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Spying Activities: Throughout the Western countries, the computer networks encode more and more information about our private lives, and the scientists increase their study of the human mind through drug and brain-wave research. Little by little, privacy is being destroyed because we tacitly accept the sophisticated spying made possible by electronic circuitry, microminiaturization, and drugs. If this trend continues, civil liberties will soon be replaced by formalistic rituals, and we shall have become socially tolerant of secret surveillance and spying.
Some of the innovations are obviously ominous—for example, new and possibly pervasive techniques for surveillance, monitoring, and control of individuals and organizations. (Even so, we can conceive of an overcrowded world in which such techniques would be essential. In any event, we can expect more or less successful countertech-niques to be devised.) Many of the innovations may have unexpected bad effects, or at least equivocal effects—a matter that will be expanded on a little later. For instance, worldwide use of high-altitude cameras for mapping and prospecting could turn out to be harmful in indirect ways—contaminating the upper atmosphere or increasing spying activities.
This time, I will begin with a definition: Publicity is a message about your activities prepared as editorial, rather than advertising, material, and published or broadcast without charge.
Apart from the public relations techniques I have described, you can get a lot of mileage by keeping the newspapers, radio, and TV stations in your area informed of your activities. However, before we get into the details, remember that these activities must have some interest to the people who will see or hear them, or the editors will throw away your material. |
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