X-Message-Number: 29207
From: 
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:46:23 EST
Subject: Re: Cybersilenced by the Googleminder

Hi, Chris Manning!
 
You write:
 
"I'm afraid I have no idea what Biologist501 is talking about. What is the  
'Googleminder'? What is a Google spider? What is this post all about?"
--C.M.
 
Either by intent or not, a "minder" serves to control behavior. Here's  an 
obvious example:
 
Even when questioning the entire student body gathered in the  auditorium, 
the principle just cannot seem to figure out how certain  students get knocked 
unconscious at recess and classroom windows  are mysteriously broken out every 
other day.  Why?  There is a  "minder" in the room: The classroom bully.  He 
has a thing against certain  students, plate glass windows, and squealers. 
 
; - ) 
 
Less obvious are Inanimate Objects which can be minders:
 
A young girl's urinary infection, which she wished to discuss  with her 
doctor, just disappears on its own when he forgets to close  the door to the 

examination room from the busy reception  area. Nevermind. Cancel that 
appointment. 
The open door was the  minder.
 
Goolge and other search engines can be minders.  In some cases,  as we have 
seen, it discourages further postings to CryoNet.  In other  cases, it may 

subtly (or drastically), and systematically, alter  the tone or emphasis of post

messages. (For example, most  responsible people self-censure a bit in front of
their young children or  other peoples' children; they may talk in code or 
spelling out words, but  more often than not, just save the conversation for 
later, if ever.)
 
The fact that postings become "permanent records" into the future is  not the 
problem at all, it is the concern that postings may become  intrusive when 

Google gathers them all together as the top ranked listing  after a search of a
person's name or business name.  It might be  similarly objectionable if 

someone's entire real estate  holdings were conveniently listed as the first 
link 
found after such a  search. That's all electronic public record too, available 
on the Internet  including how much they paid for each parcel in most states 
in the US.   Same thing with their driving records -- mine would create a 
bandwidth  problem.
 
: - )
 
It's all public record and can be found in the Internet, but it is not  

forced on the searcher.  A searcher has to specifically look  for such 
information. 
 Had I been smarter, or more prescient, I could  have avoided my problem by 
creating a different email address for myself years  ago when I started 

posting.  You may want to consider the same.  I  appreciate Kevin correcting my

mistake recently.  And hope he will do it  for others.  I have no doubt it would
be 
good thing for the integrity and  health of both CryoNet and cryonics in the 
long run.
 
Here's a link on "spiders."
 
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_crawler_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_crawler) 
 
Relatively speaking, these particular Web Spiders are generally not  much to 
worry about (you being, from Australia and all -- I've heard about your  

Funnel-Web variety!), but as to your concern about that particular steak  house
chain, that's a different story.  I'd watch out. I think  you may be onto 
something there...
 
: - )
 
D. C. Johnson

<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free 
email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL at 
http://www.aol.com.


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