Internet Security and Authenticity

Lately, I have been thinking and reading quite a lot about internet privacy and security issues. Trying to keep secret is human nature but the same goes for increasing number of tell-tale-hearts. Thanks to internet, the world is nothing but a small village, every-time I drag around Google Earth or Google Maps it keeps shrinking.

The adolescence peroid of internet is between 1968 and 1974 in foster care of ARPANET from the US and nannied by Microsoft(1975), Apple (1976), Intel (1969), IBM PC (1981) to name a few. In other words it was being Americanised, growing like mushroom and spreading like moss. When Google joined the field in 1998, nothing has been the same afterward. Google's mission statement still holds: 'TO ORGANIZE THE WORLD'S INFORMATION AND MAKE IT UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE AND USEFUL.' There comes an issue about 'collecting information' because before organizing anything it must be collected, gathered. And how does it do that  ? The question about security, privacy starts right there.

WIKIPEDIA came in 2001 saying ,'Wikipedia ... is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project... Visitors do not need specialized qualifications to contribute, since their primary role is to write articles that cover existing knowledge; this means that people of all ages and cultural and social background can write Wikipedia articles. With rare exceptions, articles can be edited by anyone with access to the Internet, simply by clicking the edit this page link.'

I believed it would be the modern library when I first came to know about this, I used to play with 'HOW STUFF WORKS' a lot at that time. It has certainly helped to increase my General Knowledge but every information I learn, I have to trace through References and get satisfied about its authenticity. That still holds, Buddha was of course not born in India; that part of Lumbini regoin was NEVER captured by the INDIANS or Brits. And 24 year old non-degree-holder ESSJAY certainly cannot challenge a professor's knowledge.

When the talks about virtual world's attraction and people loosing normal social activities was heating up, FACEBOOK(2004) said it'd socialize the internet (everyone above age 13) in 2006. I have witnessed how it killed the propped,ugly looking, ad-hungry 3 year old HI5 - born in 2003. FACEBOOK describes itself as 'a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers. The company develops technologies that facilitate the sharing of information through the social graph, the digital mapping of people's real-world social connections.'

When someone opens a facebook account, hopefully after reading the 5,830 words of policy and terms text, s/he should be aware that it's all about 'sharing of information' at the end. It all depends on your decision to what information you put in your account. I wonder how people manage to secure their data, information by messing around with 50 different settings and 170 options. Try to calculate the probability of your data security, I fail in Probability and Statistics badly this time.

GOOGLE's 3D CAM loaded slithering vehicle

And I was reading about GOOGLE's apology this morning over secretly collecting people's information from unencrypted wi-fi networks since 2006. There are free wireless network access points in Netherlands in most of the places I visited e.g. 'SITECOM'. You can surf the internet, download, do everything you like - totally free and quite fast as well. Several students in Eindhoven and around use them from their laptops. I always questioned this being secure and my dear friends, Google answered us all today.

Go to Google Maps and zoom in to a city ( Tokyo, Sydney, New York etc.) and KEEP ON ZOOMING IN (multiple double clicks) until you get to street view. You can actually walk on the streets. I like this feature. But then it comes with its own dark sides. Some people are just too unlucky !!! LOL .  No wonder I cant zoom much in Chinese cities. ;)

GMAIL said, it'd scan your emails and place related Ads around it. Where is the buffer going to ? Sarah Palin tried to get away by using Yahoo! account to no avail.

Someone in Germany had a wireless internet at home without security. When he was on vacation, a neighbor used his internet to download free music. This illegal music download came to a musicians knowledge and he sued the OWNER OF WIFI network for not securing his connection. He may have to pay 100 euros for that. There are other similar incidents related.

I need not talk about various stars and lovers 'private pornography' being released on the internet. 

Nothing is just private or secure anymore, if you think you are keeping something secure/private/secret, may be it is not worth telling anyone about it. So, buckle up, zip your pants, lock your keys and stop blaming others for what you did. Try to limit your actions to things that you should not be ashamed about, things that don't push you to the flip side.

I know a friend of mine who saves MSN Chat Logs and also a friend who copied those logs hahaha !. Curiosity(itchiness), data-logging, fun and privacy are the strings which tune perfectly to play your 'security violin'. The interesting side is that I don't care what I say to him on ANY issue that comes along, a bit of trust.

And for the final note, don't go clicking around the internet on every tempting thing that you see. :P It may have some adverse effects ! All that glitters is not gold. ;)

 

   Happy surfing !