Chapter 2: Video Connections 1

Name: Brittany Murphy                                                                                   Class time:  11am

1.      Explain data mining:

Data mining is the gathering of peoples information into databases. Oftentimes this information is eventually sold to companies in order to better allow advertisements to the company’s consumers. In the case of Joel Stein of Time Magazine, the information gathered was a plethora of facts gathered from his previous purchase and search history. It took less than three hours for the CEO of reputation.com to learn his social security number. As Postman argued in his paper The 5 things you need to know about technological change, there are positives and negatives to every advancement. In this scenario, companies are better able to market to their target audiences, but there are inherent infringements on consumer’s privacy in that search histories and purchases are now shared and collected information.

2.      Relate data mining to privacy issues, specifically citing something you read in Baase, Orwell, etc.

In the Miller v. United States case, it was ruled that information that is shared is no longer private, therefore data mining was ruled constitutional. Baase says that any stored data is a risk as the software is often so complex managers do not know how to use it, therefore how could they be able to protect your information? Also, sometimes information is demanded by the government and could be used against you in trail. The issue is that information collected for one reason can be used for an entirely different one and also, suddenly the government has the right to enter your private life. Previously, as a result of the first amendment, the government was unconstitutional into your private life, and access into it was much more challenging. Now, with all of your internet data being stored in databases, your information is available for access.

3.      Explain Ashley Paynes’s situation:

Payne had posted images from her vacation of her holding a glass of wine and also a Guinness, along with profanity in the form of the word ‘bitch’ which sparked the concern of a parent of one of her students. The parent emailed in to the school and protested the images to the principle. Payne was then forced to resign.

4.      Were Ashley Payne’s rights violated?  Did the school district have just cause for asking for her resignation?  Base your answers off of what you have leaned about privacy, show connections to Baase, Orwell, etc and support your opinion.

 Payne’s rights were not violated as she put the images on the Internet and according to the Miller v. United States case, it was ruled that information that is shared is no longer private, therefore her information is legally not violated. Is this ethically correct?  In the digital age that our society is presently living in, the rules of privacy have changed. In order to reap the benefits of the new technology being developed, privacy sacrifices have been made “Technology givith and technology taketh” (Postman, 3). With that argument, the school was justified as she put information on the internet that was offensive to her career.

5.      Summarize the video “Police surveillance cameras are stopping crime or invading their privacy by Alex Dunbar.” 

The Police of Syracuse New York used the 9 surveillance cameras to catch a murder suspect and are thought to be the reason for the lower crime rate they are saying. The cameras are causing controversy because they are constantly on, covering a large area of the West Side.

6.      Are police surveillance and traffic cameras are stopping crime or invading privacy? Where are the surveillance cameras in your life Base your life—be specific.  Connect your answers off of what you have learned about privacy, show connections to Baase, Postman, other information that you’ve found on the Internet and support your opinion with references.

Every day that I go to school there are cameras that follow my movements around the building, these are a two edged sword.  Firstly, since I consider myself a law-abiding citizen, I would argue that there is no basis for anyone to be videoing me. Though on the opposing end, I am sure I would appreciate the cameras if I was ever to be attacked or robbed and it was caught one video.  As Postman presented the Faustian bargain as a response to describe technological change, I would make the argument that that applies to my life also. The advantage to me of security cameras is protection in case I was attacked, but the disadvantage of them is that my every step can be tracked, even if there is no reason for it to be. Postman made the argument that technology eventually becomes mythic, in that it is just accepted and not questioned. I present the argument that surveillance cameras are than mythic, as they are widely just accepted by our modern society. Largely, security cameras are not questioned and rather are just an innate part of society.