Some Sapien hears a Twitter

A phenomenon I've noticed developing the last 5 or 10 years has been the total deconstruction of traditional privacy standards. This is ironic since at the same time personal information has become more valuable.

That is, we are willing to give away personal information for the equivalent of a stick of chewing gum, while the entity requesting the information is making allot of money by selling or using the information.

Perhaps it was the invention of reality shows like Big Brother or House that initiated this phenomenon. These shows are based on the absolute elimination of privacy. Basically, turning people into goldfish. The viewing, voyeuristic public has become desensitized to this paradigm. We celebrate and celebratize the participants of these reality shows. It then becomes cool to give away your privacy. In fact you are un-cool if you don't.

Celebrities often have to live with a reduced expectation of privacy... in the legal sense. However Internet Celebrities must by default give up their privacy in order to gain or maintain their status.

What is amazing to me is how many non-celebrities are willing to give up their privacy in order to become part of the aquarium that is the Word Wide Web. It originated with personal web pages that evolved into social networking sites. Then there was IRC or Internet Relay Chat which has evolved into twitter.

So now, we feel obligated to disclose the intimate details of our lives on the equivalent of a billboard for any passerby to peruse. Sure, there are privacy setting and restricted sharing settings, but the whole medium implies sharing with somebody.

One could argue that this sharing is bringing the world a little closer together. This sharing feeds a better understanding of each other. There will be less mistrust, less fear, and more love for each other as we learn about each others hopes, dreams, and insecurities.

In either case, information is power for good or ill. Those with information about us have a kind of power over us. This is not nefarious. It's a fact. Those that understand us best can have an influence on us. They know what to say and how to say it and they know which topics to avoid.

Then there are those who's cooperation we depend on, such as employers, credit companies and insurance companies. To them, information is money. They can better gauge what kind of employee you will be or how big a credit or insurance risk you are. Some might argue, that this is only fair. Those who choose to lead risky lives should pay a premium compared to those who don't.

What is happening regardless, is the elimination of the "benefit of the doubt" and the "presumption of innocence." Basically those that do not share will be looked upon with suspicion. People will ask, "what are they hiding?"

Sharing your privacy will no longer be considered a choice but will be a requirement. So we end up with a situation where we have less trust not more.

For those that do share, they will find the warm embrace of a society that knows who they are... sometimes better than they know themselves.