�I could hack into your computer right now and wipe out everything on it with a virus,� my friend bragged to us in his high school bedroom.

�Well that�s great,� I replied, �But I know where you live and I know how to use a hammer.�

Honestly, I�m not all that worried about the government spying on me. There is this niggling portion of my brain that tells me that I should freak out about the NSA reading my emails, but quite frankly, I�ve been more aware of the fact that all of my friends who idolize computer hackers are probably more likely to break into my personal information than the government. My passwords are moderately secure (more secure as the financial risk is higher), but, in the end, I long ago had to reconcile with the facts of lack of personally security on the Internet since its very invention.

So, Snowden, bah. NSA, oh whatever. I mean, at very least, I know the government already HAS my social security number. It already has my fingerprints and my photographs. The truth is, no matter what rules you put out there, hackers are going to hack. They are annoying, they ruin everything, but it�s the truth. So, just like a traveler in Europe: buck up, make your personal information less than the easiest target and you�ll be as safe as you�ll ever be.

PEACE

I think it's mostly scary because the government could put you in jail and/or do other terrible things to you. Some kid wrote some rap lyrics and got sent to jail for referencing the Boston bombing (and he wasn't even trying to glorify it or anything).
» randomjunk on 2013-08-09 11:32:31

Hackers don't have the power to charge you with crimes or imprison you legally. The government has way more power than hackers. This isn't about anyone stealing your identity or your money, it's about being culpable for everything you've ever said in an email or a text.

Per the Constitution, the government is supposed to establish probable cause before collecting any of your personal documents. They've sidestepped the constitution. They currently have on their servers every email you've sent or received, IM records, every text message (from certain providers), phone records, private information from networking sites, and more. I'm positive they can probably make a case on pretty much anyone based on things they've said at some point over the last eight or more years. It's insane that they can have all of this information without any warrants or probable cause.
» le_battement on 2013-08-30 07:07:32

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