-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Jim wrote:

Depends on what one is meaning by 'anonymous'. Context is quite important. Can somebody go through their entire life completely anonymously? Not likely. Email on the internet? Likely, if they are very careful and nobody has any reason to suspect them of anything for some other reason.

It's a set theory sort of issue. Thinks like 'signature analysis' come in handy. When people engage in ANY activity there is 'evidence' left behind. The trick is to understand the (hopefully) distinctive differences in different activities. Then one can 'measure' the sample at the site and (supposedly within some delta of error) determine what did happen. The only way to be truly anonymous would be to never leave any sort of evidence. That's (at least for any practical intent or purpose) impossible.

I couldn't agree more. Here's another couple of personal examples to illustrate my point that all anonymity is contextual. A few months ago, I posted about how crazy I am about my job and office-- "I usually stay late every night and come in on the weekends--researching, writing, coding, studying, absolutely anything I feel like doing"; it's "private, comfortable"; and in sum, I have "complete freedom to work on whatever projects I want while surrounded by excellent resources". I still feel that way, wouldn't change it for the world. Nevertheless, even though it's a private company, the level of security and surveillance around here is absolutely mindblowing. A formidably locked-down facility: Armed guards at the entry, armed guards in the parking lot, armed guards patrolling the roof, security cameras in every hall, every bathroom; high-tech ID badges to be worn at all times, etc. The perfect picture of a dystopian nightmare. But my hours are my own; my opinions are my own, and I feel more free to express them here than I ever have before. No dress code, no internet filters: if anyone ever took exception to my browsing and posting habits they never told me about it. Once you embrace the fact that yes, They probably are looking over my shoulder, and no, They don't really find me significant enough to give a damn...well, it's quite an unusual feeling. But in keeping with being the resident Savage in the land of Alpha Double Plusses, you might find it interesting to know I chose to live in a cash-only hotel suite. It's not about the money: actually, I pay over $2000 per month for rent and storage this way. It would be nice to have more workspace for my computer tinkering projects, but it's a small price to pay. The truly beautiful thing is, every single piece of my ID, tax information, health insurance, and any other form I fill out maps back to a mail drop. No phone line to tap, no physical-location information to surface in a database, the neighbors change every day. Even my work doesn't have my physical address, and my landlady doesn't even know my last name. Anonymity! Freedom! Or is it? A couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend decided to change his hair color. Nothing drastic: light blondish brown to a darker brown. He also had a new coat on, and left his hair down instead of pulling it back like usual since it was still damp. Who cares, right? Less than a minute after he left, my landlady frantically knocked on my door, concerned almost to the point of panic: "Oh! I saw a strange man coming out of your apartment! Are you okay? Anything wrong???" After I explained that yes, it really was just the same nice young man she knew with darker hair and a new coat, she relaxed, smiled and wished me a good night. After I thought about it, I got that sickening little feeling in the pit of my stomach again. Jesus christ, I can't even have a visitor without setting off some kind of alarm worth investigating. How much time had she spent watching the front door to pick up on the fact that we never have guests? It was then that I had the epiphany that if I were doing anything I actually needed anonymity for--rather than merely living quietly and making a symbolic gesture--there's not a doubt in my mind she'd have the cops, SWAT teams, and the five o' clock news all over us like a cheap suit. Or: freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose. ~Faustine. *** He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself. - --Thomas Paine -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPsdk version 1.7.1 (C) 1997-1999 Network Associates, Inc. and its affiliated companies. (Diffie-Helman/DSS-only version) iQA/AwUBPDI7qfg5Tuca7bfvEQLo4gCeO2lt1nriU89L3WnaEl8qaqWJTAEAn21T mkv/cR0TaK1ZMnDTnd0UksYV =lImg -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----