Privacy & security

[Sarongman]

I was just re reading the old thread of a 'skirt in Tescos' and, my wierd brain being what it is, it made me think of the poor Irish girl who was abducted, raped and murdered in Melbourne a few weeks ago. It was the CCTV camera in a shop, facing the front door that gave the crucial evidence for a quick arrest. The mayor and State Premier are now going all out to cover all blanks and update older spots with the latest high definition CCTV cameras. While it may be good for security on the street, it does seem also Orwellian in the potentials.

The case could be made that any of us could be copied off the filed recordings by the security staff and, placed on YouTube as "entertainment. There are some real oddballs employed in security these days. I did like the second comment saying the tesco article should be retitled "Dickhead with a camera"

[crfriend]

The term "panopticon" comes to mind with what society has become these days.

[STEVIE]

Too many people these days have the idea that it's alright to photograph a picture of another human being in any circumstance whatsoever.
Then it seems generally O.K. to publish that image on the net with no thought of the subject or effect on said subject.
Certainly there's the C.C. T.V. coverage, whether publically or privately sponsored and that's bad enough.
Worse still, try buying a mobile phone "sans" camera these days?
An incident here, a couple of weeks ago, a town drunk got his head stuck in a waste bin. Apparently the guy was left in that position for some hours. This was simply because witnesses were too busy "snapping and posting" to bother helping the guy or calling someone who would.
A sad indictment of our "panopticon" society.
I love my camera, I enjoy taking pictures, but I would never take or publish unless I felt absolutely right about doing it. That includes having the pemission of the subject unless he or she is in such a "public" environment as to render that pointless.
My "mobile" is a bit of a dinosaur, no camera, and will remain so until I have no further choice.
Rant over.
Steve.
A small update, the guy is now wandering around town with a box on his head. I guess it's his way of cashing in on his "ten minutes".
He has made himself fair game for the snappers.

[crfriend]

Worse still, try buying a mobile phone "sans" camera these days?

That, interestingly, can have repercussions in certain workplaces here in the USA were unauthorised cameras are prohibited. Those spots are usually where military or otherwise "sensitive" stuff goes on, but it's a real problem given how many folks have cell' 'phone "cams" that they may never use or otherwise be aware of.

An incident here, a couple of weeks ago, a town drunk got his head stuck in a waste bin. Apparently the guy was left in that position for some hours. This was simply because witnesses were too busy "snapping and posting" to bother helping the guy or calling someone who would.

I read about that indicent on the Beeb and my heart went out to the guy. I don't care one whit whether he's the "village drunk/idiot" or not, it's just not right to let him suffer there. Personally, if I'd happened upon the scene I'd have tried to help him extricate himself and, failing in that, would have called for "official" help, i.e. those with authority to cut the container off the poor bloke's head.

"I lost my hat." There but for the grace of god (pick one) go I. Where's the humanity?

A sad indictment of our "panopticon" society.

Not really, I suspect. Rather, I believe it's a kinky celebration of it. Now we can all laugh at someone else's travails. Will we laugh, however, if we're the butt of the joke?

[Kirbstone]

There is a German word for that sort of ugly humour, pleasure at someone else's misfortune...'Shadenfreude'. It is sad that it is still widely used.

T