Webcams and (Loss of) Privacy

In response to Vinny's post about webcams, I want to question the idea that webcams invade privacy. The site that Vinny posted was certainly interesting to view, but I found myself a little uneasy at the thought that many of these people don't know they're being filmed, let alone broadcast live across the net.

There's a webcam that I visit regularly at www.earthcam.com, it has many cams but I like the ones in Times Square and the cam at the Empire State Building. These cams are located in public places so to me they don't seem to invate the privacy of an individual. Also they are legitimately posted on the web at an official webcam site. The site Vinny mentions is slightly different, because these webcams are sought out by the website and many don't know they are online. I also think it is slightly different in the sense that it's not always large public spaces that are filmed, but also more intimate private settings like offices and lecture theatres. As these are more private settings, it seems a lot more voyueristic to be watching them. I feel like at any minute they will do something like pick their nose or scratch themselves because they don't think anyone's watching, and there's something quite odd about people watching this.

I believe that there truely are some things that aren't meant to be seen, there should always be an element of privacy within society, and it seems with all this new kind of technology that the idea of privacy is rapidly slipping away. I am sitting in the tut room in the HSB building right now and for all I know I could be being filmed and broadcast worldwide! I feel like there could be someone watching, and with this kind of privacy invasion this could really become a part of everyday life. Well, I'd better not pick my nose...