Cell phones and privacy

I believe pre-paid cell phones are versatile devices that should remain legal, and I don't think the activities of criminals should cease their existence from all of society that has not been marginalized. Their value is vast. A cell phone plan is not for everyone. I also personally feel that the government shouldn't be allowed to obsessively track down every move that one makes, even though there will inevitably always be criminals. True criminals are always going to find a path around restrictions, which makes making pre-paid cell phones illegal look trivial.

Location Tracking

Forcefully implanting computer chips into the bodies of children and teenagers is not only unnatural but comes off as a bit unethical. I can see a little merit in certain scenarios for the elderly who suffer from Alzheimer's, dementia, etc, though a computer chip sounds a bit extreme. I can think back to when I was a kid, and if I were introduced to the idea of installing a computer chip inside me for the sake of always knowing exactly where I happen to be, I would be very unnerved and opposed to such a notion. It's just a bit over the top, and while some people may view it as some benevolent way of saving the children, I tend to gravitate toward the side of that it caters to a perverse infatuation in certain people who actually take comfort in being allowed to always know where their children are. That said, I will confess that I believe installing computer chips into people who pose a threat has positive implications. If someone who is charged with murder, abduction, rape or molestation does their time and are allowed  access to the outside world once more, I feel it is justified to implant such devices into them. Outside of these circumstances I view it as obsessive and borderline pathological.

I am presently taking Living in a Networked World at UNH and am ready to blog away...