value of privacy?

I've been thinking lately.  (No, it didn't hurt.)  Does privacy have in
inherent value, or are "we" simply concerned with what others can do with
sensitive information about ourselves?
 
     What raised the question was that I was thinking about all of the ways in
which information was being gathered about me and my new wife.  I asked myself,
"How far would I go to erase my name from ever database in existence?" and, "So
what if the government knows how much money I make, it's not that much! ;^)" 
Comments?
 
     Also, I need to investigate my options for putting my own machine on the
internet.  I may be loosing my account when I (finally) graduate.  Any pointers
will be appreciated.
 
J. Michael Diehl   ;^)  |*The 2nd Amendment is there in case the 
mdiehl@triton.unm.edu   | Government forgets about the 1st!  <RL>
Mike.Diehl@f29.n301.z1  |*God is a good Physicist, and an even 
    .fidonet.org        | better Mathematician.  <Me>
al945@cwns9.ins.cwru.edu|*I'm just looking for the opportunity to 
 (505) 299-2282 (voice) | be Politically Incorrect! <Me>
Can we impeach him yet? |*Protected by 18 USC 2511 and 18 USC 2703. PGP Key =
7C06F1 = A6 27 E1 1D 5F B2 F2 F1  12 E7 53 2D 85 A2 10 5D

J. Michael Diehl writes :
> 
>      I've been thinking lately.  (No, it didn't hurt.)  Does privacy have in
> inherent value, or are "we" simply concerned with what others can do with
> sensitive information about ourselves?

I am in the midst of reading _The Naked Consumer_ by Erik Larson, and I find
myself asking the same questions you are about privacy. I think privacy has
an inherent value, distinct from the consequences of information abuse. For
example, it doesn't _hurt_ me to get targeted junk mail, but I find it 
unsettling that direct marketers know enough about me to send the 'right' 
mail. I see it this way; 'they' make decisions about me and initiate a 
relationship with me without my knowledge or consent. The relationship is
artificial and uneven; 'they' know more about me than I know about 'them'.
Even if the relationship does me no real harm, it makes me uncomfortable.
So, I value my privacy even though (some? most?) of the time I don't suffer
gravely ill effects from the manipulation of what I consider private data.

This feeling is what drives me to learn more about PGP and secure transaction
systems; ideally, these systems will help conceal some of our private data
from (for example) the telemarketing types. [Allow me my dream, at least. :) ]

-- 
........................................................................
Philippe D. Nave, Jr.   | The person who does not use message encryption
pdn@dwroll.dw.att.com   | will soon be at the mercy of those who DO...
Denver, Colorado USA    | PGP public key: by arrangement.