terrapinsanity.com

Surely with good intention, DOTS (Department of Transportation Services) on campus today started pushing participation in Zimride, a ridesharing program to help connect potential car pool buddies.

Ahh, the miles saved! (63,112 at this moment.) The CO2 reduced! (48,975 lbs so far … obviously an estimate…)

Oh but … such private information you reveal. You’re invited to login with your campus directory ID in order to post to the system or participate. Let’s leave aside the whole question of whether campus employees ought to be delivering their passwords through a commercial enterprise for harvesting. The reality is you need not log in to participate.

The zimride splash page gives you a googlemap with offers and requests already plotted. How convenient … for identity thieves and thugs! Those who post on zimride appear on the map with full names, specific home addresses (plotted for the googlemap route) and as part of the business of coordinating rides, they have included their typical working hours. How convenient to know what townhome off Briggs Cheny Road is empty weekdays between 6 and 6. (How do you know there is no family or room mate there? Having the full name and a good browser puts you 30 seconds away from enough data to nail that one down, and if you’re a cautious burglar you can get the home phone, plus office extension on campus, to confirm where people are.)

Wonder how much CO2 you’ll emit, after a home breakin, trying to explain to police how you posted all the relevant details on the internet to streamline access?