progression of technologies

[Lodewijk andré de la porte]

2015-06-25 19:07 GMT+09:00 grarpamp <grarpamp at gmail.com>:

>
> "If I take your picture on the public street, I do not need to give you
> any notice, and you have no basis to complain about it."
>
> Really?
>
> If it's just some random fuck with a camera in your face,
> you can just as well discuss planting your fist hard in their face
> until they understand and delete it.


I went on this trip to the South of South Korea. It was organized by some
enthusiasts/travelers that regularly organize stuff. I thought at first
they were a semi-company (unregistered doing travelling agency like
activities) that don't pay tax and make a little buck while travelling,
especially as they mentioned no insurance and also carried a brandname and
logo, and had very regular activities. Operating through meetup.com,
though, always skirts the fine line between professional and amateur.
Certainly, though, the notion that they might make a profit even with cheap
tours (hint: no taxes) or that acting like a company kind of makes you into
one, was certainly lost on them.

The trip I went on was half paid for by the Boseong government. Given that
county was far away from anything touristic and, well, there was probably
hardly anything there, I thought they were just getting some
try-out-and-spread-the-word tourists. This was definitely true, the housing
was brand new (and empty). They managed to herd us into a
"Boseong-Kazagstan sister city project" presentation televised in
Kazakhstan (note: countries can be cities).

During the main activity a photographer's event was coincidentally planned.

Naturally, I was very unhappy about all this. Confronting others I found
that none of the 80 other participants shared my feelings to any extend.
Notably, most considered that they should do something back for the Boseong
government, for having paid half their trip, and so this was all fine. They
also gave enormous leeway for the volunteers that happily organized this
tour, and simply didn't see the harm of being taken pictures of (for
whatever purpose). (I got a horde of childish remarks, apparently most 20
somethings abroad are still living their highschool dreams)


The age of privacy, and everything with it, including the freedom of
association and separation of public and private life, is ending. The
public is smiling merrily along the road. 1984 is coming, but the public is
not scared or suppressed. They are smiling happy people, obedient and
cheerful, and they take the best of care of their keepers.

This is neither a hyperbole, not that much of a doomsday scenario. It is
simply inevitable and true. The cost of surveillance is decreasing, the
abuse of surveillance is mild or absent - and has passed from the people's
minds. People are not concerned with the eventual consequences of tracking
all their activities, they are concerned with having more fun.
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