From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor" <rsladeat_private> BKTRASOC.RVW 980919 "The Transparent Society", David Brin, 1998, 0-201-32802-X, U$25.00/C$34.95 %A David Brin %C P.O. Box 520, 26 Prince Andrew Place, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 2T8 %D 1998 %G 0-201-32802-X %I Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. %O U$25.00/C$34.95 416-447-5101 fax: 416-443-0948 bkexpressat_private %P 378 p. %T "The Transparent Society" As the author points out, this book will probably be shelved alongside texts on privacy. It is, however, more properly about candour. I find, therefore, that I must make an admission of a rather important bias. Despite being considered by some to be a security expert, I have never had any particular interest in the practice of privacy and confidentiality. I am much more interested in openness. Part one looks at the new transparent world as access to all kinds of information increases. Chapter one points out that the time to discuss whether we want technology or privacy has passed: technology is here, and it *will* provide access to information, and erode privacy, whether we like it or not. Brin does suggest that we still have a choice about the management of that technology. Do we want to have all data available only to a select few (such as the government), or all data available to everyone? The "information age" is reviewed in chapter two, but there is also a very interesting examination of the possibility of the resurgence of amateur scholarship. Various current invasions of, and attacks on, privacy are discussed in chapter three. In response to these, and in opposition to the usual calls for more legislated protections on privacy, Brin proposes reciprocal transparency: everyone who wants to collect information on the public must make the same information about themselves publicly available. Chapter four raises an extremely interesting point in relation to copyright, patent, and other legal restrictions on intellectual property, and the fact that the information age seems to have so much trouble with it. Transparency initially seems to threaten to totally destroy the idea of copyright, but ultimately may present a unique solution to maintaining its proper function. Part two looks at those problems involved in an open society. Chapter five presents some of the arguments that should be reviewed, from the toxicity of ideas to the irony of western civilization's delight in individualism. The inherent benefits of accountability are reiterated in chapter six, although with less eloquence and insight than earlier text displayed. The encryption debate is a convoluted one, and is fairly, but rather unclearly, portrayed in chapter seven. The general tone of most of the book is libertarian, so the author does not seem to be completely comfortable with arguing against the merits of confidentiality of communications. It is, however, ironic that Brin does not report the later research of Dorothy Denning that indicates law enforcement agencies really do not need the ability to break encryption, since in an odd way it strengthens his central thesis. Part three proposes some means of achieving an open society. Chapter eight reviews a number of tools for transparency, but manages to look ragged and disorganized. Some future technological "tools races" are described with a bit more coherence in chapter nine. The various arguments in favour of openness are extended, in chapter ten, to the international arena. Chapter eleven closes off with a summation of the rest of the book. Since Brin is well known as a popularizer of science and as a science fiction writer, and since his scientific training is not in the field of information technology it would be easy to see this book as yet another attempt by someone to trade on a reputation and a currently popular field in order to make a few bucks with minimal effort and thought. Although his writing background has helped to produce a text that is easily readable, the work is informed by a thorough understanding of the issues and technologies, and also leavened with insight and wit. Unfortunately, most of the really good stuff comes in the first four chapters, leaving the rest of the volume somewhat anticlimactic. The book is both reasonable and provocative, and makes an interesting counterpoint to much of the current discussion of privacy and technology. Discussions of the important topics of privacy and encryption are both balanced and quite complete, providing those near to the fields with a useful primer. In addition, Brin's more controversial points are well taken, and deserve serious consideration. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1998 BKTRASOC.RVW 980919 --------------------------------------------- -o- Subscribe: mail majordomoat_private with "subscribe isn". Today's ISN Sponsor: Repent Security Incorporated [www.repsec.com]
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