Is this Cringe Worthy?

Many users of the internet expect a certain amount of privacy of what they post.  We believe that we can control who sees what we post on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.  For some people, the false sense of privacy is enough for people to post things that would harm their reputation.  Some websites like Reddit and Failblog are dedicated to the mass distribution of embarrassing content.  One particular sub Reddit, r/cringe, hosts user created content of posts deemed embarrassing by the users of the subreddit.     

Vaidhyanathan writes in The Googlization of Everything that "When we complain about infringements of privacy, what we really demand is some measure of control over our reputations" (Vaidhyanathan 93).  People have certain expectations when it comes to privacy because they feel that they control the content and who has access to it.  In reality, unless you make the content private , anyone on the internet can have access to it.  With a community like r/cringe dedicated to finding embarrassing content on the internet that most people do not want others to see.  This gives question to what should be considered private on the internet.   Anything that is posted to the to the internet that is deemed public should be able to be viewed by anyone.  People who are concerned with damaging their reputation should not post anything to the internet that they would not want strangers to see.

As the internet grows, sites dedicated to exploiting the ignorance of privacy on the internet will thrive.  People who post content on the internet need to understand that anything that is made public is really public, and can be accessed by anyone.  

Subjecting Ourselves: Grindr and Privacy

As our access to technology increases, we become more connected to others through our devices.  Some new apps that are arriving, such as Grindr, are connecting people more people with a specific goal.  Grindr is an app on iPhone and android that allows men who are gay, bisexual, or bi-curious to see what other users are around and contact them.  The most unique feature of Grindr is that it actually tells you the distance away other users are.  Many concerns have been made about how are we going to protect our privacy as technology increases.  David Brin writes "But accountablility is no side benefit.  It is the one fundamental ingredient on which liberty thrives.  Without the accoutability that derives from openess - enforceable upon even the mightiest individuals and institutions - how can freedom survive" (Brin 332).

The main concern that David Brin has with the expansion of technology is that it will be used against us because we will not be able to be trusted by any institution.  I argue that we are the ones that sacrifice our freedom because we trust technology and its users.  In the article "Child Molesters Moving to Grindr to Find Underage Victims", underage children are using Grindr as a way any other user would.  While the article argues that the blame of this crime rests with the parents, it rests with the idea that we can trust technology and its users.  We trust that people are honest on the internet, and even that we should meet them in person.  In a way, we have created easier ways for hate and sexual crimes to be committed.  Grindr has also been linked with hate crimes as people are able to track the location of the users and locate them if they have a picture on their profile.  The problem of booming technology is not entirely arisen from the fact that it will become easier to monitor users.  It is the simple fact that we trust the booming technology.  We are the enablers of our loss of privacy; we are willing to subject ourselves to invasion of privacy.

As our technology booms, will we be as trustworthy of technology? When we continue to connect with the world, we will give up our privacy.  Our privacy will be gone as we become more trustworthy of each other. 

Can Anyone Sink the Pirate Ships?

Piracy has changed the way people and legal organizations view the internet.  From the very beginning, and even the precursors to, the internet was always in favor of sharing content and ideas.  Piracy of the internet has become more complex when creating legislation because of torrents.  Torrents are files downloaded of the internet that locate files on someone's computer to download.  Legislation of piracy has been a long battle because the sites are not hosting the actual file to be downloaded; they are acting as middle men in the search for free content. 

John Biggs is his article "Avast, Me Hearties: How The Pirate Bay Changed The Way We Steal" writes "There are ways to make things uncomfortable for content sharers and there are ways to arrest people for soliciting pirated content, but in the vast panoply of the internet there's very little chance any dedicated enforcement agency can perform its duties with any effectiveness" (Bigg).  Many governments and other private organizations have tried to shut down torrenting sites, but all have failed.  In this article on Torrent Freak, Japan has created a new law that gives the government the power to fine or arrest someone if the download illegal content.  No longer are we the anonymous viewers of the internet; the governments and other organizations like the MPAA want the internet to be monitored.    Is this a new wave of legislation going after the simple user?  Lawsuits in the past have been waged against the simple user before, and the cost to them was very high.  Attacking the simple down-loaders, while not directly confronting the pirate websites, is a better tactic to stop piracy.  As torrent file loophole will keep these sites alive indefinitely, attacking the users will be an easier way to instil fear into the simple torrenter.  The problem with this tactic in the U.S. is that unlawful searches are illegal, and your computer is private property.  Also, if a large amount of people were caught torrenting, then the legal system would be overflowing with court cases. 

Piracy is an unsinkable ship; there is no effective legal system to stop it.  The internet has created a new band of thieves: the average internet user.