the proposed right to have any linkage of my persona within a service to my physical identity removed if I close my account

About: weaverluke: virtual rights initiative

Massively Distributed Hysteria and the Future of Reputation

An article by someone upset that their bio was faked on Wikipedia.

Is this really an issue? Economically, no. What it means is actually something pretty cool - that in the future, everyone will be responsible for their own decentralized info. You'll have to check your reputation, because the network has a long memory.

That, in turn, will create new markets and new sources of value.

But far more importantly, it sets (huge) incentives, just like Clarke argued in The Light of Other Days, for people to be much cooler to each other than they are now.

I think this is an example of why the #2 of Virtual Rights $wish is not feasable. There are two sides of that coin. You do not have the right to effect someone (negatively or positively) and then turn around and sever your identity from that effect. Just to be painfully clear about my objection as exemplified above: The right #2 , to become anonymous after the fact conflicts with everybody else's right to be hold you accountable for your actions.

Another example via technocrati Damage and Fallout: the Revisionist History of Podcasting

Comments

Mark de LA says
There are still libel & slander laws in most countries. It just may be harder to find the people responsible & sue them !

Seth says
... this is all about reputation, not necessarily about litigation. what needs to happen is that whoever faked the bio, or whoever lied about the history of podcasting have their identities trackable and, should their version of history be not factual, then their reputations should suffer.

weaverluke says
I hear what you're saying, and I'd agree that #2 needs at least reworking. It's important to remember that we often use pseudonyms online, which may or may not be linked to our physical identities. So I would rephrase the right as "to have any linkage of my persona within a service to my physical identity removed if I close my account". This would allow services to authenticate me to a physical identity while I use the service, but not to keep a record of that linkage should I close my account. Of course, any physically-identifying info I allowed to be published while using the service (in an "about me" section etc.) would be on the permanent record of the web, as you say.

Seth says

weaverluke 2005-12-04 10:31:25 2205

I hear what you're saying, and I'd agree that #2 needs at least reworking. It's important to remember that we often use pseudonyms online, which may or may not be linked to our physical identities. So I would rephrase the right as "to have any linkage of my persona within a service to my physical identity removed if I close my account". This would allow services to authenticate me to a physical identity while I use the service, but not to keep a record of that linkage should I close my account. Of course, any physically-identifying info I allowed to be published while using the service (in an "about me" section etc.) would be on the permanent record of the web, as you say.

Well,

, i still do not grok this as a right.

Let's take a specific example. Fastblogit stores the IP address for every transaction. The IP address is traceable to your "physical identity". If we are to take this right seriously, then when you close your account here, we would need to eradicate that data from our files. But the primary reason we store IP addresses is so that we have some measure of control over malicious mischief. This is part of our defense mechanisms. So to grant you this right we need to weaken our defenses. But that infringes on right to survive.

There is always a balance between an individual's right to privacy and the community's need to make connections. I do not believe it is a good idea to tip the scales in favor of the individual in this case. Society has a right to hold a person accountable for their actions. Eroding that right will erode the fabric of our society.

Now let's take this example a step further. Let's say that you create a entirely different personality and call yourself "Patricia Sullivan". Fine that is your right, certainly at fastblogit. Now let's say that some unscroupulous person here uses your IP address to track you down and discloses that information publicly. Now I would call that a crime and say that you have the right to be protected against such a crime. I wonder if this virtual right #2 could be somehow worded to protect against that kind of intrusion into your privacy.

Thanks for the dialogue.
Seth Russell

PollyWannaCracker says

& I have the right to $Million. In a perfect world there would be no liars, thieves, nor murders. Welcome to the wonderful world of the Internet. It's wild & woolly & hairy - A bazaar - step right up & get your cappucino or your pornography - animals, books & leather gloves (kiddie porn and ugly bloody violent messes too!) - the best & the worst of humanity is represented here. There is nothing different from the outside world. It's a bit more uncontrolled & anonymous though & moves at the speed of electricity!

. When the laws against viruses & worms & spam and phishing are fully enforced then I will worry about your poor bruised internet identity!

Seth says

PollyWannaCracker 2005-12-06 09:06:29 2205

When the laws against viruses & worms & spam and phishing are fully enforced then I will worry about your poor bruised internet identity!

Well said, Cracker, are you by any chance related to Polly the Insulting Parrot ?

Mark de LA says

Bruised identities notwithstanding, this article on a spoof? of Wikipedia points to the problem in another way.

Seth says

apparently there is a class action suit against wikipedia.

Mark de LA says

Question: What do you call 1000 lawyers at the bottom of the sea?
Answer: A good start !!

Seth says

more re this at many 2 many ... Freedom of Anonymous Speech

Mark de LA says

seth 2005-12-16 12:59:19 2205

more re this at many 2 many ... Freedom of Anonymous Speech

While I tend to agree strongly with the article I still think anonymous speech is cowardly. To me when I see an anonymous entry or an anonymous attribution in a news article I think "This guy doesn't have the balls to stand up and be accountable for his words

." Testament & testes go together.

Of course, should you want to go around lying about others anonymously maybe someone should cut off your balls (or the female equivalent)!

the proposed right to have any linkage of my persona within a service to my physical identity removed if I close my account

About: weaverluke: virtual rights initiative

Tags

Comments

See Also