Technicalities

I'm a Corner of the Bar Babe

Thanks to the Bartender for welcoming me to the bar. *G*

Priceless!

I just got a virus email from..... MYSELF! ROFL!!! I really know how to get my mail flowing, don't I!!!

Not ready for Prime Time

JD is blogging about facial recognition software and attempting to identify terrorists. I commented that it's not ready for Prime Time yet, but thought I would expand on that just a bit.

As we know companies often make inflated claims about their products and this seems to be especially true in the field of software. Possibly because, for many years, too few people could prove them wrong. But Bruce Schneier a noted computer security expert with a most excellent monthly Cryptogram email does an excellent job of putting things in perspective.

From CFO.com we have the following:

Identix, a leading supplier of facial-recognition systems, claims that its equipment's accuracy rate can be as high as 99%. But Mr Schneier, the security expert, says that even with an accuracy rate of 99.99%, and assuming that one in 10m fliers is a suspect whose face is on the watch list, there will still be 1,000 false alarms for every suspect identified. And most terrorists are not on watch lists. Face-scanning may reassure people and may have a deterrent effect, but these meagre benefits do not justify the costs.

What isn't mentioned in the above quote, the lack of GOOD photographs of terrorists who are known. So, you skew the database even more because you are trying to match to a poor photograph. Terrorists, naturally, aren't going to go in front of a camera and have an excellent picture taken. And that's where we might get the best chance of a match. Oh, and there are always disguises.

Boston airport tried the system and has given up after 9 months. There were just too many false positives. So, we'll have to wait and see if the software and hardware become sophisticated enough to do a credible job. Right now - it just isn't there.

Addendum to the inflated claims mention above. If you note in the article mentioned, the company claims a 99% accuracy rating. I'm sure they have some proof of that, but it would be easy for any company to make a claim. If you aren't technical enough you could be taken in with the workings of gadgetry and miss the fact that the system doesn't exactly meet it's stated claims.

Bloggy Stuff

Donnie says he's going to start Geek Blogging - very cool. Can't wait to see what he writes there.

Also, I've added Ripples to my blog roll. David has a terrific site.

Where oh where will I ever find the time to read all this!!!!

The Joys of Driving into the City

Tomorrow I face one of the more disagreeable aspects of living in the Chicago burbs, I get to drive down to the city for a meeting. This is a meeting I attend monthly, the location changes each time depending on who wants to host it. Sometimes it's in the burbs - although being Chicago, that covers A LOT of area. Many times it's downtown - which I love because I can take the train down and I get a chance to roam around.

Tomorrow, however, they have the meeting located just within the city limits. This means that all the joys of the Northwest Tollway and the Kennedy will be mine tomorrow afternoon. As I write this, little old ladies are revving their engines, preparing to enter the tollway just before I do - thus ensuring that the drive will proceed at a swift 35mph.

I'm off now to check and see if there is a Starbucks anywhere in the vicinity of the meeting. After all I have to leave early to accomodate the old ladies and to give myself a chance to get lost...

Franken's Contribution to Freedom of Speech

Oh so many people are commenting on Al Franken's odd notion of freedom of speech. Pam has a lovely picture, Beth is wondering if the guy will sue... Personally, I'm wondering why Franken wasn't arrested right then and there for assault and battery - or don't they have police keeping order at these rallies?

I guess though Al should be really happy that the LaRouchie didn't have his ray gun with him. Melted Franken on the floor might've been too much for any cleanup crew.

First it was SARS now it's Bird Flu

Apparently Asia is dealing with an outbreak of Bird Flu that has managed in at least 6 cases to jump to humans. Might be something to keep an eye on.

Chicken anyone?

More Fun than all that Spam

DC just got back from a nice long weekend in Vegas! Trip envy, I have Trip envy!

LeeAnn shows us all how to keep the ROMANCE in your life.

Kate has been laying around on the beach. (Show off!)

And Donnie shows us just how entertaining Deanie bloggers can be!

Last but certainly not least, Darren Kaplan is wondering what Robert Scheer means when he refers to Bush and blue dresses.

Are you Chili?

Sgt Hook is hosting a chili cook-off. Head on over, pick up some great recipes, and while you're there make a donation or buy something from him. The money will go to our men and women deployed with the good Sgt. in Afghanistan. He wants to throw a barbeque weekly until they get home.

Can we stake them to an ant hill?

I think that would be a very good place for virus writers to spend say... 30 years or so.  Staked to an ant hill with honey smeared all over them.  I realize they have their own twisted little agenda believing it to be of vast  importance.  Something like - they hate Microsoft, they want to collect email addys for spammers, they want to steal something, they want computers to put bots on for DDOS - you know, important stuff.

This is so important that the rest of us should feel honored, I suppose, to spend 1 to 3 days with no email. The IS people can know that their 24 to 48 hours of straight thru work, is a just reward for working with computers in the first place.  (they should also note that they are getting their just desserts for using PC's). Users can take heart, knowing that their address books are being put to such excellent use. 

Upon consideration I think ant hills are a little too kind, but perhaps I am over reacting...

Oh yes there is more