And these "agents" are even slicker than my carnival buddies, some of 'em even have my phone number and can hawk right in my living room!

What you may not know, however, is that, on midway, there are some legitimate games where you can actually win something worth much more than you invested.

Yep, you might win a forty dollar prize for your dollar game. And, yes, you do have to pay to play.

The Internet is same way, there are legitimate offers out here where you can actually make a buck. But, like carnival, you have to be around a while to check out game.

You don't necessarily want to walk up to carny screaming loudest. Same way on Net. Yep, just like carnival, "YOU GOTTA PLAY TO WIN!" and, yes, you do have to pay to play.

There are at least 20 other parallels between carnival and Internet. But that's what MY ezine is about.

Consumer Action @ http://www.Consumer-action.org/English/library/privacy_rights/

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse @ http://www.privacyrights.org/

Jason Catlett's JunkBusters @ http://www.junkbusters.org/

Each are working hard to protect public privacy interest.

There were sessions on medical privacy, financial privacy, web anonymity, national ID cards, constitutional freedoms and a gripping discussion on "Digital Divide" from Larry Irving, technology activist that coined term. Speaking were IT leaders from healthcare organizations, CEO's and Vice Presidents from major corporations, privacy advocates from respected organ- izations, attorneys and politicians of every stripe.

A universal concern among speakers and participants was lack of consumer and public discourse and education on privacy issues. The public shows nearly universal disregard for intrusions into privacy until they are personally threatened with exposure of their own private personally identifiable information.

One telling example cited was a comment from an audience member during a Q and A period following a panel discussion where he noted that convenience is friend of privacy intrusions. He stated flatly that idea that we don't like being targeted is wrong. We love being targeted until we start to realize that it is happening, then our concern rises dramatically. This in reference to how "cookies" make our web surfing experience faster and easier when we are recoginized by sites we've been to before, filling in personal data by referencing cookies set on previous visits.

It was agreed that it takes a major blunder by business where privacy information is violated, sold or mutilated before public outcry leads to privacy policy enforcement or action. Last week when YAHOO! changed their privacy policy to allow email, snail mail or even phone calls from it's "partners" there was a small fuss raised by online privacy advocates. Unfortunately even TRUSTe seal program went along with YAHOO! on that blunder by approving move and allowing continued seal program approval.

I hope that Oracle CEO, Larry Ellison is wrong when he says, "Privacy is already gone." The conference was reassuring in that it became clear that there are advocates for reasoned discourse and measured action on most important privacy issues.