Book Review: DUST NET, The Future of Surveillance, Privacy, and Communication

DUST NET, The Future of Surveillance, Privacy, and Communication

by

David Dvorkin

The book is a short discussion about a scary future, as far as surveillance go. It begins with a review of the state of the art, where, governments and corporations had the advantage regarding both control of electronic channels of communication and surveillance of individuals. That’s about to change, the book says. The growing availability of cheap, tiny surveillance devices will usher in a revolution. Already we see it in the use of drones.

Moreover, The United States Air Force is developing drones that will mimic the appearance and behavior of insects, which would have microchips that could eventually make it possible for smart phones to take pictures through walls. Technology is in the making, where equipment can detect such changes, people can cause to wifi. Further, making an image of the body that caused the change is not a big deal. The book goes into further possibilities, like citizens using drones to catch politicians betraying public trust, and governments using the same to spy on each other.

As the book puts in the end, this is not an exciting world. It is, however, the world that is coming. We’d best prepare ourselves for it. We need to think of the ways we can benefit from free, worldwide communication in its future incarnation of the dust net world.

A well written book, and it made me think a lot.

Cryolifestyle?

Our lifestyle has resulted in a violent society. Or, human life is one of violence, except where we succeed in administering peace. Why? What needs to be done?

Randomness – The Essence of Stability

If all the oxygen molecules in a room happen to have their velocity directed to one corner, all those occupying other places in the room are likely to die of hypoxemia. But, it does not happen, thanks to the random nature of molecular movements.

Similarly, everything in this world is progressing like a clock work mechanism because of the random nature of whatever is the entity of relevance. But, all that we humans have been doing since time immemorial, effectively, is destroying randomness.

This perhaps is okay, as far as material things go, if we look from the human angle. Here, it results in the classification and control of various elements of matter and force, which exactly is what is behind the progress, human race is constantly making. And, as long as we are able to deal appropriately with all the undesirables, like waste and emissions, things can go on.

But, will this be okay, if we look other angles? Surely, when we are dealing with living things, the same practice leads to many questions. The undesirables, in this case, are part of the very same life, which may even be something essential. Moreover, a living being can have many facets, both desirable and undesirable to an onlooker, and which may appear at random. In which case, it shall be inappropriate or untimely to accord a label.

Additionally, overlooking this, we are going ahead with the practice of encouraging all to strive for the extremes, and strengthen it further by instituting awards and honors at every possible juncture.

A perpetually unstable or violent society is the result.

I therefore think, we need to make a fundamental change to our priorities. From putting greater emphasis on excellence in whatever may be the chosen entity, importance can be accorded to the presence of a wide variety of attributes, including the one that is currently of interest.

Here, this lifestyle is a good fit.