[stlHusker]

"I just struggle with understanding what's wrong with people these days."

On one hand, it is fundamental human nature (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World#Comparisons_wi...).

On the other hand, it is a trade off. Your post to HN can be mined, aggregated in a similar manner. Even a level before that, your access to the internet can be mined, aggregated and a profile built of you by your ISP. You are voluntarily cooperating with that are you not?

[ahartman00]

Landline phones had mics too :) How do we know that those could not be remotely activated? After all, we did not possess the same level of power to monitor the government back then. As noted somewhere above.

I personally think there is an age where people decide; everything that existed before now is useful and nice, and everything new is evil. Kind of a technological puberty.

[maxerickson]

The old ones had a mechanical switch that was easy to inspect.

Drop the handset on the recently inspected switch, the mic ain't connected to nothin'.