Assignment 3B-part 2

Pre-paid cell phones. We have reviewed many advantages of using pre-paid cell phones in class as well as in our assigned readings. Some of those advantages include anonymity, difficulty in tracing and tracking calls. I can think of a couple of other advantages. For some people having a pre-paid phone helps with budgeting. There is a finite number of calls/texts that can be made and received helping to avoid going over budget. When that limit has been reached the phone is shut off until more minutes have been purchased. For those individuals that struggle with budgeting this method of phone use is very effective. Poor credit is another reason some choose to use pre-paid phones. Some may not meet the credit qualifications needed to sign up for a new phone contract, especially if their is a poor payment history in the past. I can also see their use while traveling or if a phone is needed for strictly emergency purposes. I think that if the government feels that national security could be improved by eliminating unregistered phones there would need to be away to make pre-paid phones still available, even if registered, to those that have legitimate uses for them.

Assignment 3B- part 1

I think for any parent that has lost sight of their child for even a brief moment the idea of implanting a microchip/GPS unit seems like a life saver, literally, but what are the implications? Also, I must admit that after decades of parenting I think the tracking of teens may be more beneficial, statistically, than tracking preschoolers. There could also be great uses for those lost in storms, say post hurricane Katrina, where it took forever for families to be reunited and bodies to be identified. Then I think about the elderly, I spent years working in an emergency department where we would get calls from families that had lost loved ones suffering from dementia. I have also taken care of patients that were found walking or driving lost and unable to tell us who they were, their medical history or how to reach their family members. There are also frequent news reports of people lost and rescuers that risk their own lives performing search and rescue missions.  So it seems that there could be many benefits to implanting these types of devices, however, putting a child through  elective surgery seems extreme. Would the benefit outweigh the risk of even a minimally invasive procedure? I do not believe so. What would happen once the child became an adult? Who could use or access that information?  Do we want the government tracking our every move? Do they do that already? Would the information gathered be used against us during the investigation of a crime by law enforcement? Could we all become suspects in crimes based solely on our locations recorded by these devices? I do not believe I am a paranoid person and I also believe that if you have nothing to hide you really have nothing to worry about, but where does my right to privacy begin and end and who decides that answer?  I would not support a bill requiring all children to be micro chipped, that seems extreme. GPS shoes, great idea but if they are taken off they become useless. I guess it is not much different then the beacon units used by back country skiers in case of avalanche, but they are removable and can be turned off as desired. So when it comes to implanting micro chips in humans I am not convinced it is a good idea, tempting though.

Privacy and Encryption

Privacy- The privacy aspects of technology are mind blowing. The amount of information about myself stashed on the Internet is scary. When googling my own name many personal facts are available but most startling is the fact a picture and location of my home appears, creepy. These results leaves me feeling vulnerable.
Encryption-OK, also mind blowing but in a different way. Numbers, HUGE numbers, the mixing of numbers with multiple codes for deciphering, my only hope is that we cover encryption in greater detail in class because I do not have a clear grasp of the process from reading the article alone.

Home

I arrived home last night from California. Although I had a great time it will be good to get back into my normal work/school routine. It was fascinating sitting in an ice cream shop in sunny California and watching the news reports of a blizzard unfolding at home.