No Privacy Right on "My" Desktop ?
Friend, A 12 04 95 The Electronic Telegraph newsstory headlined 'Spoilsport' software bars games reports that An American company called DVD has developed a utility called UnGame that can delete up to 3,100 games from a computer network. Even if the game is hidden on the com- puter user's own hard disk, it will find it. The user's own hard disk? Although the machines at work usually belong to the com- pany, most employees regard them as an electronic equi- valent of their desk, and are similarly territorial. John Davison, PC Zone editor, says: If anyone stole something from your desk you'd be fed up. If anybody stole something from my computer, I'd be equal- ly disgusted. What kind of software is UnGame? The newsstory suggests the answer: ...industry experts have complained that companies may be releasing "tailored viruses".... I believe my first post to the list was about McAfee's Virus Blocker. Perhaps that can be...adapted. If so, those who then declared the information had nothing to do with privacy may continue playing their games. Of course companies may try another tack: Oracle's "internet terminal." As dlv@bwalk.dm.com pointed out in his 11 18 95 post, [I guess, they mean no permanent storage or software other than the browser in ROM. No remembered state, no viruses ... -DV] In "my" terminal. Cordially, Jim NOTE. The Electronic Telegraph's website URL is: http://www.telegraph.co.uk The newsstory's online filename is: ngame02.htm It was written by: ROBERT UHLIG, TECHNOLOGY CORRESPON- DENT It first appeared in 12 03 95 The Daily Telegraph. The McAfee website URL is: http;//www.mcafee.com
"James M. Cobb" <jcobb@ahcbsd1.ovnet.com> writes: ...
Of course companies may try another tack: Oracle's "internet terminal."
As dlv@bwalk.dm.com pointed out in his 11 18 95 post,
[I guess, they mean no permanent storage or software other than the browser in ROM. No remembered state, no viruses ... -DV]
In "my" terminal.
James, I do hope I haven't given you the impression that I *like* the proposed $500 "Internet appliance". These gizmos with no local permanent storage are antithetical to privacy. If you use it just to browse the Web, then your hotlist, history, et al would be kept at the ISP's. Most ISP's are greedy scum who wouldn't hesitate to sell this info to database maintainers. E.g., someone who accesses a Web page dealing with asthma might later receive unsolicited e-mail from a company selling asthma medicine, or even be turned down for employment because the medical insurance rates would jump based on his history of accessing an asthma-related Web page. Of course, this might happen when a regular PC is used to run a browser, but the "NC" would provide much more opportunity for such data collection, and little or no possibility to enhance the device with encryption / anonymity. Still, I predict that quite a few people will buy these things when they become available: those whose disposable income can accomodate a $500 NC, but not a $1000 PC; those unwilling to feed/care for a real PC, and only interested in browsing the net; whatever (let Oracle's marketing people identify their potential customers). No one knows if they'll sell enough to make money for their makers. I heard that currently one can buy add-ons to the Phillips CD-interactive and to the Nintendo/SGI game machine to turn them into Web browsers. I presume they sell. What I said was, someone selling an add-on product for the "NC" providing some degree of privacy (a PGP ROM on the PCMCIA port??) might make a quick buck. I'm not entrepreneurial enough to try it myself. --- Dr. Dimitri Vulis Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps
participants (3)
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dlv＠bwalk.dm.com -
James M. Cobb -
Perry E. Metzger