solution (carry two cards from two different banks) _also_ tends to resolve the issue of your bank account being frozen.

Have multiple creditcards aswell, i have a mastercard and a visa for this sort of thing

Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#738

Post by AtlasBarfed »

throw10920 wrote: post #727
btbuildem wrote: post #723

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You forgot the part that as an individual I am practically invisible to the institution, and it would take a mob of mes to attract Sauron's eye.

In a digital world, the Eye of Sauron is multi-threaded. (your statement isn't true when it comes to virtual + automated surveillance)

Yes, the error in the metaphor is that the eye of sauron was one eye.

Automated surveillance is millions of eyes that track, record, and calculate a billion times faster than the human eye.

Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously

#739

Post by [deleted] »

sweetbitter wrote: post #522
conradev wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, that is the argument I am making. But it is important that these fungible cryptocurrencies are as cash-like as possible. So, no global ledger.

I always tend to assume good faith in discussions, so I must ask, are you trolling? Or is it just that HN's general antagonism towards any form of cryptographic currency stems from a dearth of information?

[deleted]
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