Wyr corporations know all of your computer usage or the government know all of your computer usage?

“Would you rather have all corporations know all of your computer usage or the government know all of your computer usage?”

Absolutely no reason to discuss this. I’m looking for interesting questions to get my kids talking on day one of our remote classroom - not going to probably ask this one - I felt would make for some interesting divergence here on talk.

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You might consider a third option. “… or a foreign government know all of your computer usage?“ given that schools are using zoom.

What is the age group of your students? Knowing that may help with the type of questions to ask.

I feel like I’ve been asked “have you stopped beating your wife”, i.e. neither yes or no answer suffices. If the spirit of the Q is I have to chose one, then from a civil liberties standpoint I’ll choose corporations.

Practically speaking, corporations having all of your data is effectively the same as Big Gubmint having all of your data, or at least access to it or the information and intelligence derived from it.

And platonically speaking, why do any of them have to have any of it that we don’t voluntarily provide, or opt into with clear and informed consent, or tacitly agree to with specific choices, e.g. choosing to drive on public streets may subject you to having you pic taken and license plate number recorded by traffic cameras.

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Yeah, gotta echo the 'there is no practical difference between these entities; if one has my data, they all have my data".
To pitch a log onto the debate fire, though, I guess I’ll go with "I worry about ONE of these, any ONE of these, having the ability to PROCESS my data. In my lifetime, plenty of data has been acquireable;nobody really knows what to DO with it to make it meaningful. But bless their hearts, the Zucks and Pichais are out there trying.

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She teaches high school.

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Would you rather have a free, new, Mustang convertible for 1 year, or a free, new Honda Fit (if the still make them!) For three years.

Do I have to pay for either one? IoW, do I just get to find it in my driveway, use it however I want, then at end of [ 1 | 3 ] years it disappears? If that’s the deal, then the mustang.

Otherwise neither, since I already have a car.

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I’m cheap. Go with the Fit. 3 years all under warranty. Higher fuel mileage, much lower insurance rates, probably not insurable after a year of getting tickets in Mustang.

Maybe if still a young kid like you, go with Mustang. :wink:

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If money were no object, in what country would you like to live and why?
If money were no object, in what country would you NOT like to live and why?

How many of your students have or use tiktok, Facebook, YouTube/Google, Twitter, a bank account, a cell phone? Corporations and government have free roam at your info.

It’s what they’re doing with that info thats the issue.

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Question for high school students, in response to @uglyknees. No fair using your well developed adult brain. :slight_smile:

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See my response to @mblatz. :slight_smile:

There’s one that pissed off a lot of security people. An app that records your clipboard entries. Works very well with password repository programs that use the clipboard to put your password into various applications such ass your banking and credit card web sites.