Sunday, March 04, 2007

WHO'S WATCHING YOU? EVERYONE!

Just finished reading an interesting and somewhat personally disturbing piece about the occurrence of making a guest appearance on the WWW courtesy of someone, a virtual stranger in the true sense of the word. I'm referring to the current and wide-spread use of cell phone cameras that are so popular and prevalent these days, wherever one goes. It's more than a little unnerving bordering on creepy contemplating whether we're being monitored by someone holding a cell phone.

We're talking here about - for example - scratching "body parts", cleaning one's nostrils or attempting to extricate food from teeth using finger nails. Normal, everyday actions that are done in the hope that nobody is watching or at least taping our actions. However...somebody, somewhere could be making you a star - without you even knowing!

It's only natural that sites are emerging on the Web devoted to exposing people who commit "crimes" and "misemeanors", which could go unnoticed. Sites like www.isawyournanny.blogspot.com where citizens post descriptions of caregivers abusing or neglecting their charges. Included in the exposés are places and opportunities to skewer ex-lovers at www.dontdatehimgirl.com. Even local governments are getting involved using the Web to expose deadbeat dads in Ontario, www.goodparentspay.com that provides photos, names and descriptions.

This brings up an interesting legal and moral issue regarding the right to privacy and whether there should be legal repercussions for people who post photos strangers on the Web for all to see.

Meanwhile, here are some sites that do just that:

www.hollabacknyc.blogspot.com
http://www.don/www.isawyournanny.blogspot.com
http://www.litterbutt.com/http://www.platewire.com/, http://www.aboveaveragedriver.com/www.baddriving.com
www.mybikelane.com
http://www.caughtya.org/www.youparklikeanasshole.com
www.rudepeople.com

What do YOU think? Should there be legal repercussions for people who post photos of strangers on the Web without their permission or knowledge?


Writers & Friends
www.jrslater.com/forum

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

FWIW, Caughtya.org does not display photos of individuals, only of illegally parked vehicles. We went to great length ensuring that our site did not infringe on privacy laws. The short of it is: there is no expectation of privacy for a vehicle parked in a location freely accessible by the public.

I think it is important to make the distinction between innocuous acts such as scratching one's nose, and illegal activities, such as parking in a disability parking space without owning and displaying a disability parking placard.

BTW, you mangled the link to caughtya.org with the one "youparklikeanasshole". Those two sites are most definitely not related.

Anonymous said...

Doh!