At 4:11 AM 11/17/1996, Black Unicorn wrote:
On Sat, 16 Nov 1996, Huge Cajones Remailer wrote:
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 1996 18:22:33 -0800 From: Huge Cajones Remailer <nobody@huge.cajones.com> To: cypherpunks@toad.com Subject: The Utility of Privacy
Privacy is a hassle. Is it worth it?
Which unfortunate situations does privacy prevent? What are the odds that they will occur? How much effort will it take to prevent these outcomes? As a model, use the present and future situation of a typical reader of this list.
Insurance is a hassle. Is it worth it?
Which unfortunate situations does insurance prevent? What are the odds that they will occur? How much effort will it take to prevent these outcomes? As a model, use the present and future situation of a typical reader of this list.
I know many people who were happy they had insurance due to car accidents, health problems, or whatever. What is more, the odds of these events are carefully calculated and available. Call an actuary. Are there similar sources of information calculating privacy risk? I don't think so. Informally, I don't know anybody who has suffered due to a loss of privacy. It may be the case that it is politically beneficial to have a society of privacy fanatics. But, this is different from the direct benefit to each participant. My question remains unanswered, probably because privacy isn't worth the effort.