68 degrees this morning, but somehow seems warner, even with a relatively strong wind.
Data Exhaust is an interesting concept and the term caught my attention while reading an article on privacy. Data Exhaust is all the “exhaust” we leave from our digital operations, since as internet postings, credit cards, cell phone use, gps signals. It is really amazing the signals we leave about our location, what we do etc., from the use of the “pikepass” leaving a message of the exact time I go on the turnpike to my credit card use leaving “trails” of exactly where I have been and what I have purchased to cell phone texts and calls. I’m sure somewhere every tv program I watch etc. is tracked and stored.
Of course, it is not the “collection” of data which matters, it is how it is used. Recently I visited amazon.com to check on prices on an item. I took no action, I merely looked. Since then, I have received almost daily e-mails about the item (and similar items) meaning Amazon actually traces causal visitors. That is creepy.
I could probably name numerous other instances. I wonder (as I think of the book “1984” which is now technically possible and probably in effect in some countries) who would really care what I do every minute of the day. I have learned to ignore the pestering of the e-mails, I ignore the specific “personally targeted” ads on Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo etc. I still get numerous “targeted” ads on China tours, hotels, flights etc. so they really aren’t all that smart.
I think the big problem is, again, when the data is misused, and the potential of misuse normally leads to some type of abuse, probably by private businesses trying to exploit the information as much as the “government”. The potential is terrifying.
My insurance company recently offered me a relatively large discount (almost $200 per year) if I would allow my car to be “tracked” from the moment it came on to the moment the key turned off. I read it carefully and found that the date was subject to release by “court orders” and the information could be used against me. It also tracked anytime you “braked hard” “hard acceleration” or driving over 80 mph (which is legal in some areas). No thanks, I think I’ll pass on that.
I expect at some point, we will be required to have such a device in our car to drive it. I hope I don’t see that day. Neither of us have anything to hide, I almost always drive at or near the speed limit, I rarely brake or accelerate hard etc. and I’m not ashamed of where I go. I just feel it isn’t anyone’s business, especially some company trying to sell me something I don’t want or need, but who feels they have some right to spam me or call me with their “targeted” data. I have a couple of words for that I won’t use.
Moon Day, +45 years. I was 5 days into Air Force basic training on Moon Day, 1969. We had the option of seeing it live (I believe about 2 a.m.), but I slept though it. I regretted missing it at the time.
If I had known what would happen in my life on Moon Day, I wonder what I would have thought. A lot has happened in 45 years, as is I expect always the case! Looking back, I don’t know that I would have changed a lot, actually I see small decisions that I wished I had made a different decision when the small decision resulted in problems.
I think the big surprise after “Moon Day” was that little more was accomplished in the next 45 years, although the shuttle etc. was quite an accomplishment.
Moving continues. We organized the garage yesterday (at least organized it for further organization), but do have a lot of items organized for donation and throwing away, and storing some of the items in the attic (such as boxes etc.) At least future moves will be easier!
That’s it for now, Moon Day +45 years, Sunday, July 20, 2014.
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