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Outline by Patrick Dean, April 2005

Brinn, David. 1998. The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom? Reading, MA: Perseus Books.
Ch.9 Humility and Limits
Pgs. 278-308

The Judgment of Mathematics: Is Secrecy Possible?

This deals with ciphers and algorithms, and the ability to encrypt and decrypt. The answer is that encryptions are being broken faster and faster, because the art of decrypting has become a high stakes game. No matter how long the key or the process of encryption, decryption is possible because all mathematical equations are possible to solve. Even in reverse. There is no true trap-door mathematical equation. (279-284)

The Judgment of Technology

Technology has under went scrutiny throughout its history, and with higher levels of technology comes higher levels of judgment. Most judgment stems from privacy concerns, and individual rights. The capabilities of surveillance and "watcher agents" causes concern for tech development. Criticisms are harsh, but understandably so. (284-293)

How Things Might Go Wrong

1. Surveillance Elites: Privacy has vanished, and there is a hierarchy that knows all and sees all. These elites would be capable of ruling society as managers whose underpinning is based on the mistrust of society to them.

2. Surveillance Obsession: Privacy has vanished, but there is no hierarchy. Everything is open to all, and people conform to the rituals of society in order to blend. The rulers of this society would be hackers, who offer there surveillance hexes as shields to prying eyes.

3. Surveillance Acceptance: Surveillance is eventually accepted by generations, but offers a false sense of security. The sense of security is do to the constant observance of and by others. In this society, children do not recognize dangers because any harm done to them would be instantly known. Thus, children wonder freely as if they were adults with full knowledge of the workings of the world.

4. Surveillance Overload: Society will eventually be covered in data smog from pollution. This smog will be the result of years of information bytes and bits that are no longer useful. The smog will infect people through knowledge that is useless. (294-302)