is any computer anonymous?

I was told by a computer literatii (as opposed to me) that all computers have identifiers in them, I am unclear as to what they are; that can identify them as this or that machine. Ie, someone knowledgeable can find out what machine, make, model, so on I am using. Is this true? He said the factory builds in identifiers. Also, if I have someone custom make a computer, will it still have identifiers? Is this some law? Why can't we have privacy in our communications? To me this seems like mind control. I am an older person who has never broken any laws, but I am a bear for privacy for many reasons.
Sheena

 

I remember there being a controversy about printers having unique identifiers in them. Every page they printed had a virtually invisible code number written on the page. So a government agency could actually trace any page back to the person that owned the printer through warranty or credit card information. Useful for ransom notes or threats but how many of those are there in reality?

My point being that if something like that was around several years ago, I'm sure now they have all kinds of information about hardware available. The thing is the amount of information would be so vast that you would have to be zeroed in on for anyone to actually bother looking at your information.

I haven't heard much about it recently which probably means things are going along very smoothly in the data mining business. (insert paranoid smiley)

Remember the minute you do anything involving wireless it's floating through the air for anyone with the right kind of equipment to intercept. Far as I know no law broken listening in to any cell phone call if you have a receiver that will pick it up. I'd be interested if anyone knows to the contrary.

 

Plus, whenever you go online your IP address is public, at least to the sites you visit like here as there's no way around it unless you proxie and then that can introduce it's own issues.

The admins here have access to your IP if needed but will not divulge it as in most sites. They can also tell which browser you use. I personally don't worry about it when I have all my protection up and running and updated.

 

Thanks for the input Auggiedog and sach2. I keep dial-up service because with that my ip is constantly changing. Plus, I get to cook whole meals while a page is loading!
I hear alot about this equipment folks can get to eavesdrop, or find out what computer you have, but to date, have never been able to find out what that equipment is or where to buy it. Anyone know?
Do factories build identifiers into our computers so that others, or even only the government, can know what individual computers we are using???
Sheena, a bear for privacy

 

Buahahaha@meals! Sorry, I was on dialup too so I know what you mean. Your anonymity is basically guaranteed by the sheer numbers of users. One would really have to stick their heads way above the rest to get noticed by the MiB etc.

I can't tell you if MS or the Linux or Mac folks have back doors, though I guess they could but it could also have been found out by security experts by now and that would have really peeved a lot of folks off! There's been talk of this over the years but I don't believe it.

Besides, the governments have their own machines in back rooms of major ISP's looking for key phrases, anonymity is a myth. Just like when you use credit card or phone, maybe the content isn't recorded but the numbers are kept on file for billing purposes.

 

Your dial up service provider in also visible and your rough location can also be calculated,EVERYTHING you send or receive electronically' EDIT as auggie said ' is also eavesdropped on by various countries and government agencies.

There's no benefit to gaining your computer specs unless your selling computers or parts but then asking for sales records is much easier.

Have any articles?I would imagine each printer can be identified much like in ballistic forensics but I don't think there's a hidden code.

 

I believe laser colour printers have that tech just because they can print a pretty good dollar bill. I think the world should go the way of the Aussies now and print their money on plastic as that is very expensive technology. Counterfeiters would be blown out of the water!

 

So, just for fun, wonder what would happen if I started typing in things like "the coke shipment will be here soon" or "the heist will take place at the coded time", or "the pentagon hack was successful, but they don't know it".---you just typed it!---O Nooooos---hear that knocking on your door?---Quick---hide under the bed---they will never find you there!

 

Ya, or worse talking about an apparent physical attack against your leader. The Bush eavesdropping crap is still with you I believe as I haven't heard a peep from this administration yet about changing it. I guess there's another one of your rights gone for the sake of security. Freedom or die eh? rolleyes

 

auggiedoggie,
I have alot of affection for our current leader, and he has had alot of threats as the first black pres. so I cut him slack for that. If something were to happen to his security, this country, I believe, would be torn apart, and I would be up in arms on his behalf.
sheena

 

Adding to what I just said, I just think there has to be a middle ground, a way of mutual respect for everyone's privacy.
Sheena

 

The internet is privacy's Kryptonite but its democratic at the the same you can stay at home and just watch TV or pay your money you take your chance,use the internet or don't no one is forced to do either.

What I find interesting about the internet is it's gone totally the opposite way,people want to be discovered,for people to be interested in them,people post blogs of their deepest most private thoughts,photo's of their weekend for everyone to see,a public record fo all their friends on facebook.

It's not just a public record of who they were it's a digital fingerprint of their soul,I like to think I'm different I don't like attention seekers but I'm probably not I've posted thousands of times on a public forum with my likes dislikes,who I am.

I think there's something deep within the human psyche to be seen and heard before we fizzle away,in 500 years the only proof we existed will probably be in a Google snapshot server somewhere.

 

Ricky,
I think one reason alot of us post so much on the internet is because society has changed from being locale oriented to relying on mass media for much of its connections. I am older and remember growing up around lots of relatives, all in one area. Then folks started moving all over for jobs, ect. at the same time we learned to be wary of strangers, stay to ourselves rather than visit with questionable neighbors. Often we find ourselves in locations where we have little in common with the average populace. I am left wing in an area right of Goldwater, an ethnic white lady amongst alot of anglo ultraconservatives. I get lonely and the net is a way of sharing views with like minded and getting some reinforcing feedback. Its just a different world.
Sheena

 

A couple of links http://w2.eff.org/Privacy/printers/docucolor/
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080715/1947301694.shtml

Like augie said you don't have to worry about it and you can't do much about it. The NSA can do what ever they want within US borders. They may not be able to use it against you in court but they can collect it. Just because we can't buy a gadget to listen in to cell phone calls at Radio Shack doesn't mean there aren't football field sized data collection sites scattered around the country. I don't think it is a real problem except if you want to get a certain job or enter political life and someone with connections decides to do some digging and look for something incriminating. But given google's auto complete I think my search history isn't that bad.

It is cheaper to collect everything than to choose what to collect. Just like your phone company has records of every call you make. They only charge for long distance but it is cheaper to just log every call than to go back and delete the local calls. So all kinds of companies collect and save data because they don't want to pay someone to sort through it all. The downside only becomes apparent when you are singled out and people can go back years and see what you have been doing.

I remember in the Capano case. A well respected lawyer killed his mistress. They were hands off for a month or two because of political considerations and finally charged him. Months after the crime they got his credit card statements. Went back to the businesses and asked what he bought. The drugstore was able to go through its cash registers and find the transaction and see a list of each item purchased for that credit card receipt. One of which was blood remover. I always thought to myself that is creepy that someone can go back and find out every item I bought at a drugstore or supermarket months afterward. And I suspect it will only get worse. And google will probably start the ball rolling with good intentions but it will end up being used by the wrong people for profit.