Reconciling Information Privacy and Liberty?

thetan asks: "F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote that 'The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.' However, for many outsiders, it's hard to understand how cliques reconcile seemingly contrarian views. For example, many US Republicans are against abortion but in favour of the death penalty (no doubt they have their reasons). Amongst the Slashdot commentariat, one often hears that information wants to be free, almost as a catchcry of the open source, copyfight and related info-libertarian movements. OTOH, these same Slashdot readers stridently guard their privacy, so presumably information about their shopping preferences or websurfing does not 'want to be free'. How does the intelligent and functional Slashdot crowd reconcile the liberty of other people's information with the privacy of their own?"

Comments

Great Caesar's Ghost!

[Anonymous Coward]

As seen in Wikipedia:Slashdot, circa 2010:

The fateful event took place on August 4th, 2005, when veteran Slashdot editor "Cliff" unknowingly set off the greatest flamewar of all time.

A discussion of Abortion, the Death Penalty, freedom of information, privacy rights, Republicans/Democrats, the sitting president, and an earlier article on Evolution and Intelligent Design proved too much for the website. Comments surged into the thousands within minutes, Slashdot's webserver farm burst into flames, and the resulting conflagration took out 23% of the global Internet (source: Netcraft) before WWW Firefighters could put it out. Hundreds of brave posters and cowardly AC's alike were consumed in the initial blast.

--picture insert: CowboyNeal rushing back into the burning building to save the polls--

You will be missed, Slashdot. Truly, you were an American icon.

Abortions for some, tiny American flags for others

[Pfhorrest]

Kang & Kodos: "Abortions for everybody!"

Crowd: "Boo!"

Kang & Kodos: "Er, abortions for nobody!"

Crowd: "Booo!"

Kang & Kodos: "Uh, abortions for some... tiny American flags for others!"

Crowd: "Yaaaaaay!"