1

To the man who’s at gmail
If you access my email
Don't fear to respond
As the thought turns me on

Cause you know what i like
With my digital mic
That’s viewed through an update
Keepin’ checks on all of our fate

So follow my tweets
If you're cool with my beats
As the truth is what i feel
And our connection seemed real

2

The cookie crumbles
A selfied spectacle
With internet uploads
Recording videos
Of ourselves

We, The People
The product placements
#fabshares #sharebear
Remember,
Sharing is caring

Hey you
Mr. Mad Men
The Trackers
Socially listening…
Can you hear me?

3

#Privacy
What does that mean
In a world
Where all is seen

No escaping
The data mines
Thoughtful freedom's
A hefty crime

So we must
Learn "compromise"
To avoid
Our demise

4

We luddites who love privacy
Fear a cult of technology
Our data's always getting hacked
While everything we do is tracked
Through ToUs we do concede
It's basically Snowden's decree
You may think we're paranoid
But scholars like Solove and boyd
Are working to find common ground
So laws and norms are not unsound
As we know we do deserve
A life that can go unobserved
Free to choose what we'll eschew
Obscurity in public view
Just to feel that we're supplied
Enough moments where we can hide

5

All the powers that may be
Are surveilling you and me
Texting, Tweeting, and the Likes
They follow us day and night
All this data they do store
Saving it for something more
Building profiles that are so dense
The algorithms don’t make sense
Inferring who and what we are
The actual truth is never far
Why they do it is never clear
But that’s what we truly fear
Which is why we must pray
That privacy is here to stay

6

Life in the fast lane isn't easy to pace
When all it's considered is one big rat race
What about the brotherhood of man
How many can say they're actually fans
When such notions are "liberal plots"
Blurt the wrong words and you'll be caught
On Time's well tested pendulum swing
Through which McCarthy's ghost will sing
That free speech has taken its toll
On Democracy's main values and goals
A result of which is a chilling effect
Except for the special and few elect
So please stay quiet during the day
Giving up freedom is the price you'll pay

7

All this Data’s
Sinking the ship
Welcome to
A digital trip

Can we fix
All the holes
Leaking out
Virtual souls

The day will come
When it’s too late
You’ll understand
This was our fate

How hard you tried
To stop the flow
Of Information’s
Alluring glow

​Clues in the Cloud is a multi-media art piece that combines visual illustrations, audio recordings and poetic prose. Each # explores a different aspect of privacy in the digital age. The price one pays for the benefits of technology are not always clear, casting a chill over the world. So before the cloud of data completely takes over, we look for clues to the question: what is privacy and how does it affect our lives?

Poems recorded and authored by Heather Maxie
Illustration and design by Novel

Copyright© 2015 Clues in the Cloud. All Rights Reserved.

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1. You will see the illustration for #One, the first poem, when you arrive at the site. To hear audio for the poem click on the lips. You can also scroll to read it.

2. Once you’re done, you can either click #Two or continue to scroll to the next poem. When you see the next illustration, this will automatically enable the audio for the second poem.

3. Repeat steps for each poem and be sure to check out our shop.

Copyright© 2015 Clues in the Cloud. All Rights Reserved.

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