Private Eyes … Are Watching You

1. Well, that’s a scary start to the day. If the FBI wants to read my emails, they can “have at ’em.” I am one of the most boring people around. Somehow either my background or my profession has taught me to keep my private thoughts private. That means don’t write it down and don’t say it because someone is always listening. Of course I put out for my blog — coffee addiction, too many cats, dislike of crazy (or most) people, etc. I must have some crazy profile.

   1. We are kindred spirits, Kate. Long before I became a reporter, I had the same m.o. (modus operandi). I do not say or write anything that I would not tell my folks, my church, or a court of law. 🙂

2. Excellent post, Judy. Timely and scary. Would the NSA have to pay to use the Beatles’ song as their theme song, or is it in public domain?
   When I was in Ft. Scott, KS with my mom last week, I saw two 30-somethings wearing T-shirts with these messages: “NSA–the only government agency that REALLY listens” and “NSA–think of us as the new Santa Claus…We Know When You’ve Been Bad or Good…”
   Signs of the times, wearable art with a warning.

   1. That’s hysterical, Marilyn. (The T-shirt messages, that is, not the invasive, prying eyes into our private business.)

      I’m not sure if the NSA should use The Beatles tune or Hall & Oates “Private Eyes Are Watching You” as their theme song.

3. I am actually more concerned with what companies are collecting in terms of information about me. I know the government must have some “stuff” on me, but I’m not convinced they would ever be with it enough to piece anything together. However, companies are much more efficient and motivated and therefore more of a threat I think.

   1. I agree, Amy. It is disturbing when I see ads targeted to me because advertisers are aware of my purchases and/or recent visits to certain sites.

      My life story, on the other hand, if put in pill form would put the sleeping pill manufacturers out of business. Nothing exciting there for the government to see. 🙂

      1. Exactly, I really like my life but some poor government worker would just about be banging his head on his desk to stay awake.

         The ads on the other hand; I feel like I have to constantly be wary of them, where they came from and why I have been targeted.

         comment from earthrider to Photography Journal:
         Amy, you made me laugh just visualizing that government worker. 😆

4. It looks like 1948 has finally arrived. You talk about social media, Judy, but it’s not social at all as I’ve always known it (and you, judging by your age). The better the technology (yest, I know I’m sounding like a luddite again) the more we distance ourselves from our humanity. Pretty soon, it’s not going to bother us if Big Brother is watching. And I wouldn’t limit myself to the US. I’d say the US is the most benign of all the brothers so far. Good, if scary post, Judy, but I don’t appreciate your stuffing up the Beatles’ song for me. 🙂

   1. In general, I’m opposed to providing any personal information to outside sources. Facebook is still bugging me for info on where I graduated from high school. Really? It’s not enough that you know where I got my Master’s degree or where I work? Would they want to know where I went to kindergarten? Where does the search for info stop? And who do they pass it on to?

      Sorry about The Beatles’ tune. But, how do you think Hall & Oates feel? (I have a link to their song.) 🙂

5. We Canadians may not be feeling alarmed but we ought to be because as Patrick McGuire reminds us “sovereignty of citizens on the internet is blurry at best”.
   http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/canadians-should-be-concerned-about-the-nsa-and-prism

   1. This article gives a new perspective on the adage “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” (free internet service and access). Thanks for sharing, timethief.

6. Because of all this, I seriously avoided the internet and social networking for years. But it made me feel like a weird hermit. I finally decided to take the plunge and bear the consequences of going public with my private life, because so many of the people I really care about are not in close geographical range. Online is our neighborhood. It’s as dangerous as any neighborhood, I guess, that has terrorists, government spies, private investigators, creeps and thieves lurking in it. Most places on earth unfortunately have all those bad elements mingled in with the nice friends and family I want to interact with.

   I always remember that I’m talking in public. I try not to “say” things I wouldn’t want overheard by people who might have a perverse motive to use my personal information to hurt me or the people I love.

   1. This sums up how I feel, Tracy. As a former radio reporter, I always remember that the “mic” might always be on. So be careful what you say. I also held off taking part in social media. Like you, I caved in because my family and many friends live far away. Still, I try to limit what I say about my personal life. Even when blogging. 🙂

7. I share the same fears and concern. Nothing is private anymore. If they can see our house via satellite, I bet they have a way tracking us. Cellphones, computer, even social media…oops! Let’s just hope and pray our govt is still for the people. Thanks.

   1. Actually, IT, I admire how you write about family and, yet, you still protect your family’s privacy. I try to do the same. I have mixed feelings about the GPS tracking device on my cell phone, advertisers who know my buying preferences even when I haven’t been in their stores or on their web sites, and social media sites that want my personal history back to the Stone Age. 🙂

8. I have one child who gives the world whatever information is going on in her world; the other two don’t touch Facebook at all. I am thinking, with my book about my experience with breast cancer about to be published, that Facebook might be a good way to publicize it. Why not use these tools to our advantage?

   1. There’s plenty of positive things to come out of Facebook and other social media. Below, the Island Traveler, talks about the typhoon that has devastated the Philippines where his family and many live. Social media has helped spread the word about where to contribute to help folks there. Facebook also is a great way to get word out about your book on your experience with breast cancer.

      Where I become concerned is when personal information is exploited and misused by others via social media, and when well-meaning people contribute to causes that are scams on social media.

9. Thanks for the recent visit. We live in a world where nothing seems to be a secret anymore. Sometimes it could be a good thing for others to know there are parts of the world suffering from all sorts of pain. Through social media, social media, the world responded with generous kindness. Thank you for praying for the Philippines.

   1. Island Traveler, see my comment above to Ronnie of Morristownmemos. Social media does let the world know of events throughout the world … and people do respond generously. That is a wonderful thing as we are all connected.

      You, your family and others in the Philippines are in my thoughts and prayers.

10. Amazing and Thank you so much for sharing

    1. Thank you for your comment.

11. It’s good to have a reminder of this Judy, how the internet world really works! 🙂 I’ve been under the impression for some years now that the internet was to some extent created to track and analyse the nations. Creepy as that sounds, I don’t think it’s scary fiction! 😦 Governments have always had a need to be ahead of the thinking of the people – that’s how they manoeuvre – manipulate. It’s what they’ve always done in one way or another, and they always will!

    On one hand it does annoy me that I could be being scrutinized, especially on emails, but I’m not too bothered because I know I’m a difficult person to manipulate. For example, if adverts are thrown at me on You Tube based on searches I’ve done in Google a little earlier – I just ignore it. I’m not easily sold to! 🙂 And anyway, if ‘they’ are absorbing information from social media and emails – or Google searches, people are not always honest about who they are when presenting themselves to others – how real will that information be? I’m not convinced that surveys are very honest either, some people will say one thing one day and the complete opposite the next. So how accurate will spying on people become!?

    I agree with being cautious on what you choose to post in public. It isn’t sensible or necessary to put up every picture ever taken of you, or where you’re going on holiday and when! I try to be as honest as I can on my blog, but I still choose to keep a lot of myself to myself. It just requires a little thought about how to do that – but perhaps some don’t do a lot of thinking! 😉

    1. Suzy, what comes to mind about putting something in writing that you might regret later is a song my Mom told me about when I was a kid. The lyrics of the song by Jimmy Durante went something like this: “Say it with flowers, say it with mink, say it with diamonds, say it with drink. But, whatever you do, don’t say it with ink.”

       Sometimes, people innocently reveal too much on social media just when they’re playing games … info such as date of birth, place of birth. But, other times, I’m just astonished at what personal info is posted. Like you, I try to err on the cautious side. 🙂

12. Scary stuff. A cautious reminder to be careful about what we post!

    1. For sure, Lisa. It is unnerving to see what is out there for public consumption.

13. How right you are Judy! it spooks me out, when I find ads for hotels in a particular destinations plastered all over, and on every page I visit on the net, soon after I research that destination for a trip!!

    1. I feel the same, Madhu. It’s very unnerving … and, perhaps, nervy. 🙂

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