This post continues an arc on online privacy started in Online Privacy, Part 1. I'm going to be posting about the history of privacy, privacy in commerce, and what privacy means to the individual based on informatin in Chapter 7, "Experience Versus Expectation" of my next book, Reading Virtual Minds:Anonymity joined with privacy is relatively new in human history, having only been around since the advent of mass transportation. Prior to trains and boats and passenger planes, people never got very far from their village. If they did, they carried papers on them or some sign which clearly indicated their business and why they were about. The sign might have been a Cross, a leper's bell, a monk's robe, a king's banner or a robber's mask. All of these things and more were signs which clearly and quickly gave others the necessary information, "this is why I'm here." The cold war era movie question, "Your papers, please?" didn't happen because of the cold war and wasn't limited to communist countries. It was standard practice for people traveling in their own country -- including the USA -- up until the early 20th century. (to be continued...)
(text and images copyright Joseph Carrabis and NextStage Evolution 2006-2007)
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