1 Most of us perceive of technology as being a positive part of our lives.
We enjoy the many programs that cable, satellite and web-based television
provide. We like our smart cars that can provide us with maps and instructions
with just a simple touch of a button on our dashboards. Also many of us enjoy
shopping on the Internet. With a quick visit to a website and a click of the mouse,
we can purchase many goods from clothing to books to musical instruments, all
without leaving our homes. There are some, however, who think that many of
these technological advances are dangerous because we lose part of our privacy
when we use them.
2 How, exactly, could buying a book from an Internet website take away our
individual privacy? When customers order books from a particular website, that
website may create a record of what has been ordered as well as a profile of who
has placed the order. This record may be used in many ways. It could be shared
with marketing companies who then use that information to create demographic
profiles biographies of their customers and match these profiles to particular
products. The information could also be used by the Internet merchant to create a
home page that is directly related to each client. Amazon.com, for example, does
something similar to this. If you make a purchase from this company and sign in
as a customer, the next time you log in, you will see a home page that welcomes
you by name and then makes suggestions for future purchases based on previous
purchases. Some customers enjoy this and look forward to seeing what new
suggestions Amazon.com has made for them. However, others may be
concerned that some of their anonymity has been lost and may feel uncomfortable
that this company is keeping track of their choices of the kinds of books they
order.
3 Another type of technology that may affect our privacy is the use of
Global Positioning Systems (GPS). GPS technology can identify the location of
an individual or car in which it is installed through the use of satellites. An
example of this technology would be the use of a GPS service on smart phones.
This technology can be very helpful to everybody. It can provide directions to a
specific destination based on the current location of the car, and it can smart
phone can tell you where you can find the nearest coffee shop. However, use of
this technology also means that a person's exact location can be found and
monitored at any time. This has made some people very concerned, and they may
consider the use of GPS a violation of individual privacy.
4 Finally, the use of services such as TiVo also worries those who are
concerned with technology and privacy. For avid television watchers, a
subscription to TiVo and its services provides the perfect way to record television
shows and easily skip through annoying commercials. Additionally, TiVo
technology allows viewers to record shows by subject area. For example, viewers
can record all shows related to ancient Egypt. Viewers can also record shows by
title such as recording episodes of The Simpsons. This technology, then,
allows viewers to create their own programming, based on their individual
likes and dislikes. However, this opportunity has a cost; TiVo also records and
keeps track of individual viewing preferences. In a sense, subscribers to TiVo
are assisting in the creation of a larger marketing data base without knowing they
are doing this. All in all, technologies such as TiVo raise a bigger, more
important question: How much privacy are we willing to give up for the
benefits of using modern technology?
Why do many television viewers like TiVo?
a. They don't have to pay a lot of money for this technology.
b. They can easily record their favorite shows and skip commercials.
c. They no longer want to use their outdated VCRs.
Question 2
1 Most of us perceive of technology as being a positive part of our lives.
We enjoy the many programs that cable, satellite and web-based television
provide. We like our smart cars that can provide us with maps and instructions
with just a simple touch of a button on our dashboards. Also many of us enjoy
shopping on the Internet. With a quick visit to a website and a click of the mouse,
we can purchase many goods from clothing to books to musical instruments, all
without leaving our homes. There are some, however, who think that many of
these technological advances are dangerous because we lose part of our privacy
when we use them.
2 How, exactly, could buying a book from an Internet website take away our
individual privacy? When customers order books from a particular website, that
website may create a record of what has been ordered as well as a profile of who
has placed the order. This record may be used in many ways. It could be shared
with marketing companies who then use that information to create demographic
profiles biographies of their customers and match these profiles to particular
products. The information could also be used by the Internet merchant to create a
home page that is directly related to each client. Amazon.com, for example, does
something similar to this. If you make a purchase from this company and sign in
as a customer, the next time you log in, you will see a home page that welcomes
you by name and then makes suggestions for future purchases based on previous
purchases. Some customers enjoy this and look forward to seeing what new
suggestions Amazon.com has made for them. However, others may be
concerned that some of their anonymity has been lost and may feel uncomfortable
that this company is keeping track of their choices of the kinds of books they
order.
3 Another type of technology that may affect our privacy is the use of
Global Positioning Systems (GPS). GPS technology can identify the location of
an individual or car in which it is installed through the use of satellites. An
example of this technology would be the use of a GPS service on smart phones.
This technology can be very helpful to everybody. It can provide directions to a
specific destination based on the current location of the car, and it can smart
phone can tell you where you can find the nearest coffee shop. However, use of
this technology also means that a person's exact location can be found and
monitored at any time. This has made some people very concerned, and they may
consider the use of GPS a violation of individual privacy.
4 Finally, the use of services such as TiVo also worries those who are
concerned with technology and privacy. For avid television watchers, a
subscription to TiVo and its services provides the perfect way to record television
shows and easily skip through annoying commercials. Additionally, TiVo
technology allows viewers to record shows by subject area. For example, viewers
can record all shows related to ancient Egypt. Viewers can also record shows by
title such as recording episodes of The Simpsons. This technology, then,
allows viewers to create their own programming, based on their individual
likes and dislikes. However, this opportunity has a cost; TiVo also records and
keeps track of individual viewing preferences. In a sense, subscribers to TiVo
are assisting in the creation of a larger marketing data base without knowing they
are doing this. All in all, technologies such as TiVo raise a bigger, more
important question: How much privacy are we willing to give up for the
benefits of using modern technology?
How might the use of GPS technology affect individual privacy?
a. Someone's car could break down.
b. Someone could need emergency services.
c. Someone's location can be instantly known.