Paranoid Poem by John Carter Brown

They're drawing us in
By their subtle design,
Desiring to know
What's your and what's mine.

We wake every morning
And rise up, quicksticks,
We're booting up smartly
And seeking our fix.
We think surfing's private,
But I think you'll find
That they're waiting to see
If we step out of line.

We buy our computers
(our joy and our pride)
Have we any idea
What goes on inside?
I know not one person
Who doesn't use Windows,
And I'm wondering seriously
Which way the wind blows.

These operating systems
Also known as O.S.es,
Could easily hide
Behind their fine dresses,
A data base used
By the old F.B.I.
To plot and to scheme,
To plan and to spy.

So, how to be sure
That our data is kept
Safe and secure
(though we be so inept) ?
For starters, don't fill in
That unrequired field,
This is your first-line defence
And your shield.

Their web-crawling spiders
Persist, night and day,
Searching for key-words
Amongst what we say;
And we've no-one to blame
If our business is pooled,
As we're easily conned,
Persuaded and fooled.

From all social networks
And innocent sites,
We give them the info'
And hand them the rights;

My answer is simple:
Don't be put on the spot;
Just mind your own business
And gossip ye not.

(Written Nov 2012)