i am addicted to facebook... anyone else hoooked????

I also confess.

I have only recently joined as there was such a buzz about it going round my department! Not obsessed, yet.

A good advice from me: stay far away from this and similar online networks if you want to protect your identity.

Don't be surprised if the network is sold in a couple of years and all the data will be used by unethical companies to spy on people. I know that majority of UK citizen appear to like being subject to totalitarian control by the government, CCTV and have waved goodbye to any human rights ("if you don't have anything to hide, did not committ a crime, BLA BLA BLA"), but my advice is to stay away from this stuff.

Then Otto what are you addicted to? Tv? Porn? Going out?

good question!

Actually, despite the reasons I mentioned above, I have to admit that I've been addicted to a similar social online network about two years ago. Currently (i.e. the last two weeks) I am just addicted to this forum and to writing useless comments from time to time..

'I know that majority of UK citizen appear to like being subject to totalitarian control by the government'.

Bit of a sweeping statement that Otto. Where can I review the research you undertook to back this up?

Otto, I've noticed you're always trying to save us from ourselves... is it a secret mission?

"Bit of a sweeping statement that Otto. Where can I review the research you undertook to back this up?"

Sweeping yet true. The UK is sliding in a "Big Brother" nation.
1.No other country in Europe has so much CCTV surveillance (although studies show that cameras do not reduce crime).
2. No other European government does so little to protect privacy and data.
3. No other country thinks about establishment of a "super"database, which includes your consumer behaviour, your health history, your offences (yes, offences, not crimes) and a lot of other private information.
4today.

. No other country is thinking about issueing of hundreds of thousands of "permits" to get access to this database, for employees in the public and private sector.

Sorry, but the most shocking fact is the patience with which UK citizen accept all this and more. Stupidly, people say: "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to be afraid of". This only shows a lack of inability to understand the impact of these changes for society. And a lack of historical knowledge. And by the way, the Nazis were thinking about very similar control mechanisms about 60 years ago but did not have the technological possibilities of

Hehe

Yes but getting you back to the point HOW do you know that the 'majority of UK citizen appear to like being subject to totalitarian control by the government'?

Let's say I know that from substantial arguments with my British girlfriend who does not share/accept my view on this issue and wants even more control by the state, welcomes the employment of customer cards by TESCO and other dubious institutions. Also, that's my impression from conversations with other UK citizen, maybe I'm wrong but I cannot see any resistance to these and similar measures in the British public.

Hmmm..so what you are saying that based on your arguments with your nearest and dearest and a few conversations with friends [more than ten?] you are happy to generalise that 'majority of UK citizen appear to like being subject to totalitarian control by the government'?

Trusting you can see which garden path I'm leading you down here.

I may be naive here, but can't quite see how we get from tesco loyalty cards, which occaisionally throw me a good deal, say cheaper prized baked beans, to big brother and a totalitarian state. So Tesco know I like Impulse deoderant, its not exactly taking us in the direction of 'thought crimes' is it?