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Vint Cerf: Media Tagging Can Be Disconcerting

coondoggie writes "Cerf says he profoundly feels the advent of cameras everywhere and the ability to post video and photos online can be hugely disconcerting. He recounts how he stepped once off a helicopter for a meeting in Brazil and minutes later was informed a video of himself doing that had been posted to YouTube, something he found to be a discomforting experience. He says getting constant notes about being 'tagged' in online photos from social networking sites such as Facebook still remains a bit of a jolt."

4 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. He doesn't like being a celebrity? by LoudMusic · · Score: 1, Insightful

    "He recounts how he stepped once off a helicopter for a meeting in Brazil and minutes later was informed a video of himself doing that had been posted to YouTube, something he found to be a discomforting experience."

    So he doesn't like being a celebrity. This isn't exactly new to the human experience. The rate at which the information travels is somewhat new, but Vint is one of the men responsible for that condition, and he did it intentionally.

    I have no sympathy for this concern.

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    No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
  2. Re:Celebrities uncomfortable with their celebrity by hedwards · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because at this point it's a moot point. Once the public knows who you are, there's no guarantee that you'll ever be able to arrange for yourself to be forgotten. It kind of reminds me of what I've heard about Greta Garbo, she did her last work in 1948 and spent the next 40 years or so being out of the spotlight. In the modern era, she'd be completely unable to maintain that as every time somebody did sight her there would be a tagged image on the net.

    What personally concerns me is that it's not just celebrities that end up online like that, an increasing number of people are posted and tagged by friends and complete strangers without any control. Just look at the people of walmart site.

  3. It is not... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It is not when technology correctly tags you that is scary.

    It is when technology incorrectly tags you that it is scary.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  4. At least he knew about it... by stillnotelf · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't much care to be tagged on Facebook, etc, but from TFS:

    He says getting constant notes about being 'tagged' in online photos

    At least he knows he's getting tagged - the tags you don't know about are a lot worse. The ones you know about you can delete or plan for. The privacy invasion you are unaware of is worse than the one you know about.