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Thread: The cost of online anonymity

  1. #1
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    Post The cost of online anonymity

    I know this has been discussed before Online Anonymity but I have found this report on online anonymity, and of course would like your views. A reporter Dan Simmons who works for BBC Click Online had been researching the cost of online anonymity and I think it is an important and interesting issue that affects us all. The link is below.

    Can you guys pm me if the above link is still broken, it works for me but I will pm a mod if it does not work for anyone else, thank you



    The Cost of Online Anonymity

  2. #2
    Leftie Linux Lover the_JinX's Avatar
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    Great article..

    I'm with Ian Clarke on this one..
    Especialy on the the issue of the necessity of censorship..
    Isn't censorship sometimes necessary?

    Of course no issue is black and white, and there are many who feel that censorship is a good thing in some circumstances. For example, in some European countries propagating information deemed to be racist is illegal. Governments seek to prevent people from advocating ideas which are deemed damaging to society. There are two answers to this however. The first is that you can't allow those in power to impose "good" censorship, without also enabling them to impose "bad" censorship. To impose any form of censorship a government must have the ability to monitor and thus restrict communication. There are already criticisms that the anti-racism censorship in many European countries is hampering legitimate historical analysis of events such as the second world war.

    The second argument is that this "good" censorship is counter-productive even when it does not leak into other areas. For example, it is generally more effective when trying to persuade someone of something to present them with the arguments against it, and then answer those arguments. Unfortunately, preventing people from being aware of the often sophisticated arguments used by racists, makes them vulnerable to those arguments when they do eventually encounter them.

    Of course the first argument is the stronger one, and would still hold-true even if you didn't accept the second. Basically, you either have censorship, or you don't. There is no middle-ground.
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  3. #3
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    This was mentioned briefly on my forensics course. It was possible, in the consultants opinion, that the area you have given up for freenet storage could be used for storing illegal images (as mentioned) and that you would be liable for having that material on your PC and subject to prosecution.

    This would depend I suppose on your computer being taken as evidence and the encryption cracked.

    I think it's one of those thing where you would have to say, why would you use this unless you have something to hide.

  4. #4
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    From Here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ne/4227578.stm
    After 10 years in the business, Anonymizer has two million active users. The US government pays it to promote the service in China and Iran in order to help promote free speech.
    As Anonymizer uses encryption, and we all know the US govs position on encryption. I would hazard a guess there is a backdoor for this system?

    again from the same article but concerning Freenet

    "You are giving over part of your computer, it will be in encrypted form, you will not know what you are carrying, but some of it is going to be seriously unpleasant. Are you happy with that?"

    What worries many, is that Freenet is a lawless area.
    And that is what would worry me also. Im all for anonimity when surfing and carreing out other tasks on the net. But if i'm using a P2P client I want to know what is comeing into by PC.
    What happens if a big asteroid hits the Earth? Judging from realistic simulations involving a sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we can assume it will be pretty bad. - Dave Barry

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    Leftie Linux Lover the_JinX's Avatar
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    I think it's one of those thing where you would have to say, why would you use this unless you have something to hide.
    That is such a weak excuse..

    Oh.. if you have nothing to hide.. just let me browse thrue your panties.. k..
    What you don't want me to browse thrue your personal photo's.. got something to hide ??
    ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI.
    When in Russia, pet a PETSCII.

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  6. #6
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    Yeah I know it's ****.

    But why would you want your personal photos encrypted on someone elses PC.
    If you've got stuff you want to keep safe and private why would you want to spread it around the world. Encrypt it stick it on a CD and put it in a safe.

    Now if you've got something which would be illegal to hold on your own HD it might be a good idea to store it on someone elses.

    Oh.. if you have nothing to hide.. just let me browse thrue your panties.. k..
    you might wanna PM that to hardcode121

  7. #7
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    But why would you want your personal photos encrypted on someone elses PC.
    If I lived someware like Burma, Iran, Etc and those photos showed government atrocities I absolutly would want them stored on someone elses PC.
    What happens if a big asteroid hits the Earth? Judging from realistic simulations involving a sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we can assume it will be pretty bad. - Dave Barry

  8. #8
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    But in that case you would have something to hide.

  9. #9
    Leftie Linux Lover the_JinX's Avatar
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    Even if you don't have anything to hide, you still want your privacy..

    And that is what projects like freenet are trying to protect..

    To once again abuse this quote:
    Benjamin Franklin: They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.
    Or how about
    Clarence Darrow: You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom. You can only be free if I am free.
    Or perhaps
    Dorothy Thompson: When liberty is taken away by force it can be restored by force. When it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered.
    What about
    Eleanor Holmes Norton: The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with.
    ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI.
    When in Russia, pet a PETSCII.

    Get your ass over to SLAYRadio the best station for C64 Remixes !

  10. #10
    The ******* Shadow dalek's Avatar
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    Exactly what is "Privacy"

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy and is "Anonymizer" truly Anonymous, surely someone still sees the traffic, at some point.
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