One difference between past and present societies is how we view persuasion and rhetoric. Our modern society is untrained in persuasive techniques. In contrast to earlier cultures that were schooled in the principles of rhetoric, our society knows little about the techniques of persuasion and understanding how they work. Modern media constantly assails us with information. "Everyday we are bombarded with one persuasive communication after another. These appeals persuade not through the give-and-take of argument and debate but through the manipulation of symbols and of our most basic human emotions. For better or worse, ours is an age of propaganda" (Pratkanis and Aronson 9).
prop·a·gan·da
[prop-uh-gan-duh]
əˈgæn–noun
1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
2. the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.
3. the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.
4. Roman Catholic Church .
a. a committee of cardinals, established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, having supervision over foreign missions and the training of priests for these missions.
b. a school (College of Propaganda) established by Pope Urban VIII for the education of priests for foreign missions.
5. Archaic . an organization or movement for the spreading of propaganda.
(follows is excerpt from over simplified plan from www.howtodothings.com)
- Before going underground, you have to do a few things in order to throw your opposition away from your trail. You have to destroy the "old" you and build a new you. Destroy all photographs you can get possession of. Some of your friends or relatives might be hesitant to give you their photographs but let them understand that the people chasing you might go after them, too, because of their connection to you. They will threaten your loved ones with physical or other forms of abuse if they refuse to hand over photographs. If it is not possible; destroy all the most recent pictures of yourself and leave the old ones. Of course you don't want your face plastered all over the state but if it is an artist's rendition or just an old photo, chances are high that people won't recognize you.
- Destroy or throw away all your credit cards and ATM cards. Government authorities can pinpoint your location within seconds if you use your magnetic cards. Before going underground, be sure to withdraw all your money from the bank and max out all your credit cards with the things you'll need or you can resell for cash. Do not bring your car with you. That will be the first thing that the opposition will look for. Leave your car in place where car thieves will be and let them strip your car clean to remove any trace of it. If you need transportation, there are a lot of places where you can simply give money and get a new car without any identification required. Just make sure you aren't buying a stolen car or the car itself doesn't violate any safety rules. The last thing you want as you are making your escape is to be pulled over for a simple safety violation.
Imagine you need to drop off the grid. today.
In August and September, Evan Ratliff, a writer for Wired issued a challenge. He would attempt to disappear, both online and offline, from his normal life. And readers were encouraged to find him, with financial reward promised. The project has now concluded and his story has been posted.
Many of us think about anonymity on the Internet.
Many of us think about anonymity on the Internet.
But have you ever thought about dropping off the online or even the Real World grid?
Changing identities entirely? Well, ok, so maybe black hat hackers do. :)
Or perhaps you've wanted to know how private investigators work.
Or maybe what would happen if a massively public manhunt for some notorious criminal may proceed. Maybe wonder how those FBI Most Wanted lists and television criminal profile specials could possibly be usefulf.
Or maybe you've wondered just what "average" people can dig up about someone. Some of the posts pulled out for the article are downright...creepy. How the heck did they get that information legally?
Maybe this is the future for government and private tracking/investigations or even espionage (although more than likely the present)? Sticking to what people know (interests, locations) but also leveraging the draw of our online social lives to reveal small, but dramatically important bits of information, even subterfuge in online interactions. Combining IP addresses with social network information with old-fashioned stakeouts and interviews; the trails we leaves in logs and lives touched.
The article is written pretty quickly and, well, it doesn't flow very well. But it touches on many amazing topics, from identity to social engineering to the lonliness (even desire to be caught!) and psychology of a mind on the run.
If there is any weakness in this whole adventure, it was that Ratliff didn't need to pick up a job or want for money...yet. I imagine new challenges appear once you run out of cash and need to make up some money quick, yet stay off the grid or futher legitimize an identity. Likewise, I'm sure the stakes change once real law enforcement starts tracking your existing assets and moving quicker and with more experience on tips and information. I'm sure some aspects of his run are easier for real efforts (ditching gf/family/boss, the silly challenges), and others less so (money, life).
Still, this is a great glimpse into a person on the run, and the grassroots efforts regular people can undertake to track someone of interest in our cyber-real lives.
Or maybe you've wondered just what "average" people can dig up about someone. Some of the posts pulled out for the article are downright...creepy. How the heck did they get that information legally?
Maybe this is the future for government and private tracking/investigations or even espionage (although more than likely the present)? Sticking to what people know (interests, locations) but also leveraging the draw of our online social lives to reveal small, but dramatically important bits of information, even subterfuge in online interactions. Combining IP addresses with social network information with old-fashioned stakeouts and interviews; the trails we leaves in logs and lives touched.
The article is written pretty quickly and, well, it doesn't flow very well. But it touches on many amazing topics, from identity to social engineering to the lonliness (even desire to be caught!) and psychology of a mind on the run.
If there is any weakness in this whole adventure, it was that Ratliff didn't need to pick up a job or want for money...yet. I imagine new challenges appear once you run out of cash and need to make up some money quick, yet stay off the grid or futher legitimize an identity. Likewise, I'm sure the stakes change once real law enforcement starts tracking your existing assets and moving quicker and with more experience on tips and information. I'm sure some aspects of his run are easier for real efforts (ditching gf/family/boss, the silly challenges), and others less so (money, life).
Still, this is a great glimpse into a person on the run, and the grassroots efforts regular people can undertake to track someone of interest in our cyber-real lives.
11.21.09 at 10:15 PM in /general ------> http://www.terminal123.com/
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