Edited by author 09-08-2002 03:41 PM
Pat, I guess I just don't think tape-based answering machines are as mystifying to the general populace as you seem to think.

I would assume you're against the concept of found art in general, right? Sites like Found magazine take notes, receipts, snippets of audio, and other bits of cultural flotsam and post them to the web. I'm a strong believer in personal privacy,too, but I also think art is where you find it. The most compelling bits of insight into ourselves aren't often found in galleries.

I also think you're ignoring the possibility that a balance can be struck between information that's personal but essentially anonymous, and information which is personal and specific. There's a difference between posting a note you found at the laundromat and posting someone's Social Security # and address with it.

For what it's worth, I don't think it's a bad thing that thrift stores are trying to be more conscientious about their donors' privacy, but I do miss the bits of found art I'd discover there.