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Re:Surveilling Alone by somenameforme on Thursday April 04, 2024 @11:45AM (#39931888)
The arrow of society doesn't just inherently point forwards. The briefest glimpse at history can affirm this clearly enough.

Imagine we all had cameras attached to us streaming every moment of our lives to a server 24/7. You'd have suddenly eliminated nearly all crime outside those of passion, because the chances of being caught would be essentially 100%. Mandate everybody wear full-on biohazard suits outdoors anytime you're in public then you would have effectively eliminated any sort of spread of communicable disease.

These would be amazing achievements, far greater than many of the undesirable solutions might even imagine achieving. Yet paradoxically these actions would also make life far less worth living. Put more succinctly, how do you know we aren't currently going backwards?

Re:Surveilling Alone by ryandv on Thursday April 04, 2024 @01:11PM (#39933190)
> Imagine we all had cameras attached to us streaming every moment of our lives to a server 24/7. You'd have suddenly eliminated nearly all crime outside those of passion, because the chances of being caught would be essentially 100%.

This sounds absolutely worth the "cost." If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear; for this reason I fully embrace total surveillance, online and offline, of all citizens, 24/7.

Re:Surveilling Alone by JohnFen on Thursday April 04, 2024 @04:29PM (#39935443)
> This sounds absolutely worth the "cost."

This is assuming that's how it would shake out (but I don't think it really is):

Not to me. I'd rather live free in a world where crime exists than constantly watched in a world where it doesn't.

Re:Surveilling Alone by taway789aaa6 on Thursday April 04, 2024 @01:37PM (#39933550)
Because _that_ would never get abused.

> If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear

What if you're in a country/locale that, for example, makes same sex relationships illegal? You do have to hide it now, and so you do have to fear. Who gets to determine what has to be hidden?

Re:Surveilling Alone by ryandv on Thursday April 04, 2024 @01:47PM (#39933669)
Perhaps in a fascist or authoritarian society. For social democratic nations that have been educated out of such bigotry and have responsible people wielding these tools using due process, I don't see the problem.
Re:Surveilling Alone by stronglikedan on Thursday April 04, 2024 @03:28PM (#39934762)
> If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear

That only works in a fascist or authoritarian society. People in social democratic nations have differing opinions on what is right or wrong.

Re:Surveilling Alone by n1b on Thursday April 04, 2024 @09:02PM (#39937659)
Governments and societies do not act according to their defined type at all times. You assume a "social democratic" nation does not sometimes act in "authoritarian" or "fascist" ways, which is plain wrong. Either you're a deeply fearful person, a fed, or incredibly naive. I'm glad your view is not common.