From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor" <rslade@sprint.ca>
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 bkexpress@aw.com
%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
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Received on Sat Nov 7 13:20:52 1998