TheShed

Good point Millhouse, although I don't think i was actually breaking any laws by helping (my daughters visiting friends' BF who I've never met) to clear the scene and avoid getting pictured in the Daily Mail.

I would like to see how our hosts or any other sovereign nation could arrest a third party national for doing something in another country that is legal in that location if there was no effect on the arresting nation?

I agree its not black and white and data reproduction and usage still has a very long way to go in terms of regulation and compliance. Its still a very new industry.

IKnowNothing

I won't rise to your jibes young man, you do realise you're in a hugely monitored country. Now if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear yes?

I know it's the fail, but this was also in The National, does this concern you? That your car number plate (and the monitors) know where you are, the speed you're travelling, all your local haunts, the mobile numbers in your vehicle (and the websites/emails you send) etc. etc.?

Now I personally don't want Big Brother knowing my every move (although if they "watched" me they'd get very bored, very quickly), I see that as a step too far, however, it'll happen, nothing will be done to stop it (you can't stop progress and this is progress yes?).

Just by using a phone the network knows where you are - even with a VPN, the handset will show your location when it's connected or trying to connect to, a mobile (voice) network. So what's the difference?

Incidentally, in 2002 or so me and my team introduced data gathering to Sainsbury's in the UK, we used the analogy of people who buy expensive pet food or more likely to buy pet insurance, hence you only target those people (from their Nectar Card data). It paid for itself within 2 months of going live - we sold it too cheaply LOL

With the CA witch hunt, would you seriously change your vote from a to b because of a few tweets or similar? I'd suggest you wouldn't, as previously mentioned the wrong side won.

scrubbedexpat141

It was only friendly and I sort of retracted it, but the fear and panic of the tin foil hat is evident enough to justify it.

Interesting on the pet insurance, very simple analogy. Fair play for aligning something so easily

IKnowNothing

No problem, hence why I don't use government apps and usually pay by cash - that way "they" don't know my business.

I also give out the wrong phone number when asked in "Danube" for example.

nonthaburi

Regarding smoking, what would bother me, is if it got to the point that people in general are so online, having so much data collected and information available about them, that when someone wasn't on fb etc, when applying for insurance, they were automatically charged more because they were seen as a risk, almost as if they had something to hide.

I see that as a possibility.

Generally speaking, if you don't join the masses in all off this stuff, you must be hiding something, whether it's your health, political views, or whatever.

littlejimmy

Haha. Just like to keep an eye on you all. But not for nefarious reasons. Missing the happy hours at the Barrel!

IKnowNothing

But not the £100 bill for a few beers and a burger.

scrubbedexpat141

That doesn't hide anything, just unwanted text messages. I'm up to 1,952 unread texts on my phone. The *****.

TheShed

Out of curiosity, why don't you just delete them?

scrubbedexpat141

Because it's trying to rake water uphill. Take yesterday for example, the maid company, Citibank, Pizza Hut and HSBC all texted me. On Saturday: Etisalat, 724Perfumes, GMS and AList all texted me. I've never heard of any of those last three.

Going into your phone 4 times a day and opening a text, closing it so it's marked as read or even just deleting it is harder than just ignoring them. That's all, just can't be bothered to continuously delete or read pointless messages.

IKnowNothing

So wouldn't it be better if you didn't get them in the first place?

Problem is here there's no data protection so unscrupulous people buy and sell contact lists.

I get a few messages every day from some Insurance company that says my documents are ready to collect and Mashreq offering me loads of "offers".

My number was previously owned by an insurance broker that banked with Mashreq. Is it worth contacting the companies and hoping they'll remove the number? Of course not.

scrubbedexpat141

Of course, but that's not really a privacy issue, it's just annoying texts. Giving out your number barely makes a difference given how easy it is to buy lists of numbers as you mention.

It's like anything - you don't have to read the texts, you don't have to answer your phone and you don't have to answer your front door if you don't want to. Gave a lecture to a guy selling water at the front door because he wouldn't stop ringing the doorbell (could hear the TV on). Eventually answered and asked him very nicely to go away. He asked why I wasn't answering the door and did I want a water cooler. I told him I was busy doing something and didn't want to be interrupted. He didn't get it at all of course but constantly letting things interrupt you and your day is something I find very frustrating.

IKnowNothing

Misanthropic Scamp.

jam25mack

I had HSBC ring me up the other day telling me I could now update my EID details online.... I asked if my details need updated and he said no. So I asked him WTF he was calling me to tell me such pointless bollocks.

scrubbedexpat141

Not really.
If a stranger comes up to you in the street and asks if you're interested in services you already have do you stop and waste time talking to them? You politely say no because you've got no choice but to respond because of convention and rules of politeness. When there's a door there or a ringing phone, it's far easier to avoid all that bullshit charade and just not answer it.

Exactly. Waste of your time, you end up confused and frustrated with them and have lost your train of thought or process that you were in. Pointless.