I teach a part-time marketing/communications course at a private college. Since the teaching is essentially a hobby, I really enjoy it and encourage my students to see me during my office hours, which are right after class at noon.
During the whole year, not a single student came. So as a bonus question for the final exam, I asked them what my office hours were(extra 5 points on a 100 point exam). The hours are on the syllabus and posted at the course web site. I think I got 3 correct answers out of 150.
There is something called "alibis" (plural alibus?)in Robert Sawyer's recent book hominids (ISBN: 0765345005). It is a device that captures vital signs and continuous audio and video from a nearby third person perspective.
A lot of the book's plot revolve around the device so I will try to avoid any spoilers but there are a couple of interesting things that may be useful here.
1. All data is uploaded to a central repository on a continuous basis. 2. The records in the repository are open to their owners, but only onsite. There is no alternative access. 3. Courts can order the opening of an individual's alibi. The process is similar to getting a search warrant. 4. There are no search mechanisms. If you want to find something, you have to rewind the record to a time prior to the event and search by fastforwarding.
The system as described is quite useful (partly because it is deployed in a small community) and security and privacy problems are quite balanced with potential benefits (basically you can clear yourself from any false accusations).
This is of course very different from the system requested in the PIP. Their basic problem (or at least one of them) is to interpret the data stream and assgin it into a higher construct such as translating a three hour video footage and GPS coordinates into "A flight from Milwaukee to New York on Midwest Flight Number 345 on seat 6E".
I agree with a previous poster about looking at previous Hugo and Nebula winners. I started reading SF after the age of 25 and the prize lists were invaluable.
Despite its many problems, I also like Amazon for this stuff. I bought most of my classic SF from them and the "recommendations" they offered introduced me to a lot of the writers suggested by others here. I also like to look at the lists at Amazon especially ones that include my favorite books and try to read the other stuff in the lists.
In addition to previous recommendations, I would suggest:
Connie Willis: For elegant writing and excellent sense of humor (albeit with too much time travel stuff)
Lois McMaster Bujold: The vorkosigan stuff for excellent space opera.
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I teach a part-time marketing/communications course at a private college. Since the teaching is essentially a hobby, I really enjoy it and encourage my students to see me during my office hours, which are right after class at noon.
During the whole year, not a single student came. So as a bonus question for the final exam, I asked them what my office hours were(extra 5 points on a 100 point exam). The hours are on the syllabus and posted at the course web site. I think I got 3 correct answers out of 150.
I'll try it again next year.
There is something called "alibis" (plural alibus?)in Robert Sawyer's recent book hominids (ISBN: 0765345005). It is a device that captures vital signs and continuous audio and video from a nearby third person perspective.
A lot of the book's plot revolve around the device so I will try to avoid any spoilers but there are a couple of interesting things that may be useful here.
1. All data is uploaded to a central repository on a continuous basis.
2. The records in the repository are open to their owners, but only onsite. There is no alternative access.
3. Courts can order the opening of an individual's alibi. The process is similar to getting a search warrant.
4. There are no search mechanisms. If you want to find something, you have to rewind the record to a time prior to the event and search by fastforwarding.
The system as described is quite useful (partly because it is deployed in a small community) and security and privacy problems are quite balanced with potential benefits (basically you can clear yourself from any false accusations).
This is of course very different from the system requested in the PIP. Their basic problem (or at least one of them) is to interpret the data stream and assgin it into a higher construct such as translating a three hour video footage and GPS coordinates into "A flight from Milwaukee to New York on Midwest Flight Number 345 on seat 6E".
I agree with a previous poster about looking at previous Hugo and Nebula winners. I started reading SF after the age of 25 and the prize lists were invaluable.
Despite its many problems, I also like Amazon for this stuff. I bought most of my classic SF from them and the "recommendations" they offered introduced me to a lot of the writers suggested by others here. I also like to look at the lists at Amazon especially ones that include my favorite books and try to read the other stuff in the lists.
In addition to previous recommendations, I would suggest:
Connie Willis: For elegant writing and excellent sense of humor (albeit with too much time travel stuff)
Lois McMaster Bujold: The vorkosigan stuff for excellent space opera.