This reading was a bit disturbing in the sense that it brought to my attention a lot of things I didn't know. Mann writes about types of camera's and video surveillance that have been invented that invades personal space. For example, I had no idea something like the "television set top boxes" existed which allows cable-TV companies to track the number of people watching their program. Not only does it allow the companies to know the number of people watching, but it allows the companies to know the identities of the viewers as well. Another disturbing "recognition" device is a shower or bathroom mirror which has not been developed. It is supposed to be a built in camera that is made to examine conditions to report any abnormalities...which makes me feel very uncomfortable because I don't want to know if a machine is looking for a skin condition while I'm in the bathroom.
Mann then furthers his thesis with the examination of "totalitarian visual surveillance". This type surveillance is common in prisons, schools, workplaces where both viewers can't see the viewer on the other side. This type of surveillance is disturbing because it's an "unknown" for the person being taped...whether or not someone is watching on the other side is always on their mind.
My found the part about his Wear-cam as a mirror to be very interesting. The section about Shooting back was kind of ironic. When Mann asks the workers why they had camera's pointing at him they would respond with smart alec remarks like "whya re you so paranoid?" and "only criminals are afraid of cameras." Mann would then pull out his wearcam and point the camera to their face catching them off gaurd...throwing what they said back at them. I guess it's a form of "a taste of their own medicine".
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