Blown to bits response Questions by Patrick McBrien

Chapter 1

1- A bit is a single 0 or 1 in binary, the language that makes up all of technology. What it means to say that “it’s all just bits” is that everything we do technology wise is recorded in bits. Some things stored in bits today are your bank account, your texts, emails, social media, even the code we are using for our create task.

2- Every few years the amount of electronics and hardware put into a computer would double, making it twice as powerful as before.

3- All technology has a good side and a dark side, because it is the user who tips the scale in one direction. Nuclear reactors and such can be used to create energy/electricity, or nuclear warheads if one such desires. The same security that makes your emails encrypted and private is also responsible for keeping terrorist attack plans secret and hidden.

4- The statement is saying that we are all exposed in this place without privacy, but sometimes it feels like a good thing. I do not feel this way, as I like my privacy, and would much rather not have anything of mine put on the web. Something that might steal my sunshine is using my information to frame me, hurt me or anyone close to me, or the NSA just letting themselves into my life.

Chapter 2

1- A RFID tag is a Radio Frequency Identification tag, used for sorting objects into specific categories like a barcode, only mush more specific.

2- EDR is short for Event Data Recorder, used to store any and all information gathered from a source.

3- It is possible to narrow down the search significantly knowing just a person's gender, zip code and birth date. Up to about %87 of Americans can be identified this way. However, a little more information would be needed, such as a last name, a first name, or even a sketch of what they look like to find the exact person. Unless they are identical twins living in the same city, that should reveal the person in question.

4- Big Brotherism is America in it's whole watching you, little brotherism is everyone near you watching you.

5- I don't mind Big Brother watching me, so long as they are actually trying to solve a crime. Having security cameras everywhere is a good idea, but only if they are being used to retrace a certain person's steps or solve a crime.

6- Am I worried about my privacy? Well, I suppose so, yes. The NSA (National Security Association) and the AST (Advanced Systems Technology) are using act 702 of FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) to look at what all Americans are doing at any given time, pretending they are searching for terrorists. As told by Edward Snowden in 2013, they are spying on us, not just any specific people, but us.

They look at everything, ranging from your Facebook, texts, emails, Snapchat, Instagram, whatever. They at your contacts, your contacts contacts, and so on and so forth. From anyone with about 40 contacts, 3 hops like that show you around 12 million people, most of which are just normal, everyday people. I could go on about this for a while, but I guess I shouldn't. Ask me if you want to know more though.

]]>