OT Celebration (Not intended to be offensive, possible humor)

From: joe <rigdonj_at_intellistar.net>
Date: Fri Jul 6 10:14:09 2001

At 12:38 PM 7/4/01 -0400, you wrote:

>Sellam Ismail wisely wrote:
> > Check out the other articles while you're at it. Be prepared to be very
> > disappointed with what the Founding Fathers had in mind and what we have
> > ended up with today :(
>
>Well said! All that most of the present politicians in the
>U.S. appear to be concerned with today are taxation, oppression,
>lining their pockets with cash, and being pawns of business interests.
>Why don't they just rename the USA to something like the United Police
>State of America and have it over with?
>
>Back something slightly more on-topic: how many here, when giving
>further tought to the pros and cons of computers get the feeling that
>we'd all be better off if computers and some related technology didn't
>exist?

    I know that I'd have a lot more time! Ebay, the internet, mailing
lists and the like EAT time!


> I'm thinking of those cameras attached to computers which are
>being used in Florida to identify and track people, based on their
>facial features, walking on the streets and sidewalks, in an attempt
>to "catch criminals."

      WHAT??? where did you hear that? I live in Florida and I've never
heard it.


> In other words, they're comparing people's
>faces to pictures of criminals in a database. Those seen talking with
>suspected criminals, or those with similar faces, become suspects as
>well. Very Orwellian. Why people aren't shooting at the cameras and
>protesting against their use, I don't know or understand. I guess
>that "good little citizens of the state" (foolish, senseless, people)
>ought not do such things.

     You'd guess wrong too! We have very few cameras here. The ones that
we have are mainly located in banks, ATMs, convience stores and the
like. We have very few cameras in public areas. FWIW I went to London a
couple of years ago and I was amazed at how many cameras they had. Nearly
every street corner has one, the Underground (sub-way) stations are full of
them and every store had a battery of them. Also I saw something in
the news about the UK police setting up a video recognition system that's
supposed to be tied in the the cameras in the Underground stations. It's
supposed to look for known wanted criminals and alert the police if any of
them are spotted in the stations. Does anyone know if that system has
gone into opeation or how effective it is?

    Joe
Received on Fri Jul 06 2001 - 10:14:09 BST