Principled? A massive red flag? Simply idiotic?

Two questions;

  1. Do you adopt any of the same choices around digital data, that I do (as lettered below)?
  2. Do you think there is any 'value' in sticking with 'a principle' even when you can see that it is broadly meaningless in effect?

 Choices;

  1. a) I don’t do social media.
  2. b) I avoid data collection wherever possible.
  3. c) I don’t store in the cloud.
  4. d) I avoid apps, despite knowing that they are invariably “cheaper and/or easier and/or quicker” than other means of doing 'a thing.'
  5. e) I don’t volunteer any accurate personal data, ever, unless it is officially required.
  6. f) I don’t “sign in” nor "sign-up" if that is at all possible.
  7. g) I hate visiting shops but I prefer it to online purchasing.

 These choices make things lonelier, more expensive and more inconvenient for anyone who adopts them.

My reason for these (arguably pointless and daft) choices is that I don’t want to contribute towards a centralised and automated system that chooses how to ‘target’ or ‘feed’ information and services to individual humans, because I think that it allows very effective (but subtle) control over “what happens next.” Voter manipulation and Clearview AI are two exemplars of my concerns.

I'm interested in any feedback on these questions.

Parents
  • I pretty much do it all - I don't care - I'm not that interesting, I don't care if someone in Silicon Valley knows that I bought a Marvel DVD, or whatever.

    If I get the option to reject cookies, then I will do that.

    One thing that I have noticed about myself is that I have been online so much that I actually don't "see" adverts. My brain filters them out. I've never clicked on an advert in my life.

    I used to think that the whole online advertising multi-billion dollar industry was a house of cards that was going to crash down horribly when everyone realised that no one actually "saw" the adverts no matter how intrusive they were. But latterly, I think maybe this is a 'skill' that maybe only some people have - I dunno.

    I know and accept that most people think this, but I don't think that I can get manipulated in the same way as other people because my vote is based on my values, not some news report or Facebook post that is designed to frighten me. I tend to think about things from first principles and work out what is most likely.

  • You are lucky to be able to filter things out.

    I like people to be driven by their own values, but I fear this is being eroded by what I speak of.

    Like you, I have always been "from first principles" thinker and doer.  I think this approach is more common amongst autists.

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