Interesting graphs and charts department

[Undertoad]

DARPA didn't start Google or any those companies that' I'm aware. Links?

I'm nervous about these things. I don't trust them.

I went through a long time where I didn't trust -- but after 25 years of that, I noticed that 100% of my fears never occurred. They were just conspiracy theories in my own mind. I dropped it all, and I am happier for it.

Back in the day - the late 80s/90s - we believed that if we got a supermarket club card, the supermarkets would collect our data and sell it to insurance companies, who would then apply that data to figure out who had/were going to have health issues, and raise our rates.

People were busy doing things like working out fake phone numbers and names and whatnot so they could keep using the club cards

Huge, almost viral fear. Problem is, it never happened. I have never even heard of anything bad happening with club card data. Not once, and I worked IT for a supermarket with club cards.

Now I'm past middle age and I do not recall ANY similar fear coming to fruition. Nothing has happened to me or anyone I know. I await evidence; I do not believe anything without evidence. Until then, my real data is on all my club cards; I gleefully use my real name on everything; and I do not engage in one moment of worry about it.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

DARPA didn't start Google or any those companies that' I'm aware. Links?

Wasn't it DARPA projects that sparked the desire to hook the universities to electronically pass information and messages? If so, being the start of the internet DARPA should get some credit I suppose.

I went through a long time where I didn't trust -- but after 25 years of that, I noticed that 100% of my fears never occurred.

So you're saying if it's going on it hasn't negatively affected you, that you're are aware of.

I figure if Google can profit from all the dirt they have on me good for them, small reward for providing me with Chrome, Gmail, Earth, and search.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Wasn't it DARPA projects that sparked the desire to hook the universities to electronically pass information and messages? If so, being the start of the internet DARPA should get some credit I suppose.

They have zero involvement in Google, just like the guy who invented asphalt has zero involvement in my driveway.

So you're saying if it's going on it hasn't negatively affected you, that you're are aware of.

Yes. And you? And the rest of us? Bring out your evidence, everyone, all the bad things that have happened. I would like to hear the very worst of it.

(And if you're not aware of it, how bad can it be?)

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

(And if you're not aware of it, how bad can it be?)

The NSA's mass surveillance program seemed pretty bad. And pretty consistent with decades of privacy fears. Assuming equivalence (which there isn't) wouldn't you say the 'grocery store club card' anecdote and the 'government is spying on everybody' anecdote, "cancel" each other out*?



*that's not how it works, but if it did