Written: December 12th 2009
A post currently going on (and on and on...) in the WPTavern forums illustrates the way that some people don't really get the whole privacy thing. That isn't a criticism, they just don't see what the fuss is about. This post is to explain my general position.
I think a big part of people's failure to understand privacy concerns is the point where they start their logic; their default position.
My default is this: Information that relates to me, in any way, is mine.
The only exceptions to this statement involve an abuse of my rights. It is a common occurance and given the abusers I have little choice but to accept it. Nonetheless, they are in the wrong.
If I use a piece of software that you have produced, if you want to know something about me then you must ask. Whatever it is. Even if that data is in the public domain. Even if that data is printed on my website.
Note the difference here between ask for and notify about taking.
The issue being discussed about WordPress is trivial and not one I really care about, but the arguments being made do matter, a lot. You see, a lot of those arguments are of the sort that ask those concerned with privacy why they want to restrict the data. They ask what harm could come from them having that data, what evil could possibly be done with information that is already in the public domain in most cases anyway? These are entirely the wrong questions and really miss the point that any privacy advocate is trying to get across.
So here is the key point of this whole thing. The basic concept that you need to understand. By default the data is mine. I don't have to have a good reason to deny you access, you need to have a good reason for me to provide you with access. The burden of justification is always on you, the person that wants the data, in all circumstances, so you need to convince me that I should give it to you.
It doesn't matter what the data is, it matters that it is mine.
On December 22nd 2009 15:26:52 Kate (http://cheekyfrog.me.uk) said:
I agree with you! And if people aren't updating WP because of privacy concerns really it's down to WordPress to change that because their need to know our urls shouldn't override security issues.
What I find even more off-putting are those sites which insist on asking for your postal address or even phone number when you sign up for something as basic as a newsletter. They rarely explain why they want that info or what they do with it. I never provide it, so they lose a potential subscriber, but I worry that people do hand it over then get added to junk mail lists or worse.
On December 22nd 2009 16:36:36 Andrew (http://www.arickmann.co.uk) said:
I must admit I was surprised that people were deciding not to update WordPress over privacy concerns. As I say above, the issues around WordPress itself are trivial.
I entirely agree about those sites. I never ever provide my correct details. I generally pick somewhere else that I know the postal code for (90210?) and give them that. I've also been using the same landline phone number for years in those forms, which is handy since I don't have a landline.
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