is camera surveillance good or bad? how far is too far?

[karyn]

if cameras are going to be in cabs in sin city las vegas, then where will video surveillance stop? i hate the idea of being on camera everywhere but i know i already am in a lot of places.

what is the right amount of big brother watching?

[BrightStar]

I think they should keep the cameras in places of the type that need them, such as malls, stores, and public places to make sure people dont get hurt, or similar stuff dealing with stores.

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[23*]

I heard there was an experiment done in dublin recently where a guy spent an hour or so walking from one side of town to another and afterwards they documented all the cameras that had caught him. I think almost all of his journey was caught on surveliance cameras (private and public).

My friends complain. But i really dont care.
I guess they only look at them if you fuck shit up and if you want to fuck shit up you should do it in your own backyard or drive out to the desert anyway...

[Kidthorazine]

in stores and banks to prevent theft and for peremiter survielance for government buildings and such thats as far as it should go.

[Evilbink]

If you have nothing to hide, than why worry about cameras? As far as the right to put up cameras, If a person/company/business, anyone feels that it's nessesary for their protection, than so be it. Wouldn't you, in the same position want the same ammount of protection for your business/family/friends. Living where I do, cameras are everywhere and important to everyone. It's not like we are talking about hidden cameras in bathrooms or inappropriate places. We are talking security, not just for them but for ourselves as well.

[Kidthorazine]

If you have nothing to hide, than why worry about cameras? As far as the right to put up cameras, If a person/company/business, anyone feels that it's nessesary for their protection, than so be it. Wouldn't you, in the same position want the same ammount of protection for your business/family/friends. Living where I do, cameras are everywhere and important to everyone. It's not like we are talking about hidden cameras in bathrooms or inappropriate places. We are talking security, not just for them but for ourselves as well.

the problem is if you have cameras evrywhere they can easilly be abused

[bre.star]

eww when i worked at baskin robbins i felt like i was on the panda cam all day... there were 8 cameras in the store, all of which were connected to the internet where the manager could watch from her home. when something was rung up on the register it showed up on her computer screen... i mean i had nothing to hide or what not, but i mean i HATE seeing myself on camera, i hate to think of someone watching me... when i was alone i still had to hold my pants so my buttcrack wouldn't show into the camera, i couldn't sing or dance along to the radio, and i couldnt pick my nose...lmao... okay maybe it was a good thing there were cameras....

[Evilbink]

the problem is if you have cameras evrywhere they can easilly be abused

ANYTHING used improperly can be a problem. Even the most innocent of devices can and are used against someone to harmful ends. Should we just start smashing all devices of recording. Even a pencil has a way of making someone regret an act or statement.

[Morning Glory]

basically cameras only deter crime as cameras IE: the idea that someone is watching you. if this is not a deterant, then they do very little to actually stop a crime from happening.

obviously crimes still occur, all the time, in front of a camera. it really doesn't offer much consolation to victims of crime to know that through the use of camera's they were able to catch the crook AFTER the crime was commited. I'm sure they would have prefered a system where they weren't victimised in teh first place.

but that's just a sympton of our society it likes to wash it's hands of the problem, throw people in prisons, and then pretend like the problem has gone away.

[Kidthorazine]

ANYTHING used improperly can be a problem. Even the most innocent of devices can and are used against someone to harmful ends. Should we just start smashing all devices of recording. Even a pencil has a way of making someone regret an act or statement.

true but things like security cameras just seem to be overly exploitable at least when you right something about someone they can deny it and having cameras everywere just creeps me and a lot of other people out and it sure as hell doesnt make me feel secure i just want to smash the damn things

[Morning Glory]

on an unrelated, but interesting note, In ancient Rome prison was not a punishment. prison cells were only used as a place to hold a criminal for a short period of time until they received their real punishment. an interesting idea.

[Evilbink]

Would you feel the same way if a security camera caught on tape the person who killed your father, or ***** your wife. Is it worth feeling a bit creepy for a modicum of safety. I'm not gonna say I think they should be EVERYWHERE but I do feel strongly they should be used for the purpose intended. Even at the cost of some mixed emotions regarding privacy.

[Kidthorazine]

Would you feel the same way if a security camera caught on tape the person who killed your father, or ***** your wife. Is it worth feeling a bit creepy for a modicum of safety. I'm not gonna say I think they should be EVERYWHERE but I do feel strongly they should be used for the purpose intended. Even at the cost of some mixed emotions regarding privacy.

ive only heard of a few cases where this happened since those things dont tend to happen in places with security cameras very often and quite frankly i wouldnt feel any different because i fucking hate by watched especially by someone i cant see thats like the worse feeling in the world

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

Just because you have something to hide does not mean you are doing something wrong. If you really stop and think about your day, there are a lot of things I would rather people not see.

But I think it goes beyond bat feelings and creepyness. There is a point where the proliferation of cameras is violating peoples rights. Lets say someone puts up a cmaera in front of a sex store. Just the fact that someone is watching is going to keep people from going there. Or on a different note, what about a pharmacy? I think that for every camera put up, someone needs t be held responsible fo what happens to the data. If the cab companies leak embarassing or damaging video, who catches hell for it?

[Kidthorazine]

Just because you have something to hide does not mean you are doing something wrong. If you really stop and think about your day, there are a lot of things I would rather people not see.

But I think it goes beyond bat feelings and creepyness. There is a point where the proliferation of cameras is violating peoples rights. Lets say someone puts up a cmaera in front of a sex store. Just the fact that someone is watching is going to keep people from going there. Or on a different note, what about a pharmacy? I think that for every camera put up, someone needs t be held responsible fo what happens to the data. If the cab companies leak embarassing or damaging video, who catches hell for it?

thats another excellent point

[Evilbink]

Just because you have something to hide does not mean you are doing something wrong. If you really stop and think about your day, there are a lot of things I would rather people not see.

But I think it goes beyond bat feelings and creepyness. There is a point where the proliferation of cameras is violating peoples rights. Lets say someone puts up a cmaera in front of a sex store. Just the fact that someone is watching is going to keep people from going there. Or on a different note, what about a pharmacy? I think that for every camera put up, someone needs t be held responsible fo what happens to the data. If the cab companies leak embarassing or damaging video, who catches hell for it?

Again.. the points you bring up are only valid of the MISSUSE of the security purposes of these devices. If someone is "leaking" things on tape, that is the exact missuse people should be concerned with. And yes, someone should be held accountable. As with any wrong doing, there needs to be accountability. But if the cameras are used propperly then no problem exists. Since at least in my area places like pharmacies and sex shops are targets for everything from robberies and hate crimes, they use cameras, not only for their customers protection but for their employees as well. I am sure that there are areas where these things are not as prevalent and my not need such measures, but i doubt many people in my area complain.

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

The problem is, any place there is use there is the potential for missuse. I was always taught to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. If you don't look for potential abuses you invite others to.

This doesn't mean security cameras should not be used, just that the consequesces need to be addressed because there will be missuse.

Then there is the reasonable expectation of privacy. It is easy to sell my privacy for your safety, but what is your privacy worth? Theoretically we could prevent murders by searching everyones homes weekly but the potential for abuse is too great to justify. Likewise, each new place a camera is installed utility should be weighed against the potential for abuse.

Also as often as not the cameras are there to protect property, not people but that is another rant. Let's look at these cameras for a minute. If I am at an ATM and someone stabs me, are the police called? Am I actually any safer? Will an ambulance be dispatched? How much privacy am I giving up for how much security?

Cameras can be useful and make people safer, but more cameras do not nessisarily increase safety. Think of the amount of security camera footage of violance we see that never results in arrests or convictions.