more about what's personal

Oh, well ... I'll post here what I intended to reply.

Apotheon,

Your definition of "privacy" is too narrow

Exactly how do you expect a library to get back the books you borrow if it doesn't keep a list of what you borrowed (and presumably read)? That's the information that they try to keep secure.

Library borrower records are clearly not between two people, therefore they fall into your "secrecy" category. And secrecy, you say, is either (a) not doable and therefore a waste of time, or (b) actively bad and better replaced by transparency. So, then, should a library that keeps such records not bother to secure them? Or should they try to run without keeping a record of what you borrowed?

Your feelings about the Census Bureau, though interesting, are not to the point. They have information about many people, information which, because it was felt to be private, they are required to keep secure. However, it's clearly "secrecy" rather than "privacy," by your definition. Do you want that information opened up to anyone who wants it? Would the people who lobbied for laws requiring the Census Bureau to keep it secure want it made "transparent"?

Interesting idea about voting. Admirable. It's also clearly not between two people -- therefore, by your definition, it's "secrecy." So why bother keeping it secure? Or are there some kinds of secrecy that should be secure?

There is a difference between privacy and secrecy, but it's not as simple as you make it. Defining it as communication between and about two people excludes a great deal of information collected by organizations from and about individuals in the normal course of business, some of which feels very private. I'd like them to keep that information secure (to the degree possible), and not just give it up as a bad job.

Jaime

The point of the water cooler, if there is one, is that people can go off the main thread to keep discussing some off-topic thing that might have cropped up... it's not used for that, though.
Go and put your comment in the real thread, you have to do it by replying to the last post before the thread indentation stops, then it will show up in the right place.