When someone can go onto the Internet and find out your personal information, that would make me tend to believe that our privacy has gone missing. That, unfortunately, is what the public is dealing with today: privacy issues.

At some point, you are going to have to give up some private information, whether you like it or not. It's what you choose to share, and whom you choose to share it with that matters. In the matter of less privacy in exchange for increased security, it all depends on what information I am giving up, where it is going, and what security I am receiving in return.

I don't like letting people know my social security number. That is the last straw, the key that unlocks my life's door. At least that is what it feels like to me. I understand the government already has files about me, and for better or worse, I don't care if they do. I get concerned about wackos and thieves getting a hold of my identity. The government has a job: protect us. For a little less privacy, I will gladly take the government stopping disasters.

There are limits, though, to what the government should know about our private lives. They don't need to know the intricate details, and the deepest, darkest fears that plague us. They don't need to know when my last bowel movement was, or what my first pet's name was, or how many baseball cards I have. They only need to possess the information that will help make this county a safer place.

Some may say that they are nearly the same thing, but corporations and the government are not identical. I know corporations will need to gather some private information, considering that most corporations have clients. Corporations, however, should possess even less personal information than our government. They may need to know your bank account number, but I wouldn't even feel comfortable with that happening. They already know more than we think they do.

Personal information is, and will always be readily available to the government, corporations, and Internet stalkers. It is how you limit and hide personal information that will determine whether you're easily accessible and vulnerable to a threat.