Feature image by Noah Silliman

Well, before we even get going on this one, there is a little bit of irony to what happened when I went to do this challenge. I went to the WNYC site and was met with a blank page. Turns out Privacy Badger the WNYC site. Recently I saw a Tweet (can’t find it now) that noted if we are to hold Facebook accountable for the data they collect on all of us, that major media also needs to take a hard look at themselves. Most large services on the web seem to be tracking us, and this was just a perfect example of that.

Onto the challenge!

Today’s challenge: Be anonymous for 15 minutes. Spend some time alone—really alone.

Now this is an interesting one. The episode talks about the performative aspect of being online. It reminded me of the interview Manoush did with security expert Bruce Schneider, where Schneider said, “When you realize you’re being watched you can either hide or perform, and we’ve chosen the latter.”

Find a place offline where no one can watch you. That means all internet and telecom connected devices to be covered or turned off. I spent a lot of time alone in the woodshop this past weekend, but I had my phone with me listening to music and podcasts the whole time. In fact, I either spend time alone (walking to and from work, but with the phone) or offline (say at Judo or Karate, the phone is off). But to be truly anonymous, truly alone for this challenge, that will actually take some doing. Here we go…save draft…