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How to Convince Non-IT Friends that Privacy Matters?
mmtux writes:
"As technology becomes more advanced, I am increasingly worried about privacy in all aspects of my life. Unfortunately, whenever I attempt to discuss the matter with my friends, they show little understanding and write me off as a hyper-neurotic IT student. They say they simply don't care that the data they share on social networks may be accessible by others, that some laws passed by governments today might be privacy-infringing and dangerous, or that they shouldn't use on-line banking without a virus scanner and a firewall. Have you ever attempted to discuss data security and privacy concerns with a friend who isn't tech-savvy? How do you convince the average modern user that they should think about their privacy and the privacy of others when turning on their computer?"
You may be conflating too many issues. There's a huge difference between warning people about info-stealing malware and saying "zomg ur real name is online!" Remember that most people still have the attitude that they have nothing to hide and so nothing to fear.
I say focus on the most critical issues, like not clicking stupid links, using IE, or falling prey to phishers. Nobody wants his bank account emptied.
Don't be helpful, be available.
If your friends want your expertise they will come to you and ask. If you offer it unasked-for, they will probably never ask and will go to someone else.
Probably better to talk to them about your other mutual interests. That way you get to keep your friends...
You ask a good question...
No one really wants to be 'that guy' in the circle of friends. You know, the one that's always soapboxing about some sort of social injustice, evil corporations, or whatever. However, that's more or less what you need to do, because people MUST understand what is at stake when our rights to privacy are taken away.
Now, you can help your friends understand how their privacy is seriously at risk without being an asshole. It just takes time, and perseverance. I have alot of friends who have very uninformed political opinions. It's rude to just lecture them every time the subject comes up, but there's nothing wrong with speaking the truth to your friends in a palatable, positive way.
The more you mention issues of privacy, and the more well-informed YOU are about the issue, the more it will create top of mind awareness for them. In time, they will see your point. They will encounter a loss of privacy in their own lives, and because you were such a well informed friend, they will have the ability to make the mental connection. You really are doing them a favor.
Thank you Dave Raggett
Talk to a dentist. You'll hear a whole lot about how important it is to floss your teeth for 15 minutes a day. A fitness nut will tell you how you need to exercise an hour and a half a day. The house painter told me I should wash the house once every 3 months to preserve the paint. A mechanic friend told me to check my car's oil every week. etc etc.
Most people just don't have the time/energy to do everything they're told so they ignore most advise.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
Once, we had a society where everything was known to everybody. That society was called the small town, and the result was oppression by groupthink as a measure of excellence, wielded against those who deviated from the norm, and where gossip and slander were social weapons of choice. Is that any better? Perhaps compared to a heavily rigged oligarchy, but that's not saying much.
Better is this: keep public decisions and the processes leading to the decisions public (except when doing so would break privacy), and then keep the rest private, except by choice of the participants.
The problem with complete public disclosure is not that your actions might be damning so much that it is that it can be cleverly twisted into something of the sort, and that these distortions very easily attain a life of their own.