What they want is things to be easy and require a low to non existent cognitive load. You start confusing them with details of what could happen etc and all the gyrations they have to do to avoid it, they tune out and look at you like a tinfoil hat crazy (are you sure they aren’t right?)
As the techno elite, it’s actually our job to create the underlying reality everyone else participates in when using technology. So, it is our responsibility to care, if you care. It’s not theirs - they’re just here for the party. But that doesn’t mean they’re sheep for slaughter, because there are plenty of folks ready to slaughter them for money.
It’s our ability to understand the issues and to actually improve them that uniquely makes it important for us to care. But we can’t expect people to turn off the cat video for long enough to listen to us nerd at them, and we really can’t expect them to do something complex to avoid something they don’t understand or care about. What our challenge is is - how do we improve internet technologies sufficiently that everyone enjoys what we know is important but we don’t require them to care? That’s how you build a better emergent reality.
I’m glad to have had a hand in the Netscape and Mozilla’s launch and have watched Firefox for years with pride. They are the closest to a mainstream any man product that even remotely cares. WebKit safari is a close second. I hope we all find ways to develop the tech platforms that protect as well.
Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Do I really need to justify myself here on HN of all places? On a thread about the fingerprinting implements of the surveillance capitalism industry?
> that doesn’t mean they’re sheep for slaughter
Welp. If they don't want to be slaughtered like sheep, they better start caring then. I'm done with that.
At this point what I really care about is strengthening my own privacy by having more users in the anonymity set. The more indistinguishable users there are, the more effectively we are protected. I figure that if they're apathetic enough to allow corporations to exploit them with absolute impunity, they're also apathetic enough to join the anonymity set. Browsers just need to make that choice for them. It needs to be the new default.
> we can’t expect people to turn off the cat video for long enough to listen to us
I can and I do. What we're saying about this matter is important. People should listen, join the discussion even. When we reach out to people about matters we consider important, we do it with the best of intentions. We expect they'll at least put some thought into it. If not that, we expect they'll at least treat us with some respect, not like some schizophrenic off his meds. Can't expect anyone to continue caring after multiple instances of that.
> What our challenge is is - how do we improve internet technologies sufficiently that everyone enjoys what we know is important but we don’t require them to care?
Someone's gonna need to have the balls to make the choice for them. I don't have the resources to just make a better browser though. I do what I can by installing uBlock Origin on every single browser I come across. Everyone loves it and tells me that the web "feels" much better, though they can't quite explain why.
As the techno elite, it’s actually our job to create the underlying reality everyone else participates in when using technology. So, it is our responsibility to care, if you care. It’s not theirs - they’re just here for the party. But that doesn’t mean they’re sheep for slaughter, because there are plenty of folks ready to slaughter them for money.
It’s our ability to understand the issues and to actually improve them that uniquely makes it important for us to care. But we can’t expect people to turn off the cat video for long enough to listen to us nerd at them, and we really can’t expect them to do something complex to avoid something they don’t understand or care about. What our challenge is is - how do we improve internet technologies sufficiently that everyone enjoys what we know is important but we don’t require them to care? That’s how you build a better emergent reality.
I’m glad to have had a hand in the Netscape and Mozilla’s launch and have watched Firefox for years with pride. They are the closest to a mainstream any man product that even remotely cares. WebKit safari is a close second. I hope we all find ways to develop the tech platforms that protect as well.