Peer to Peer Magazine

literally unknown locations with these services, and without the protection they would otherwise be afforded. We could one day see multiple copies of confidential materials exist on multiple servers with nobody really knowing how they got there — or who has control of them. Your Incredible Dwindling Privacy Data storage and processing power have become so cheap that some companies give them away in exchange for the opportunity to sell your attention to advertisers. But the advertising model only works when advertisers know who you are — your privacy is the new Internet currency. Simply supplying someone with your email address can now buy you many valuable services, but be prepared for email solicitations. These services want to be your friend. Some services leave reminders of your online activity using cookies or browser helper objects (BHOs). These can be problematic for the security-conscious. Remembering passwords, redirecting Web searches or just getting in the way — these innocent means to endear a user with a Web services vendor can spell security problems to organizations with a higher standard of privacy. Will We Ever Catch Up? The technology that surrounds us is now being replaced faster than we can absorb it. Microsoft is nearly ready to introduce Windows 8, only three years after releasing Windows 7. Predictions are that Windows 9 will replace Windows 8 even faster. Microsoft Office 2007 was replaced by Office 2010 in less than three years and Office 2012 is on the way. How much progress can we stand? Fast turnover in technology and the human desire for novelty have conspired with manufacturers' desire to monetize "version churn" to produce a ceaseless pace of change. Most people over 30 are less accommodating to change than marketers wish. New versions of Flash and Acrobat seem to be delivered weekly; updates to antivirus programs are pushed hourly. This frantic pace of updates is a result of bug repairs, feature creep and security threats — and enabled by the assumption that everyone has high-speed Internet access. If connectivity were rare, perhaps updates would be held back for more significant improvements. We also haven't figured out how to deal with hyperobsolescence. If Intel can push twice the power into half the space for less money every two years, why would you want to keep your old computer or have it repaired? The result is a tsunami of "antique" computer gear, much of it less than three THERE'S A LOT TO PROCESS IN MANAGING THE BUSINESS OF LAW… …WE'RE HERE TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH EVERY STEP RECORDS & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT CONSULTING 888.845.7015 www.inoutsource.com Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 53

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