Bird & Wen: I haven't gotten the tractor survey, but I might participate in such a thing. At least they recognize that a person's opinion has economic value and offer to pay for it. However, I'd probably want to know all uses of any personal information. In survey research, that's called 'Informed Consent.' As far as I know Informed Consent is a part of the ethical standards of all recognized academic and market research organizations. Organizations that operate surveys where the informed consent isn't obvious probably aren't quite regular.
If Informed Consent is asked for, and the interviewer doesn't know about it, or doesn't refer a person to a supervisor, then the operation isn't up to industry standards. I wouldn't participate. However, I suppose I'm overly sensitive to this stuff. I was Associate on a medical research project that used data from medical records. We took, and were required to take, extraordinary efforts to insure that no action of the project or any successors would ever have an impact on a person's life that they weren't advise of
I agree with Wen that Internet changed the world, and you can't go back. My notion is sort of like locks on the tractor. You can't stop a determined skilled thief, but good locks deter the more casual thieves. I figure that Internet is part of a world worth being in. So, I just keep my head down a bit and try not to be an easy victim.
Wen: sounds like you might remember Bit Net , where PhD's used to fire their dissertations around the world. My recognition of internet go back even further. I think the origin of internet was a mid-60's Strategic Air Command communications system. Some guys in my barracks worked on it, but of course, you don't talk much about that sort of thing. However, from what was said, I think the thing was basically Internet.
Incidentally, my tractor is spending the summer at our camp. It's chained with 3/8's transport chain that is wrapped around a 10" x 12" timber I buried about 5' down. The fact that it's out of sight in the bush is probably more effective than the chain, but the chain is what it takes to keep the insurance company happy.
