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Microsoft to Spy on Employees
4T writes "Forget about monitoring your computers with spyware, now they're going to monitor the users as well!
'Microsoft is developing Big Brother-style software capable of remotely monitoring a worker's productivity, physical wellbeing and competence.
The Times has seen a patent application filed by the company for a computer system that links workers to their computers via wireless sensors that measure their metabolism. The system would allow managers to monitor employees' performance by measuring their heart rate, body temperature, movement, facial expression and blood pressure. Unions said they fear that employees could be dismissed on the basis of a computer's assessment of their physiological state.'"
Given how much my blood pressure skyrockets under the influence of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, I'm not sure that MS really will want this data due to liability issues. If MS collects data that shows that MS products reduce the health and wellbeing of users, that makes MS more culpable for those products. Of course, IANAL so maybe a new "not responsible for user's health" section of the the EULA will cover MS legally.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
This reminds me of the chapter in Snow Crash that focuses on YT's mom's job for the feds. Federal employees have to constantly take lie detector tests and all emails have a suggested reading time. If the employee reads a note faster than expected, they're probably skimming and not taking in all the information. If the employee takes too long to read, then they're probably slow or distracted. It was a great chapter tucked into the middle of the book.
Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
So Microsoft will know if your heart races because you saw something you shouldn't have, because you saw something that reveals you know too much, and they'll know if you are trying to cover up your panic instead of exhibiting a "WTF is this?" response?
Hmmmm.
Reminds me of some bloke I heard about once. Winston, I think his name was. Got fed information about something he shouldn't have known about at work, so his employer tested him out by slipping him a photo showing a meeting that should never have taken place. Winston reacted with instinct instead of controlling his emotions, which were observed... which eventually led to his incarceration, torture, and psychological breaking. Once that had happened, he was done in.
Funny story. Maybe someone should write a book about it. Or make a film.
Shiny. Let's be bad guys...
You'll have that sometimes...
I suggest you all note that the only words quoted from the patent itself were "unique monitoring system" and "heart rate, galvanic skin response, EMG, brain signals, respiration rate, body temperature, movement facial movements, facial expressions and blood pressure"... I strongly suspect that there is a less-than-honest reason that the author saw fit selectively edit the excerpts in those particular places.
You can leap to your paranoid conclusions based on nearly nothing, but I am going to go with the more reasonable, intelligent, thoughtful assumption that it is actually software to allow hospitals to more cheaply monitor patients using a PC-based solution--until I hear otherwise, of course. (Though I do think it reflects VERY poorly on most of you that you so willingly swallow whatever line the media feeds you.)
This will be a critical part of your new free government health care. This way the government can monitor your health or lack thereof and mandate changes in your diet and exercise and other lifestyle "choices".
I'm thinking that if they wanted to go to the 'heart rate on the review' end of things it would be most interesting to see everyone from mid-manager level upwards on the machines too.
Of course this might also work for that woman who said "help, I've fallen and can't get up" and others like that. I'm sure that if this is not already in use in Japan, it soon will be. They are doing a lot to assist their aging population.
OTOH, if you are required to be monitored to get behind the wheel of your car, that could be something entirely different. Question: Do you really want Microsoft to be responsible for such an event?
Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
Unfortunately, 80% of the people seem to be unable in seeing subtle nuances. In fact, I doubt that subtlety or nuance is part of their vocabulary.
Of course, there is the 19% that does, but because they are the minority and generally express themselves in a subtle delicate and sophisticated manner, get ignored by the previous 80%.
Leaves us with 1% left. They have read the book and see the projected future as either inevitable or a great opportunity. And figure it is best for 99% of the population if they control this "gradual attrition of human rights via subtle nuances and ideals put in place by the powers that be". Which happens to be them in the first place.
It only takes one man to change the Wisdom of the Crowd to Tyranny of the Masses.
...and will this software be installed on their computers? To monitor their heart rate, body temperature, movement, facial expression and blood pressure?
After all, "stress and frustration" have more serious consequences if they lead to bad decision-making.
How about generals? How about the Commander-in-Chief? Isn't their "productivity, physical wellbeing and competence" important?
Why do I somehow think that it is not going to be installed on any management machines... and that the stated rationales are pretexts?
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
As an endurance athlete with a freakishly low resting heart rate (42 bpm), I can tell you that every time I go to a new doctor they freak right the hell out around the time of my first physical. They tell me that I have an enlarged left ventricle and that I "obviously have heart disease"... Doc? Did you notice that I'm also about 5% body fat, have ripped legs, and a funny-looking tan? Yes. I'm an endurance geek. Yes, this fucks up your baseline.
When my heart rate is elevated due to office stress, it might jump into the 60s. This is going to screw with your readings.
Furthermore, isn't this more-or-less just a wireless polygraph where you're looking at data without asking questions? Where the hell is the accuracy in that?
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Urine and credit score can be argued to be relevant to employment. It's hard to see how a level of monitoring this invasive could slip by in a non-secure industry, or one that doesn't depend on operator health for safety.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
What are the metabolic differences in human beings in front of computer screens showing:
- Java or C# code with an uninitialized pointer on line 336
- Porn
- The last 2 minutes of an eBay auction
- An e-mail from the CEO forecasting layoffs
- A memo from the pointy-headed boss about a project you have to do that will add nothing to the sum of human knowledge
- Sixty minutes after a department meeting with free pizza
- The stock market ticker this week, or ...
- Your cube neighbor fighting on the phone with her spouse about the divorce
- Realizing that your presentation for tomorrow's meeting was not saved before the computer crashed
How Microsoft ties all of the above together into a useful management tool will be an indicator of how far we will be on the True road to 1984. I am not hopeful.
I don't think an employer really wants this. It may open them to an interesting liability avenue.
Imaginary scenario:
John Smith is sitting at his desk, typing away at the report for tomorrow's deadline. His blood pressure and heart rate spike momentarily, then calm down. His left arm becomes slightly numb, but he thinks nothing of this. About 20 minutes later, he drops dead.
His family turns and sues Megacorp. Megacorp had access to his vital statistics, and should have noticed the warning signs that he was having a heart attack. Had the company acted upon these all-too-obvious signs, it would have saved John's life. The courts rule with Ms. Smith, and award damages of US$40M. Megacorp goes bankrupt.
Reid.out
The Right Reverend K. Reid Wightman,