Comment Re:von Braun didn't take his place (Score 1) 165
Are you this stupid to compare long working hours and ability to quit any time to being literally worked to death?
That being said, if we can't hold Israelis responsible for the reprehensible actions of Israel, who can we hold responsible?
Unfortunately, this kind of question never has an easy answer. Those in the government who make policy decisions are responsible beyond a shadow of a doubt, but they're among the most protected people in that nation.
Did we really blame all Germans for Hitler? Most German citizens didn't even know the holocaust was happening.
We shouldn't we blame them for Hitler? He was duly voted in chancellor, leader or major political party. If most Germans knew about holocaust itself is debatable, but they knew damn well about war of conquest, incarceration of Jews, gypsys, etc., slavery (quite a lot of German farmers used Polish or Russian slaves), members of German minority living in conquered eastern countries could see barbarity of SS every day and had no problems taking over houses from murdered local families. There were countless indications that Third Reich was very evil regime and yet they followed orders.
There are many attempts to absolve Germans of blame recently - 3rd Reich is portrayed as run by "Nazis" (who seemingly had nothing to do with Germans and were actually aliens or something), Germans as "suffering" under Nazi regime, frequent use of "Polish concentration camps" phrase, which is quite insidious attempt to shift the blame.
So we don't grope britons and a guy named Richard tries to set fire to his shoe. We don't grope black people and some guy named umbawumba blows off his balls.
Let them. It will be definite improvement over typical in-flight entertainment.
I'm sorry but anyone who is idiot enough to have an Android phone and DOESN'T know that of course since you sign into your Goggle account with it the same damn data sharing is going to happen just like wherever you use their services on any device is, well, an idiot.
So you were walking around in the evening and got mugged? Why do you even try to complain, it is your fault.
The question is, though, what harm comes from that - and that's up to each user to decide when they choose to use it or not. Since users sign up for and consent to the service - I see why it takes an actual technicality like this to make it actionable (even if it does highlight the often absurdity of our legal system).
Ah yes, "I consent that company does whatever they damn please to me" click-through "agreements". It is now even possible to 'agree' to binding arbitration (and waive your right to class action lawsuit), which shows how much the whole idea is broken.
Basically, I know it's all cool to get all up in arms about this stuff and the principle, etc., but the truth is - if you are going to use a single commercial device to access your entire data "life", and if you use Google services in particular, you know what you are getting at this point. It's those ads that pay for Goggle to give so many of it's services away for free. It may be wrong, it may be right, it really doesn't matter because it's the very definition of "it is what it is".
Yes. I know what *is*, I don't like it and I want to change it. This lawsuit is one attempt to make this change.
It's the price you pay for using a "smart" phone because you won't find one that doesn't have privacy implications. As a user you decide - is the convenience/cache of owning one worth it? If the answer is no, go get yourself a "feature" phone burner and replace it once a month, or however often your paranoia leads you to do so - and don't access any data services on it.
No, the price I paid was in dollars. I don't see any reason to include my privacy, my dog or any random thing that phone manufacturer or Google would want of me.
My guess is, 99% of the folks who are going to make comments about this and bemoan privacy have smartphones - they are not necessary, they are a convenience/luxury - one that I use, but if I really was so concerned I wouldn't have one, or use Goggle's services - much less an OS designed by them - or iOS and their Cloud shit, etc.
The same exact reasoning to justify TSA. "Plane is a convenience, go by train if you don't like it'. TSA now invading train stations? Well, train is a convenience too, go by car. Plate-reading cameras everywhere recording everywhere you go? Oh just stay in home until you learn to love big brother. Most of 'implications' are not technical requirements - they are there mostly because people like you just bend over and take it in the ass without even daring to complain.
It's a trade off of modern life, if you want the cool toys, you can't play anonymous secret super agent spy. (Which leads to the "what are you doing that makes you think anyone gives a fuck" question, but that is a separate issue entirely.)
Obvious answer is that I don't know if in 5 years I will be doing something important enough. In this case I would rather not have my whole life reported in great detail, ready to mine for possible blackmail opportunities or smear campaign.
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. -- Thomas Edison
