Outside Perception
Amin n'rangwa edanea
Big Brother… he is Insidious
I continuously see new products coming out that make me wonder, just how far people will go to have some convenience. Big Brother is watching and waiting and generally we let him. Freedom at this point is an illusion, anyone can find you now and we do it to ourselves. I’m guilty of it as well, I did 4 square and had things on my phone but… lets try using our heads more instead of simply going with the newest gadget.
Let’s review a few shall we. 4 Square… Hmmm could be a useful tool for knowing what places are good, where the best hot wings are and… who goes there. Yep, who hangs out in certain places and roughly when they hang out there. I suppose if I were a stalker this could be interesting, or a contract hit man. Some people like to use their own places… for example, checking in at “My Bed.” Well now I know where you are, I even have a nice GPS fix. Not smart, but of course we do it anyway cause its fun. Same goes for Facebook checkins. So and so was here with… and its updated in real time so you could end up with some party crashers… or even uninvited family members
GPS seems to be a big thing. You own a cell phone? well you can be tracked… anyone who has ever watched any type of TV program knows this. My favorite is when Agent Gibbs smacks Dinozzo or Mcgee, which is code for track that cell phone. Just like Internet cookies your phone can show all of the places you have been too. Remember that wild night in Vegas… well it didn’t stay there, if anyone cares to look your little trip to the bunny ranch is right there in your phone as Zeros and Ones.
Tablets, Smart phones, Laptops… Maybe even your watch is in constant communication with something somewhere, and you can be tracked, followed and stalked. People are worried someday they might have a barcode embedded in them that will allow them to be traced. Nope Your already tagged, cataloged and completely uncaring about it. The alternative is to be cut off from the world as we live in it now. So you have been bugged like something out of The Matrix, except we have done it to ourselves.
Finally there is what made me start thinking about this. The company Progressive insurance has a great program.. and I do acknowledge its greatness. If you are a safe drive and want to get lower rates Progressive can help you. They dont have to take your word for it. If you sign up you can have a small device that plugs into your car and lets them know how you drive. How often you make hard brakes, how many miles you drive each day and how often you drive between midnight and 4 a.m. is what it tracks. It specifically says it doesnt track with GPS or if you are speeding… and yet It certainly could be used in that manner if they wanted to… Or if Agent Smith wanted to. Flo could be Evil… I doubt it since she is so bubbly.. but its possible, Agent Smith has many forms after all.
I just want people to be aware of what they have already given up. Be aware of how easy you can sometimes make it for people you may not want to find you to do so. This post is in jest for the most part. Someone with an abusive ex spouse though… these types of things could cause them problems and we are not very aware of it. Anyone with a computer and some knowledge can track someone down. Why make it easier for them by broadcasting where you live with Checkins.
Related articles
- How To Use GPS Tracking On A Cell Phone (answers.com)
- Is Your Cell Phone Snitching on You? (spectrum.ieee.org)
Spread the Word!!!
Outside Perception 