I find the idea of living "off the grid" very appealing -- just a person in a shack in the woods, making their own food, generating electricity (or going without) and being quite free from society. I doubt I will ever fully be that person in the shack, but I don't like the idea of the government or marketers or my internet company (or anyone else for that matter!) knowing what I'm doing all the time.
There have been a lot of articles in the news lately about how marketers track Internet users in order to put targeted pop-up ads in their path. And today I read an article about how the CIA has been working with the NYPD to infiltrate minority (read Islamic) neighborhoods and monitor people. I'm not doing anything sneaky or suspicious or treasonous, but I still like my privacy just fine, and the idea of anyone (especially big businesses) knowing my every movement just doesn't sit right with me.
Some steps I'm taking?
I try to always pay cash for stuff, so I don't have a big banking trail.
I think about abandoning (but have not yet abandoned) my grocery store rewards card.
I've installed ad-blocker software on my computer -- those marketers may still know where I'm going, but I don't see any ads at all (and it's great).
Does anyone else have any tips for getting off the grid? I'm sure not using a computer/internet is probably a prime way to have more privacy and liberty, but I'm not ready for that step quite yet!
