

The Myth of the 'Transparent Society' - muriithi
http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2008/03/securitymatters_0306

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mk
This is a really great quote: "Forced openness in government reduces the
relative power differential between the two, and is generally good. Forced
openness in laypeople increases the relative power, and is generally bad. "

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dejb
No real compelling points to the article and it brings up a number of
arguments which appear to support the proposition it is purporting to rebut.

The overwhelming impression I get of this guy's world view is that it is all a
zero sum game and the most important question to worry about is the
distrubution of this finite amount of power.

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ivankirigin
I think you missed his point. He certainly isn't worried about redistribution
of power.

I don't think he'd argue that any citizen should have the power of a police
officer to arrest someone. That could involve a great deal of violence, and
officers are trained for those situations.

His point is more that given existing asymmetry in power, symmetric exposure
of information is not equivalent.

You can find out about a cop arresting you. The Cop can find out about you.
But the cop can do so much more with that information, and can do it faster.

He often has argued for the inherent benefit of privacy.

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dejb
I was talking about the world view that appears to underpin his opinions - not
specifically what he was trying to say in the article.

So what if 'symmetric exposure to information is not equivalent'? If the net
result is benefit then isn't that a good thing? By net result I mean

i.e. net result = gain/disadvantage for cop + gain/disadvantage for non-cop

His argument is that a smaller gain for members of the public plus a larger
gain for cops if somehow bad. But if both parties gain what is the problem?
Well if you don't really believe that extra 'value' can be created in the
world (zero sum game) then you don't see it as both parties gaining. You view
it as one party gaining value (power) at the expense of another. This appeared
to be the assumption he was making.

