When did anything on the internet pretend to be private?

There's been a lot of noise about privacy on the internet.

Now just think about those words for a moment... "Privacy"..."Internet".

Now is it just me or are these things mutually exclusive? The whole point of the internet, as far as I can tell, is to get your 15 minutes of fame.

It IS about the opposite of privacy.

The only way to keep your information private on the internet is to NOT have the stuff you don't want public on the internet.
Full stop, game over! That is it.

I clipped this information and forgot to keep the source (sorry author - let me know if you spot this and I'll credit accordingly) but thought it worth inckluding here regardless.

"Want to see what Facebook is making public? Youropenbook.org takes content from Facebook that includes the phrase "don't tell anyone" or "cheated test" and publishes it for all to see. It's a statement that shows that what you think is private isn't really so. The website is a parody of Facebook and links to thousands of wallpost gaffes."

Please don't ever be surprised if something you said via any medium which transports over the internet (including emails) shows up in the public arena.

If you want secure point to point communications over the internet that is a little harder to achieve than just assuming no-one is reading your emails.

So when the Government starts fighting Google and Facebook over things about which it knows nothing, remember that loose lips sink ships. Your privacy is your responsibility and in your control. Think before you publish/send.

Oh, and by the way, Australian Government I am talking to you, the internet filter is a total and utter waste of time and money. Stop it now.

Politicians a) know nothing about technology and b) never listen to their advisers on technology when they bother to have them.