On the subject of sensors in vehicles...
on
Remote Breathalyzer
·
· Score: 1
If we really really need sensors in vehicles to call emergency services to help public safety, why don't we have sensors installed that detect vehicle damage at a certain point, and then notify the police and possibly medical services that I have had an accident and need assistance sent? Set up the sensors so that it doesn't happen if someone backs into me in a parking lot, but if I run off the road and completely crumple the front of my car, then my car notifies the police that I need help!
Yes, we have porn, but give the scientists and engineers a chance; they're evidently working on something even better, the next generation of porn. Check this quote:
"We're talking about the emotional coupling between the robot and the human," Brooks said.
It sounds kind of awkward; but I've been single a while, I'll give it a shot. Where do I sign up?
"We abhor students who turn in their fellow students for illegal acts (after all, the police can only be involved if a law is alledgedly broken), yet we condemn adults who aid criminals by refusing contact police when they are knowledgable about a crime. Should we be praising the communities whose code of silence allows crime to flourish?"
But the student wasn't turned in for an illegal act; the student was turned in for verbally blowing off steam. It would be one thing if she had told the school that she saw him spraypainting obscenities on the side of the gym, but this is quite another. This is like overhearing me say, "I'd like to have a minelayer attachment for my car to blow up people who tailgate me" and turning me into the authorities over it. People blow off steam verbally; that's how we are. I've said things remarkably similar to what the student said, yet managed to graduate without launching into a shooting spree.
In my opinion, if schools are going to ask students to report "suspicious" behavior exhibited by their peers, the school needs to set some guidelines on what exactly needs to be reported. If a student is overheard actually making plans on how to barricade certain doors, covering certain points, etc., or actually threatening another student, yes, that student needs to be taken aside for counseling; the students who verbally blow off steam occasionally don't all need to be hauled in for disciplinary action and instant pariahship, though.
I don't abhor a student that turns in another student for an illegal activity, but I would abhor a neighbor who called the police because I said, "Man, I don't make enough money; I need to start robbing banks" while balancing my checkbook.
"For some reason, I find the whole concept of this rather unsettling. I guess I don't like the idea of becoming overly dependant on a machine. What if the power goes out?"
If the power goes out in a 757, I think you're going to be in a world of hurt whether the joystick is virtual or gripped firmly in your sweatly little hand. (And I'm betting the hand would be sweaty pretty quickly after you realized your jumbo het didn't have any power...)
Speaking of news, does anyone have any idea/heard any reason of why Sega of America denied that the console was going the way of the dodo after Sega in Japan said it was being discontinued? I don't understand corporate communication strategies well enough, apparently... Anyone out there enlightened/jaded enough to help me out on this one?
Re:In a Corporatocracy, we're all just targets.
on
Clever Girl Bess
·
· Score: 2
I've got mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, I'm *really* tired of all the "Save the Children!" knee-jerk issues we're subjected to. On the other hand, though, it's depressing to look around at how consumption oriented and possessive our society (myself included)has become; and even *more* depressing to realize how hard the push is to keep that materialistic machine a' turnin' into the next generation. Do we really want state assisted marketing operations going?
I can see it now... Are tax preparation companies going to be given lists of people who itemized in the past to focus advertisements to? Are people who received some type of government assistance in the past year going to be put on a list for temp agencies?
I realize that the revenue may help offset the cost of the censoring software (which is of dubious benefit anyway, but...), but is this a precedent we want to establish? It doesn't seem like a long leap to get to "Open your algebra books, which were provided by Pepsi, to Chapter 16. Remember, drink Pepsi for its great taste, and to support your school!" Hyperbole, yes. ..But think about exactly how much we want the government involved in assisting corporate marketing.
..Make Californians ride bicycles with generators and batteries to work. When they get to work, hook the battery up to their workstation to power it. You've helped generate electricity, reduced pollution, *and* provided a health benefit!
Alternately, they could just steal a neighbor's car battery and use it. Same net effect: power and one less car.
"I am curious about what the law says they must do if you dispute the claims on the report, and the person who made the claim cannot confirm it."
The law says that they have to delete it. I used to be a credit analyst for a third party credit card processor. If I received a consumer dispute from a credit reporting agency, I would look it up in our system. If because of the age of the account (or lost info due to portfolio transfers, or whatever) I couldn't call the account up in the system, I sent the dispute back to the CRA with the message "Unable to verify - please delete."
Slashdot Mirror
If we really really need sensors in vehicles to call emergency services to help public safety, why don't we have sensors installed that detect vehicle damage at a certain point, and then notify the police and possibly medical services that I have had an accident and need assistance sent? Set up the sensors so that it doesn't happen if someone backs into me in a parking lot, but if I run off the road and completely crumple the front of my car, then my car notifies the police that I need help!
Yes, we have porn, but give the scientists and engineers a chance; they're evidently working on something even better, the next generation of porn. Check this quote:
"We're talking about the emotional coupling between the robot and the human," Brooks said.
It sounds kind of awkward; but I've been single a while, I'll give it a shot. Where do I sign up?
"We abhor students who turn in their fellow students for illegal acts (after all, the police can only be involved if a law is alledgedly broken), yet we condemn adults who aid criminals by refusing contact police when they are knowledgable about a crime. Should we be praising the communities whose code of silence allows crime to flourish?"
But the student wasn't turned in for an illegal act; the student was turned in for verbally blowing off steam. It would be one thing if she had told the school that she saw him spraypainting obscenities on the side of the gym, but this is quite another. This is like overhearing me say, "I'd like to have a minelayer attachment for my car to blow up people who tailgate me" and turning me into the authorities over it. People blow off steam verbally; that's how we are. I've said things remarkably similar to what the student said, yet managed to graduate without launching into a shooting spree.
In my opinion, if schools are going to ask students to report "suspicious" behavior exhibited by their peers, the school needs to set some guidelines on what exactly needs to be reported. If a student is overheard actually making plans on how to barricade certain doors, covering certain points, etc., or actually threatening another student, yes, that student needs to be taken aside for counseling; the students who verbally blow off steam occasionally don't all need to be hauled in for disciplinary action and instant pariahship, though.
I don't abhor a student that turns in another student for an illegal activity, but I would abhor a neighbor who called the police because I said, "Man, I don't make enough money; I need to start robbing banks" while balancing my checkbook.
I've been looking for a loooooong term investment.
Only 10 billion years off. It's never too early to plan for your retirement!
"For some reason, I find the whole concept of this rather unsettling. I guess I don't like the idea of becoming overly dependant on a machine. What if the power goes out?"
If the power goes out in a 757, I think you're going to be in a world of hurt whether the joystick is virtual or gripped firmly in your sweatly little hand. (And I'm betting the hand would be sweaty pretty quickly after you realized your jumbo het didn't have any power...)
Speaking of news, does anyone have any idea/heard any reason of why Sega of America denied that the console was going the way of the dodo after Sega in Japan said it was being discontinued? I don't understand corporate communication strategies well enough, apparently... Anyone out there enlightened/jaded enough to help me out on this one?
I've got mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, I'm *really* tired of all the "Save the Children!" knee-jerk issues we're subjected to. On the other hand, though, it's depressing to look around at how consumption oriented and possessive our society (myself included)has become; and even *more* depressing to realize how hard the push is to keep that materialistic machine a' turnin' into the next generation. Do we really want state assisted marketing operations going?
..But think about exactly how much we want the government involved in assisting corporate marketing.
I can see it now... Are tax preparation companies going to be given lists of people who itemized in the past to focus advertisements to? Are people who received some type of government assistance in the past year going to be put on a list for temp agencies?
I realize that the revenue may help offset the cost of the censoring software (which is of dubious benefit anyway, but...), but is this a precedent we want to establish? It doesn't seem like a long leap to get to "Open your algebra books, which were provided by Pepsi, to Chapter 16. Remember, drink Pepsi for its great taste, and to support your school!" Hyperbole, yes.
At least with less children on the internet due to this gap, we probably won't have to put up with as many "Save the Children!" censorship laws.
%^#$%! Stupid fingers! *ahem*
>Regardless of which wins, the race to produce an Outlook-killer is on.
Making Outlook killers is easy! Oh, wait, you mean competing applications, not a virus...
>Regardless of which wins, the race to produce an Outlook-killer is on.
..Make Californians ride bicycles with generators and batteries to work. When they get to work, hook the battery up to their workstation to power it. You've helped generate electricity, reduced pollution, *and* provided a health benefit!
Alternately, they could just steal a neighbor's car battery and use it. Same net effect: power and one less car.
"I am curious about what the law says they must do if you dispute the claims on the report, and the person who made the claim cannot confirm it."
The law says that they have to delete it. I used to be a credit analyst for a third party credit card processor. If I received a consumer dispute from a credit reporting agency, I would look it up in our system. If because of the age of the account (or lost info due to portfolio transfers, or whatever) I couldn't call the account up in the system, I sent the dispute back to the CRA with the message "Unable to verify - please delete."
Don't take my word for it, though; check out the Fair Credit Reporting Act. http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcra.htm#611