Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Always-On Cameras

[Michael <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

>What does it mean to "never miss a moment?"  Has anyone (other than
>Michael!) really been saying that?  In this case, never missing a moment
>means never failing to video tape a moment.  I don't think I'll ever want
>to live that way.  I want have a life.  I don't want to sit around
>watching the replays.  Occasionally, I'll wish I'd had my camera on, but I
>can live without that.
>  
>
Possible good reasons for such a concept can range from those mentioned 
in the article (catching your childs first steps, etc) to things such as 
data collection and security. Think of Snow Crash. If you could record 
everything all the time then you could scan back through that video 
later for bits you might be able to mine for useful data (and therefore 
sell). Everything from monitoring how many people in front of you at the 
soda machine buy Coke or Pepsi to snapshots of teenage fashion in the 
wild. And  from a security point of view it'd be useful to always be 
recorded. You could prove if you were assulted or that you had not 
commited a crime. I'm not sure I agree with the articles mention of 
keeping only the clips and snapshots the computer marks as good but it 
would be great if the computer could index what it recorded. Noting 
quality of shots, location, time of day, possibly even picking out 
objects in the scene and labeling them in some useful manner. Then let 
the user go through and delete anything they didn't want to keep.

I think this is a technology for younger people (not saying you're old). 
For people that haven't grown up knowing everything you did was recorded 
I think few will like this. For those who have grown up that way I think 
they'll like to control some of that recording power themselves. I 
expect to eventually see every kid on the street recording everything 
they do just as now we're starting to see every kid with a cellphone.

This brings some interesting legal issues. The first that comes to mind 
is that I expect to see a flood of underage porn on the Net.. made by 
the kids themselves. With easier to use, transparent recording and 
broadband I'd not be surprised to see teens (especially boys.. but not 
only boys) trading clips of them or their friends in action. Locker room 
stories will be able to be seen and heard. Think American Pie. Not just 
porn either. Everything from racing cars to gang fights will also be 
popular recordings. The REAL reality shows. I also expect to see some 
clever people learn to disguise cams and begin leaving them everywhere 
as the prices go down. Just about any place you go, even at home, it'll 
be likely that somebody is recording you.

I think that this kind of omnipresent recording is good. People will 
freak as they first start realizing they are being recorded but they'll 
still want to participate. I think it'll kick us hard and force us to be 
more honest. Why bother telling lies if you know that you were probably 
recorded by several people.. including the person you're lying to. Why 
be shy if you know that you're naked ass has been playing on various 
webcams online for every day of your life? Such behaviors just become 
much less useful under such a society.
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