What has gradually disappeared over the last 20 years with people realising it?

1. Privacy from spy cameras and on-line snooping and surveillance. Every government organisation and private company assumes it's entitled to know your e-mail address and telephone number, and to track you on-line; things that ought to be private unless you decide otherwise.

2. Politeness, courtesy, respect and consideration for others, and simple good manners in public places and on public transport.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@SeekingConnection1) I do not fear official organisations knowing my name and address: various bodies have done that all my life and for my benefit as well as the nation's. Why should I?

What "spy cameras"? On traffic-lights, intended to catch red-light jumpers? On filling-stations forecourts to try to deter drive-off fuel thefts; or in shops to try to identify thugs and thieves there? Remember that no-one is going to take any notice of us if we are not doing anything wrong or are not sufficiently important - they don't have the need, will or time. Besides, anyone examining those still have no idea where we are going, nor why.

If someone genuinely wanted to trace any of us - assuming we were important enough - I am sure they would use far more sophisticated ways than road-side and shop cameras. Judging by appeals published in the local paper, the images from those are usually far too poor to identify the suspect.

The ones who amuse me - you see 'em on SW - are those apparently living bolted to "smart"-'phones that lack an "Off" key; but are terrified that the instruments reveal their locations. Yes, the instrument has to reveal their own locations to the networks to be able to work; and of course that is usually also the user's, but does not say why it is there and what the user is doing!

[My portable 'phone spends more time off than on, and more time at home than in my pocket.]

It is commercial organisations that worry me far more, and there are simple things we can do to reduce their snooping - yes including you Microsoft after your interfering with my photograph collections. Most of it is to send us unsolicited advertising for stuff we neither want nor need.

The one serious danger to all of us is of course attacks by criminal gangs and/or hostile states; and I think many of those succeed because the attacked organisation relies too much on the Internet and MS software, on too much physical connection, and on weak protection.

2) Etiquette... Yes, you very much have a point there. I fear this worsening because so many people now are so trapped by living on ones and noughts, that they do not develop proper social skills.

caPnAhab · 26-30, M

@chasingThursday @SaorUladh
there aren't really any within the mainstream, that I can recall. But no doubt that there's a bunch underground