on binoculars and privacy
This summer I went on a few sailing races, in the hopes of learning from the more experienced sailors. In the race, you have to navigate a sailboat along a path marked by buoys. However, the buoys are quite far apart and we could barely make them out. In each race, I swore I would get some binoculars for next time.
Finally, I did buy some binoculars! Alas, it was towards the end of summer and I didn't end up using them on any races.
the black spot in the lake
On the day that they arrived, I was looking out of my window and spotted a black spot moving along the lake. What could it be? I looked through the binoculars and it was a submarine!! I have seen that submarine a few times since. I am not sure what it is doing in a lake, but it undeniably moves back and forth every few weeks.
As I peered through the lenses and saw clearly the details of the submarine, I really felt the power of the binoculars in revealing the otherwise unseen.
I pondered upon this submarine. Was it some kind of military expedition? Or perhaps, someone's joy ride? Could it be used for construction? I wondered if they expected people to look through binoculars at them, or if I was violating some unstated privacy expectations.
the worlds that I shouldn't see
Anyway, that's how I feel about binoculars. They feel so powerful that I feel as I am doing something wrong, as if I am peering into a world that I shouldn't be seeing. When I am walking or sailing around, are there people looking at me through binoculars? It's a little weird, isn't it?
To me it's strange because I feel there should be a difference in how we treat individual people and collectives like companies or governments. Whereas I believe people should have privacy, collectives should be transparent. Yet.. collectives are formed from individuals aren't they? And how do you know what you're looking at?
When I enter a website, am I being stared at through binoculars? What if I pointed my binoculars at the website owners? I think it's weird I'd get into more trouble pointing my binoculars at the owners than they do pointing them at me.
Oh well, such is the structure of our society isn't it?