MODULE 8 SAQs

2. Think of an act, other than those already discussed in this module that
would constitute a violation of privacy in computing. Explain.

ONLINE PRIVACY

The lightweight content management systems known as weblogs or blogs have enjoyed a massive popularity explosion in the past few years, more or less becoming a distinct literary form. But although the blog has proven itself technically capable of meeting the need for many kinds of information dissemination and archiving, numerous social and legal problems have emerged in the practice of real-world blogging. Many of these problems cluster around the almost totally public nature of online expression. Paradoxically, we may be reaching a point where greater expression can only be achieved through greater privacy.
Online privacy is ultimately a matter of law; but the law develops within an understanding of specific technical capabilities. Software implementors can, should, and increasingly do design towards social-engineering goals, such as the ability to resist legal challenge. Design from high-level needs is particularly relevant in the case of blogware, where a large percentage of users are not themselves developers and therefore usability is a primary concern -- perhaps the primary concern. The combination of sophisticated social goal and need for usability means that the state of the law must be baked into blogware tools themselves – a daunting challenge for any development team.