hmmmmm ... better take a pass on that pizza !!!

[welshTerrier2]

give this a listen ... it's, well, kinda scary ...

it's takes a while to load ...

www.aclu.org/pizza

[Pam-Moby]

1. Yes that is very scary,

The ID cards may becoming soon...if Bush has his way about it.

[Stephanie]

2. So maybe you could post a summary for the dial up users?

[murray hill farm]

3. i got it with dial up....

it is worth going after too...frightening, but worth the trouble.

[welshTerrier2]

4. yeah ... it's loading better now ...

i edited my post so that it no longer discourages dial-up users ...

[welshTerrier2]

6. a guy's ordering a pizza by phone

and the person at the other end of the line knows his life story ... it's an ACLU ad about privacy rights ...

having worked with databases and mailing lists for years, i can tell you the ad is becoming closer and closer to reality ...

[AllyCat]

7. Guy calls to order a pizza

Lady who answers phone has a nice little computer system that tells his home phone, home address, work address, mobile phone, which phone he's using, his health records (with surcharge for ordering double meat pizzas while he has high cholesterol and blood pressure), recent airline ticket purchases, that he's maxed out on his credit cards, which books he checked out at the library, what subscriptions he and his wife get that have coupons for what he's ordering, and his clothing sizes from purchases he's made.

Part of the answer? Don't pay with anything but cash, don't give your phone number and zip code at retailers' check-outs for "marketing" purposes, don't sign up for those value cards at your supermarket, pet store, or wherever, don't take delivery, block your calls when you call businesses from your phones...the list goes on and on and on. These are all ways of monitoring what you do. Get a kick-butt firewall, etc on your computer (still not foolproof), don't allow tracking cookies, etc, etc.

They'll still find us, but why make it easier?

[Stephanie]

8. thanks!

scary

[SOteric]

9. Alternatively,

change your phone number and address somewhat regularly, never give your social security number to anyone who doesn't have a legal right to demand the information, and periodically get creative with your initials and your middle name, (i.e. Jane S. Doe, J. Susan Doe, J.S. Doe, etc.)

[Synnical]

11. Last nite, I refused to give my home address

When making a hotel reservation. And the very nice lady told me I was the first person she'd ever encountered who refused to give a home address. The computer would not provide a confirmation number without a home address, so I suggested she input 1234 Main Street, with my City, State, and Zip. Confirmation number allowed.

I then posted my experience to a members only e-mail chat list and was somewhat ridiculed by a poster because my, "anti-marketing reason seems to me a little slim. It doesn't take much effort to simply throw unwanted marketing into the trash. Personally I don't care how much snail mail marketing I get."

I responded that it wasn't just marketing, more at issue were privacy concerns, not to mention recycling and shredding issues. You have to shred every credit card application you receive!

As you stated, AllyCat, I refuse to make it easier.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[AllyCat]

12. Holy crap! You were the FIRST person to refuse?

WTF is the matter with people? You give your address and someone overhears it and the next thing you know, there is some lunatic following you around (or the CIA). When they tell me they "have to have" some piece of personal info about me, I just sigh and then make up stuff or leave without buying anything and tell them I won't be back. Really, Radio Shack doesn't need to know my address so I can buy a $10 cordless phone battery.

And then to have somebody bash you for doing it? The first of the three Rs in regards to the environment is "Reduce" and by keeping off of mailing lists, you effectively reduce the amount of garbage they send out.

Here's one of my favorites: Too late! You're already on the mailing list. They send you unsolicited crap with a business reply envelope, postcard, or whatever. You put everything into the envelope, including the one in which it arrived. Be certain the part with your name and address is inside it marked "no thanks; then ask them to remove your name from their mailing list and to recycle. Send it all back to them. They have to pay for it up to $6.00 in postage per piece. Put a piece of sheet metal in it while you're at it. You get blacklisted from all their fellows' lists too. It's great.

I told my mail carrier about it and I thought he was gonna bust a rib laughing. He thought it was great. He hates carrying all that stuff around. If there's just a postcard, tape the whole thing into the original envelope and tape the postcard to the outside. Put one of those AOL discs in it, too.

[Synnical]

13. Exactly

I always just say "NO" when I'm checking out and they ask for my zip code or phone number. Not to mention the fact that it's a bad idea for anyone to spit out their home phone number in a public space.

I'm awaiting a response regarding recycling . . .

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[Synnical]

10. The gist of the issue is MATRIX

http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=14240&c=130

The United States is at risk of turning into a full-fledged surveillance society. The tremendous explosion in surveillance-enabling technologies, combined with the ongoing weakening in legal restraints that protect our privacy mean that we are drifting toward a surveillance society. The good news is that it can be stopped. Unfortunately, right now the big picture is grim.

[devilgrrl]

5. "four legs good - two legs bad"

"four legs good - two legs bad"
"four legs good - two legs bad"
"four legs good - two legs bad"
"four legs good - two legs bad"