I don’t know on which version the current Internet is said to be. Internet 4.0? Web 3.1? HTML something-or-other? (You may notice: I’m not a tech guy.)
But it’s changing. Streaming video and the fast development of cloud computing are revolutionizing the way we think about the “common space” beyond our computers.
Oh, and then there are all the “post-PC” devices — smart phones and tablets and the like — metamorphosing with Ovidian avidity.
Nevertheless, there’s one big element that outshines them all: government surveillance.
Shhh. This is just between me and you, but … this is not just between you and me. The NSA and other branches of our government insist on listening in.
In the past year, since Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks began hitting the news stream, we’ve learned more and more about how intrusive our government spies not only want to be, but can be; not only can be, but are.
So, to celebrate the first anniversary of the beginning of the Snowden Era, folks at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, in co-operation with good netizens everywhere, have proclaimed today, June 5, “Reset the Net” Day.
A day of protest? More a day of preparation. What can you do to make your Internet presence a bit more secure?
Well, according to the EFF activists, and according to Snowden himself, there are many things you can do. Encryption is one of them.
My advice? Don’t ask me about it. Consult the experts. Let’s think more carefully about life under the eyes of our overlords.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.