This is encouraging: Now a countervailing storyline is starting to get some traction in real life: the increasing citizen use of technology to “watch from below.” The practice has been called “sousveillance,” a word that comes the French word “sous” (from below) with the word “viller” (to watch). Instead of Big Brother using a panopticon… Continue reading Sousveillance
Category: society
TSA – Too much power, too little accountability
This article from “Ask the Pilot” by Patrick Smith is well worth reading. It recounts a story that a pilot had with the TSA people. Let me give you just one little snippet: “Ma’am, that’s an airline knife. It’s the knife they give you on the plane.“ You can probably imagine where this is headed.… Continue reading TSA – Too much power, too little accountability
The Story of the Black Crayons
Another shining example of people over-reacting. Basically, it is noticed that a child is always drawing with black crayons. Rather than ask “why” the child is always drawing in black, it’s immediately assumed that there must be some terrible psychological problem that needs to be addressed by calling in the parent and maybe prescribing some… Continue reading The Story of the Black Crayons
Our Litigious Society is Getting Out of Hand
When you read things like this, it really makes you worry: But you see, Anna is from Estonia, a former republic of the old Soviet Union. As in, the Evil Empire, world’s leading exporter of communism. So when Anna says she feels less free in the United States, where she now lives, than in the… Continue reading Our Litigious Society is Getting Out of Hand
The Quixotic Quest for Invulnerability
Schneier on Security: Homeland Security Cost-Benefit Analysis. A very worthwhile read – basically: The premises: The number of potential terrorist targets is essentially infinite. The probability that any individual target will be attacked is essentially zero. If one potential target happens to enjoy a degree of protection, the agile terrorist usually can readily move on… Continue reading The Quixotic Quest for Invulnerability