Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Not only will someone be able to retroactively stalk you, they'll be able to cut together their own version of reality. Imagine someone having every snapshot of you while you're having a bad day - scowling at a slow elderly person ahead of you on the stairs, flipping someone off while driving, a really bad photo of you with a bunch of drinks around you. Nevermind that you were trying to hurry to get up the stairs to help your pregnant wife, or that someone threw a brick at your car, or that you're just watching your friends' drinks while they play pool.


Exactly, the "Mark Burnett problem" (producer of Survivor). I heard him claim in an interview that with enough footage he could create any perception of a person that he wanted (hero, jerk, brilliant, idiot, etc.). It seemed obvious after hearing it, but not something I had considered.


This can be seen as a modern incarnation of the famous (apocryphal?) Cardinal Richelieu's quote :

"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him."




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: