Re: Automatic Entry and Forms

[On a terminal that does not make including text of original message
possible]

In answer to the points raised by Mathew, he seems to be proposing that
I have not considered the privacy implications and am blind to them. Anyone
who was at the recent Demographics workshop meeting would know that this is
simply untrue. I raised the issue of personal privacy repeatedly and stated
that a number of proposals would not fly because of their privacy implications.

In addition I observe in a recent Internet draft that in the wron hands the I
Internet could be a echanism for more effective surveilance than any historical
dictatorship has had.

I did not bring up the subject of Napoleon, Robert did. I thought the analogy
offensive. I do not believe that comparisons to mass murderers should be
made casually.

The key point about privacy is consent. I may wish to provide information
to a vendor which has privacy implications. Provided there is no coertion
and provided there is informed consent I see no basis for a moral objection.
I hand out sensitive demographic data to every mail order firm that I deal
with, my name and address. I do this because without them it is difficult
for the mail order company to check my credit card details and deliver the
goods. With SET the credit card verificaion problem will be less, I still
fail to see why the Web shouldn't make it easy for me to give my delivery
address.

		Phill

PS would people wanting to contiue this thread please make it clear that
they have understood that it is merely automatic entry of field values
we are discussing. Nobody is discussing automated *submission
- except some people who have not read the proposal.

Received on Sunday, 25 February 1996 17:15:15 UTC