Cynic wrote:
> On 27 May 2006 19:52:56 -0700, "name" > wrote:
>
> >> If you want to institute that as a penalty for people who have offended
> >> while drinking - that may be a different matter - I would find it harder
> >> to argue against that - but it should not be the rule.
>
> >Why not? It doesn't affect your freedom as long as you behave
> >responsibly (even binge drinking can be considered responsible if you
> >don't bother or harass anyone under influence).
>
> So why don't you publish all your personal details to this newsgroup?
> It will not affect your freedom.

I wouldn't mind publishing most of them as I reckon anyone determined
to obtain them would succeed at this anyway.
Some of them, like the code I use at ATM machines are indeed sensitive
private information (just like passwords to my email accounts) and I
would be less willing to make those public. On the other hand, the
service providers of my email are probably able to access it and in
case I would be a serious criminal like someone collecting and
distributing childpornography police would have access to my mail
accounts anyway.
What I'm trying to say is that there must be a good reason to have
access to information that people like to keep private. If someone
behaves irresponsibly, that might be a reason to breach their privacy.
In a world where abuse of private information isn't possible (for
instance in case someone who was accessing my email could always be
identified in case they abuse information), I wouldn't mind not having
any privacy in case abuse is unlikely.
For instance, if my DNA was used to identify me at a bank in order to
withdraw cash from the ATM, I wouldn't mind people having access to my
DNA code if this would still not allow them to impersonate me and
obtain cash from my bankaccount.
I'm just openminded towards the idea of an open society where everybody
potentially has easy access to any information about anybody, as long
as the openness of such a society also effectively prevents abuse of
any information that we would consider sensitive in our current
society.

>
> The answer to that questuin may tell you why I don't want the
> government to have easy access to my personal details.
>
> --
> Cynic