Love and Hate Relations With Information

The internet is a place where information is quick and easy to come by. Some people are becoming increasingly concerned about this in relation to issues of privacy. The article "Don't Go There!" by Todd Shield which appeared in a 2001 copy of Editor & Publisher looks at this very issue.

On one hand there is the idea that information should not be kept secret. People in the media industry (particularly those in news and journalism) like being able to use the internet as a tool to find information that might otherwise be difficult to come by. The internet not only makes their job easier, but it provides them with more in depth information than almost any other source. Besides, it helps the keep track of what "big brother" is up to and they seem to feel pretty confident that the general public is concerned with what the government is doing...or not doing. Basically, the age old tradition of "the people (or public) have a right to know" seems to run as strongly as ever.

Obviously the people or persons being reported on by the media are some of the first to express a desire for privacy, but do they have a point. After all, it's not okay for anyone to open your mail and read it...so what about your email. Is it okay for the media, the public, or even your own boss to read your personal messages on the internet? And as for the government, should there be a problem with keeping sensitive material censored or off the web? If it's something that would put people at risk it would seem a positive thing to do.

The debate will continue...as they usually do. In the end I'm not sure they will ever be able to come to a decision. Eventually, I think the responsibility will fall on the individual. We need to be conscious that the web has many corners and most of those corners are accessible by more people than we know (or care to know).