imagine if this was impossible.
imagine there are no secrets, that lying is impossible. that even silence can't conceal.
imagine telepathy that is not just talking silently, as it is often portrayed, but actual, instant knowing of another's thoughts.
how do you think this would change human society, either if it happened suddenly, or if it had always been there?
now consider the internet, and the effect it has had on privacy, not just individual privacy, but also corporate and government privacy.
how do you think the internet has changed human society in the few years since it became, rather suddenly, available worldwide?
i believe we owe a huge debt, not only to the original developers of the net, but also to those who saw its potential and promoted its availability to the public.
the internet has made deception of people who want to know the facts/truth much more difficult. individual deception of ordinary people has probably been facilitated, but it is much much more difficult to hide something from everyone.
everywhere in the world, there are computers. communication of ideas and information between ordinary people is instantaneous. the number of people with access to the internet has exploded. all you have to do is look at livejournal. five and a half years ago, there were less than 10,000 livejournals. now there are millions of us, and we are just one of many such communities, spanning political, economic, and cultural boundaries. today, we take the internet for granted. ten years ago, most of us hadn't heard of it. six years ago, most people whom i told i was starting a website thought it was quaint, geeky, and a waste of time. today, every person, business, government agency, or any other group has one. six years. what can this technology do in 60?