Response: George Orwell, Meet Mark Zuckerberg

Haha, these responses got shorter as the semester went on. From a solid two pages down to one. Still this was just English 1C, so my bigger problem was typos…

Lori Andrews’ exploration of the illusion of online privacy occupies a rhetorical space similar to earlier readings on campus rape or racism. All make an emotional appeal through the presentation of rational facts. Whereas those more visceral subjects struck against a chord of general moral outrage, Orwell succeeds by introducing a very personal level of creepiness; this is already happening to you. The author’s generally light tone is a moderating balm for the dry negativity of the material, and her choice of supporting references backs up her argument well. The lists of search terms illustrate the manner and effectiveness of the author’s approach. Elements of pure fact, but facts whose presentation serve to give the reader chills. And the ease with which those facts can be misconstrued forces the reader to wonder what first impressions they’ve already made.

There is on the other hand a fascinating dynamic in terms of the reception to calls for online alarm. Even allowing for the selection biases of the readership, the very mechanisms Andrews argues against help to ensure that her warnings will reach an attentive audience. These concerns of hers are neither new nor novel; the attention paid to NSA contractor Edward Snowden set aside the veil of ignorance of the subject in the national news. The internet users of the world most attuned to privacy or technology or personal icky-ness can all be reasonably expected to know by now that there’s a lot going on where the cables eventually connect. Yet the behaviors don’t change, the author’s own by her admission as she detailed the daily compromises she makes to her own security. Net neutrality rules shift along political fault lines, but they only serve to moderate consequence. This creates another unfortunate parallel to the texts on racism and campus rape- that even when the lightswitch has been turned and people have been informed and are aware, very little seems to actually change.