From: Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 93 19:42:28 PST
To: CYPHERPUNKS@toad.com
Subject: Re: Privacy as a Commodit
Message-ID: <199312130339.AA07744@panix.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


B >what is an appropriate level of privacy?  When that question is formed
B >on the basis of "What have you got to hide?" it takes on the aspect of
B >accusation.  

My mom (and others) have asked me this frequently.  I even have an essay 
"Why Privacy?" on a disk somewhere.  One of these days...

The short answer is:  "I don't know.  If I did, I'd hide only that."

In the last 300 years in Europe, people at various times and in various 
places have been murdered for the possesion of every conceivable human 
characteristic.

Name any religion, occupation, habit, ethnicity, or anything about a 
person and I can dig up cases where people were killed (either publicly or 
privately) because they had that characteristic.

That being the case, discretion is often the better part of valor.  
Besides, what is anyone else's need to know?  Have they paid me to reveal 
info about myself?  If they haven't, what call does anyone have to my 
labor in supplying that information.  TANSTAAFL

DCF
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