This VC forecast scares the pants off of me

news.com ^ | 5-15-08 | Charles Cooper

[HangnJudge]

...Kopelman presented a scenario for the rise of the "implicit" Internet. I'm simplifying, but he was referring to the vast web of personal data that until now has existed relatively undisturbed in different corners of the data world. For example, you may have made a reservation over the Internet one day, or bought a book from an online reseller on another. But that that data is going to get collected from heretofore separate "silos" as companies that figure out ways to break through the barriers and deliver information based on that implicit cyber data.

That shouldn't strike anybody as a pipe dream. It's already happening in small ways and it's an idea that VCs will be in a hurry to fund. Some, though perhaps not all. Roger McNamee, who also participated in the panel, pointed out the obvious elephant in the room. Not only might Facebook know what I'm doing, he said, "but the Chinese government also knows." True enough. And not just the Chinese. Any government

[HangnJudge]

So.... All my posting on FR will be aggregated together by a future Entity and used for whatever purposes they wish...

[Sender]

That is the very first thing the occupying forces will secure; any posts on FR or DU. Then they know a lot about you, citizen.

[Vaquero]

poorly written....

this guy assumes to much.

I will wait for the translation into english.

[raybbr]

It's already happening in small ways and it's an idea that VCs...

One of the basic rules of journalism is to define an abbreviation the first time you use it.

What the heck is a "VC"?

Viet Cong?

[nina0113]

Is this Part Two of a series? I read the whole article, but it makes no sense to me.

[FreedomPoster]

On a related note, I’m amazed at all those who use a pure webmail system like Google’s gmail for most of their email. Personally, I have huge privacy concerns.

[FreedomPoster]

VC in this context means Venture Capitalist. The guys that fund all those Internet start-ups in the early stages.

[HangnJudge]

That is the very first thing the occupying forces will secure;
any posts on FR or DU. Then they know a lot about you, citizen.

I agree, Our "Friends" at DU better wake up to this,
as it is as great a threat to them as it is us.

Information is power,
and Power corrupts

the Sheeple are no threat to the conquerer
It is those who are awake, that can resist

[dfwgator]

Charlie don’t invest!

[HangnJudge]

What the heck is a "VC"?

Venture Capitalist
Defined elsewhere in article

[Wonder Warthog]

“So.... All my posting on FR will be aggregated together by a future Entity and used for whatever purposes they wish...”

Actually, they already are.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=+site:freerepublic.info+HangnJudge+%22Free+Republic%22

[HangnJudge]

Actually, they already are.

Correct,
the data is there
It is the will to aggregate and manipulate the data
in a useful form, to target specific action
that is in its nascent form, as yet

[Clioman]

All your postings are belong to us!

[rusureitflies?]

VC - Viet Cong.... that’s what I thought.. just so many letters and too many words...sigh..

[metmom]

ping

[atomicweeder]

I theorized decades ago, after reading 1984, that when Big Brother arises in the USA, it won't be the government, it will be an advertising agency.

And they will be spying on you to figure out how to sell you stuff.

And eventually will FORCE you to buy stuff.

[Lee'sGhost]

No Shiite. How stupid is that?!

[HangnJudge]

I theorized decades ago, after reading 1984,
that when Big Brother arises in the USA,
it won't be the government,
it will be an advertising agency

how prescient of you...

[glorgau]

As Scott McNeally (ex-President of Sun) said:

“You have no privacy - get over it”.

[Billthedrill]

Acting against this tendency is something that every online retailer and market research firm already knows - this sort of data is expensive to gather and maintain and sure as all git out won't be given away for free, not even to the gummint. Data may be immortal but they sure ain't free.

It does get to be a bit interesting at times. I bought a bodice-ripper novel as a Christmas present for some relatives of mine from Amazon and for quite a long time my "suggestions" were, ah, a little outside the envelope of my normal purchases. I wish the gummint analysts luck with that one. My guess is that anyone acting on that data will be sorely disappointed... ;-)