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(p-tv)the electrohippies collective's news network - http://www.gn.apc.org/pmhp/ehippies/index.htm

Hi all,

Electrohippies received this - it seems to be correct.

Identifying features removed.

P.

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Have you seen this troubling article at Business Week?

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/july2000/nf00707g.htm

It's about a company - eWatch - that (quoting Slashdot), "specializes in
tracking the comments of, and garnering personal information about folks
with a beef with a company. The service isn't cheap, upwards of $5,000 per
'screenname.' This was apparently used against Northwest Airlines sick-out
employees last Christmas. The BusinessWeek article seems to hint that
eWatch is used primarily to root out uncomplimentary messages on 'rogue'
web sites. So, should we be careful about what we post here, Usenet, or
anywhere else? Especially if we post about our own companies? Interesting
indeed..."

Business Week implies that companies could use it for personal (as in,
one-on-one) "reeducation" -- that is, to contact people who are publicly
irritated about a company's product or customer service and attempt to
"correct" these "incorrect" attitudes.

If this sort of thing goes on too much longer, we won't have any claim to
the First Amendment online.

END

(p-tv)