Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 6 Jan 2020 @ 12:29pm
How not to do Monday morning quarterbacking
"Just recently in giving a talk to telecom execs, I was told, point blank, that social media was clearly evil and clearly driving people into radicalization because "that's how you sell more ads" and that nothing I could say could convince them otherwise. "
If those telecom execs knew what the execs at Google know, then they they would be Google. Look at how well they are doing with the extra-curricular businesses ie. entertainment, streaming, etc.. Seeing what is going on and being able to do it are very different things.
And, as the AC said above, it isn't about the algorithm, it is about human nature, something else those telecom execs don't understand.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 2 Jan 2020 @ 4:10pm
Re:
If UL does enough marketing on the subject, UL approval might become relevant, eventually. Though I think their system should be binary, approved or not, rather than the 5 tier rating system they came up with. But until they make their approval relevant to the average consumer, it is nothing.
As you point out, UL compliance hasn't meant much of anything to IoT manufacturers so far, which does not speak well for UL.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 2 Jan 2020 @ 1:38pm
"The increasing use of DNA databases as investigational tools increases the chances of innocent people being viewed as suspects just because their DNA bears some similarity to the sample investigators are working with."
And here I thought DNA was supposed to be more specific than fingerprints.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 2 Jan 2020 @ 1:03pm
He may be back, but back at what?
Trump may have restored his rank and ditched the conviction, but I wonder if his commanders will ever send him into the field again, or just put him on KP someplace, without a weapon?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 31 Dec 2019 @ 8:04am
Re:
Oh, the horror, students without their electronic leashes (aka support touchstones) would be bereft in their feelings of disconnection. Besides, future employers want 24/7 connection with a less than 1 minute response time whether one is on the clock or not and this is just training them for their inevitable work environment. Perfectly reasonable.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 31 Dec 2019 @ 7:46am
Re:
Seems to me the issue is overly aggressive SWAT teams with poor tactical protocols. Your solution, which might reduce incidents, is more like treating symptoms rather than the cause. Regardless of 911 communications, a less aggressive force with better tactics could resolve the problem altogether.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 30 Dec 2019 @ 1:55pm
Re: Re: laws ?
Wouldn't there be something about a DoJ department head aiding and abetting the target of an investigation? While it is a transaction being investigated rather than an individual or a corporation, the investigators should not be assisting the transaction they are supposed to be investigating. But, as you point out, laws are not necessarily clear making me unsure of what law might have been transgressed.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 30 Dec 2019 @ 1:15pm
Re: Re: Click your heels three times...
A few weeks back (I couldn't find the article) some congresscritter (Pelosi?) was complaining about big tech when what they were in fact complaining about was telecom. That, to me is conflation. Of course it could be that that conflation is purposeful.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 30 Dec 2019 @ 9:48am
Click your heels three times...
When members of congress conflate big tech with telecom how could we expect the DoJ to be able to tell the difference. When the demands for anti-trust come down, Makan Delrahim will just ask Ajit Pai what to do. In that case, we can expect that enforcement will happen when big tech overlaps with some of the telecom's new businesses, like entertainment or maybe instant messaging.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 30 Dec 2019 @ 9:27am
Re: Coming soon...
Don't forget the false positives from people wearing photographs of bad guys on their faces like a mask. Then, when everyone is wearing Guy Fawkes masks (get yours here) everyone will be arrested for reasons not immediately comprehensible.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 30 Dec 2019 @ 6:36am
Re: Science is only partly to blame
What makes you think that what 'we' want will have any bearing upon what 'law enforcement' wants? These government contractors are pushing technology that could make law enforcement's life easier, and that's not gonna stop until there are consequences for the failure of the technology. Then, those consequences will be monetary, you fools wasted money on something that doesn't work. Then, after a long hard fight where the winning hand could be that the judge(s) get identified as criminals. But it isn't those fools (law enforcement's) money, why should they care?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 27 Dec 2019 @ 8:19pm
Politics continued
At some point, when enough states have done some sort of legalization, the federal representatives will have little recourse. They will either remove marijuana from whatever schedule it exits upon, or expect a removal from office. The aftermath of that is what is worth watching for.
How those already involved in the marijuana trade act will be worth watching. They will certainly use the incumbent IP laws to protected themselves, just as some entities have applied for and received patents on plants that have grown naturally for thousands of years, Your microbe different than my microbe is sufficient for you to owe me more than you, and your generations following you, could afford. And, because the process, the courts approve.
Courts have no (I would say balls but some might take that in the wrong way, so lets say chutzpah, which some others might take in the wrong way, but no inference is intended to either. That courts have ideology in mind rather than the law is what is at issue, and the courts, whether they like the recognition for it or not express ideology more often than not. They should not express it ever.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 26 Dec 2019 @ 7:40am
When journalism meant something
Could it be that Big Media is hiring creative writers, ideologues, and PR spinners rather than reporters and editors? Between fake news (as defined by whomever calls it fake), acting as stenographers for government or corporations, the spouting of social justice warriors without any contrasting opinion, etc, it is hard to continue calling much of Big Media, actual media rather than mainstream advertisers.
Even 'news' stories come laced with opinion and slant, rather than unadorned facts, updated with more facts as they become available. Opinion, slant, PR, fiction and stenographic articles could and should be relegated to the Op-Ed pages and clearly marked as such. The rest of the publication should be true to the origins of 'reporting' and report rather than fashion or opine.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 24 Dec 2019 @ 3:13pm
Re: Re: The lawmakers should look in a mirror
The issue I see with that idea is that under normal circumstances state law cannot overcome federal law.
Now some will point out state marijuana legalization as an exception, except that it hasn't actually killed the federal law, and in some instances the feds have continued to enforce their law, though they seem to have backed down on that somewhat.
Another exception that might be pointed to could be that State AG's are suing over net neutrality, except that the revocation of net neutrality isn't actually a federal law, yet, it is, or was, an FCC rule.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 24 Dec 2019 @ 2:07pm
The lawmakers should look in a mirror
Wasn't it congress that mandated GPS be installed in all phones? Maybe they should look to their own behaviors that contributed to this mess. Being able to turn off the 'required' GPS wouldn't help with cell tower location, but it could be a start.
Making the collection and sale of location information would be a good second step. There are two different infractions in that thought, the first is the collection, and that should apply to both the phone companies and pure internet companies (aka Big Tech, or even Small Tech). The second is the sale, which involves two entities, the sellers and the buyers. Both should incur serious penalties. Company busting penalties and possible jail time for executives and principles.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 23 Dec 2019 @ 8:12am
Channeling Joe McCarthy
McCarthyism targeting something else. Substitute CSAM for communist and Big Tech for film industry and the metaphor is almost complete. The drive is to create ways to censure via baby steps, get ones toe in the door then force it open and 1st Amendment be damned.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 19 Dec 2019 @ 12:00pm
Re: Re: Fox to conduct study of chickens welfare in the hen hous
Oh, I am non partisan when it comes to presuming government types (certainly two branches, sometimes three) are doing things in their own interest, rather than in the interest of the people. Its been a long time since we have seen different, for two of the three branches at least.
On the post: New Study Suggests That YouTube's Recommendation Algorithm Isn't The Tool Of Radicalization Many People Believe (At Least Not Any More)
How not to do Monday morning quarterbacking
If those telecom execs knew what the execs at Google know, then they they would be Google. Look at how well they are doing with the extra-curricular businesses ie. entertainment, streaming, etc.. Seeing what is going on and being able to do it are very different things.
And, as the AC said above, it isn't about the algorithm, it is about human nature, something else those telecom execs don't understand.
On the post: UL Pushes Security Standards For The Internet Of Broken Things
Re:
If UL does enough marketing on the subject, UL approval might become relevant, eventually. Though I think their system should be binary, approved or not, rather than the 5 tier rating system they came up with. But until they make their approval relevant to the average consumer, it is nothing.
As you point out, UL compliance hasn't meant much of anything to IoT manufacturers so far, which does not speak well for UL.
On the post: Pentagon Tells Military Members To Steer Clear Of Consumer DNA Testing Kits
And here I thought DNA was supposed to be more specific than fingerprints.
On the post: Navy SEAL Leader Accused Of War Crimes Threatens Defamation Suit Against NY Times Reporter For Revealing Videos & Text Of Men Who Reported Him
Re:
Will that show up on Sundays as saddest or truest?
On the post: Navy SEAL Leader Accused Of War Crimes Threatens Defamation Suit Against NY Times Reporter For Revealing Videos & Text Of Men Who Reported Him
He may be back, but back at what?
Trump may have restored his rank and ditched the conviction, but I wonder if his commanders will ever send him into the field again, or just put him on KP someplace, without a weapon?
On the post: Tracking College Students Everywhere They Go On Campus Is The New Normal
Re:
Oh, the horror, students without their electronic leashes (aka support touchstones) would be bereft in their feelings of disconnection. Besides, future employers want 24/7 connection with a less than 1 minute response time whether one is on the clock or not and this is just training them for their inevitable work environment. Perfectly reasonable.
/s
On the post: Police Departments Are Using Swatting Registries To Help Protect Swatting Targets From Police Officers
Re:
Seems to me the issue is overly aggressive SWAT teams with poor tactical protocols. Your solution, which might reduce incidents, is more like treating symptoms rather than the cause. Regardless of 911 communications, a less aggressive force with better tactics could resolve the problem altogether.
On the post: Tracking College Students Everywhere They Go On Campus Is The New Normal
Re:
Increased risk for overdue books.
On the post: DOJ Antitrust Boss Delrahim Ignored Hard Data As He Rubber Stamped T-Mobile Merger
Re: Re: laws ?
Wouldn't there be something about a DoJ department head aiding and abetting the target of an investigation? While it is a transaction being investigated rather than an individual or a corporation, the investigators should not be assisting the transaction they are supposed to be investigating. But, as you point out, laws are not necessarily clear making me unsure of what law might have been transgressed.
On the post: DOJ Antitrust Boss Delrahim Ignored Hard Data As He Rubber Stamped T-Mobile Merger
Re: Re: Click your heels three times...
A few weeks back (I couldn't find the article) some congresscritter (Pelosi?) was complaining about big tech when what they were in fact complaining about was telecom. That, to me is conflation. Of course it could be that that conflation is purposeful.
On the post: DOJ Antitrust Boss Delrahim Ignored Hard Data As He Rubber Stamped T-Mobile Merger
Click your heels three times...
When members of congress conflate big tech with telecom how could we expect the DoJ to be able to tell the difference. When the demands for anti-trust come down, Makan Delrahim will just ask Ajit Pai what to do. In that case, we can expect that enforcement will happen when big tech overlaps with some of the telecom's new businesses, like entertainment or maybe instant messaging.
On the post: NIST Study Of 189 Facial Recognition Algorithms Finds Minorities Are Misidentified Almost 100 Times More Often Than White Men
Re: Coming soon...
Don't forget the false positives from people wearing photographs of bad guys on their faces like a mask. Then, when everyone is wearing Guy Fawkes masks (get yours here) everyone will be arrested for reasons not immediately comprehensible.
On the post: NIST Study Of 189 Facial Recognition Algorithms Finds Minorities Are Misidentified Almost 100 Times More Often Than White Men
Re: Science is only partly to blame
What makes you think that what 'we' want will have any bearing upon what 'law enforcement' wants? These government contractors are pushing technology that could make law enforcement's life easier, and that's not gonna stop until there are consequences for the failure of the technology. Then, those consequences will be monetary, you fools wasted money on something that doesn't work. Then, after a long hard fight where the winning hand could be that the judge(s) get identified as criminals. But it isn't those fools (law enforcement's) money, why should they care?
On the post: Washington Court Says Local Pot Dealers Can Hang Up Christmas Lights That Spell 'POT'
Politics continued
At some point, when enough states have done some sort of legalization, the federal representatives will have little recourse. They will either remove marijuana from whatever schedule it exits upon, or expect a removal from office. The aftermath of that is what is worth watching for.
How those already involved in the marijuana trade act will be worth watching. They will certainly use the incumbent IP laws to protected themselves, just as some entities have applied for and received patents on plants that have grown naturally for thousands of years, Your microbe different than my microbe is sufficient for you to owe me more than you, and your generations following you, could afford. And, because the process, the courts approve.
Courts have no (I would say balls but some might take that in the wrong way, so lets say chutzpah, which some others might take in the wrong way, but no inference is intended to either. That courts have ideology in mind rather than the law is what is at issue, and the courts, whether they like the recognition for it or not express ideology more often than not. They should not express it ever.
On the post: NYTimes Predicted San Francisco Would 'Drown In Millionaires' Post IPO Boom; Now Whines That It Never Happened
When journalism meant something
Could it be that Big Media is hiring creative writers, ideologues, and PR spinners rather than reporters and editors? Between fake news (as defined by whomever calls it fake), acting as stenographers for government or corporations, the spouting of social justice warriors without any contrasting opinion, etc, it is hard to continue calling much of Big Media, actual media rather than mainstream advertisers.
Even 'news' stories come laced with opinion and slant, rather than unadorned facts, updated with more facts as they become available. Opinion, slant, PR, fiction and stenographic articles could and should be relegated to the Op-Ed pages and clearly marked as such. The rest of the publication should be true to the origins of 'reporting' and report rather than fashion or opine.
On the post: When We Fail To Understand Privacy As A Set Of Trade-Offs, Everyone's 'Solutions' Are Unhelpful
Re: Re: The lawmakers should look in a mirror
The issue I see with that idea is that under normal circumstances state law cannot overcome federal law.
Now some will point out state marijuana legalization as an exception, except that it hasn't actually killed the federal law, and in some instances the feds have continued to enforce their law, though they seem to have backed down on that somewhat.
Another exception that might be pointed to could be that State AG's are suing over net neutrality, except that the revocation of net neutrality isn't actually a federal law, yet, it is, or was, an FCC rule.
On the post: When We Fail To Understand Privacy As A Set Of Trade-Offs, Everyone's 'Solutions' Are Unhelpful
The lawmakers should look in a mirror
Wasn't it congress that mandated GPS be installed in all phones? Maybe they should look to their own behaviors that contributed to this mess. Being able to turn off the 'required' GPS wouldn't help with cell tower location, but it could be a start.
Making the collection and sale of location information would be a good second step. There are two different infractions in that thought, the first is the collection, and that should apply to both the phone companies and pure internet companies (aka Big Tech, or even Small Tech). The second is the sale, which involves two entities, the sellers and the buyers. Both should incur serious penalties. Company busting penalties and possible jail time for executives and principles.
On the post: Having Learned Absolutely Nothing From The Failures Of FOSTA, Senators Graham & Blumenthal Prep FOSTA 2.0
Channeling Joe McCarthy
McCarthyism targeting something else. Substitute CSAM for communist and Big Tech for film industry and the metaphor is almost complete. The drive is to create ways to censure via baby steps, get ones toe in the door then force it open and 1st Amendment be damned.
On the post: New Bill Introduced To Study Impact Of SESTA/FOSTA On Sex Workers
Re: Re: Fox to conduct study of chickens welfare in the hen hous
Oh, I am non partisan when it comes to presuming government types (certainly two branches, sometimes three) are doing things in their own interest, rather than in the interest of the people. Its been a long time since we have seen different, for two of the three branches at least.
On the post: Losing Streak Continues For Litigants Suing Social Media Companies Over Violence Committed By Terrorists
Re:
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