SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the camera+GPS=knowing-most-everything dept.
This data-mining game is what they call totalitarianism is how Oliver Stone described Pokémon Go at Comic Con. Earlier in the month Al Franken also expressed some concern asking the creator of the game about privacy, data sharing, and account access.
More from Stone:
They're data-mining every person in this room for information as to what you're buying, what you like, and above all, your behaviour. Pokémon Go kicks into that. But this is everywhere. It's what some people call surveillance capitalism. It's the newest stage. It's not for profit in the beginning, but it becomes for profit in the end.
It manipulates your behaviour. It has happened already quite a bit on the Internet, but you'll see it everywhere—you'll see a new form of, frankly, a robot society, where they will know how you want to behave and they will make the mockup that matches how you behave and feed you. It's what they call totalitarianism.
Personally I gave up my smart phone more than two years ago because I did not want a spy machine in my pocket; I've never played Pokémon Go but it seemed like a great way for the game creators to get people to run around and point the players camera at what ever they want, obtain other location based data, or focus players into businesses that pay for the privilege. Perhaps I just need to adjust my tinfoil hat but what do the 'lentils think? Is Stone just trying to plug his new movie or is this a legitimate concern?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by quintessence on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:56AM
One the one hand, we have a brave new world where everything from your news to your morning enema is custom tailored to you and you alone, even adjusting for where you are in your current personal drama, with just enough variety to seem interesting but never venturing into that uncomfortable weird space. Three lumps instead of two this morning? Very well, you rebel you.
How do you suppose to get there without someone knowing EVERY little detail about your life, including that subscription to Old Women in Bondage to you have and would rather remained private, with just the occasional ad for ball gags showing up every now and then in your suggestion list.
On the other, you have data mining galore, with people even analyzing John Wayne's video rentals to draw some conclusion about the very nature of his soul, uncertainty about whether I even own my DNA sequence, and that omnipresent credit report. The best part? Nearly all of that data is riddled with errors and only a fool would try to draw some meaningful conclusion from it.
Enter the ad men, with promises that the can pry into the deepest recesses of your subconscious by simply knowing what type of toothpaste you buy (and how often). Did you know that particular flavor is preferred by closeted homosexuals? Look at our graph. And wouldn't you be interested in some life insurance too?
The problem isn't data exactly, but people too stupid to mange it let alone secure it, and ultimately we will just drown in the minutiae.
Besides, I don't make enough for anything you want to sell me.
(Score: 2) by cockroach on Saturday July 23 2016, @10:55AM
You seem to be implying that this is something that people want.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @02:05PM
They've been told they want this so by golly, they'll have it!
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @05:36PM
I've been waiting my whole life for something to be custom tailored for me. But nothing is. Where are the eyeglasses that don't sit crooked on my face? Where is the cat food that doesn't stain the floor when he pukes it up? Where are the videos of nude white women performing Sailor Moon's transformation scene? Come on marketers! This is a golden opportunity here. Hello!?
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Saturday July 23 2016, @07:28PM
Where are the eyeglasses that don't sit crooked on my face?
Old tech, hundreds of years old. Contact lenses are painless now, you won't know you're wearing them, and there are even contacts for astigmatism.
Or you could spend the $15,000 for a CrystaLens implant and no longer need any corrective lenses (my vision went from 20/400 to 20/16. I have better than 20/20 vision). IMO best invention of the 21st century so far.
Where is the cat food that doesn't stain the floor when he pukes it up?
If there's a male cat in your house it stinks to high heaven, and the puke on the floor is the least of your housecleaning problems. Male cats mark territory.
Where are the videos of...>
Make one yourself, you lazy bastard!
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Monday July 25 2016, @06:41PM
Japan
(Score: 2) by Zz9zZ on Saturday July 23 2016, @06:58PM
I've met plenty of people who do want some amount of tailored experience, and no they're not idiots. They realize there is tracking and surveillance, but (to my extreme frustration) throw up their hands and say "I just expect that and adjust my expectations accordingly".
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 2) by cockroach on Saturday July 23 2016, @10:12PM
I'm not calling anyone an idiot, all I'm saying is that I've never met anyone who expects any of this.
Seems we know different kinds of people then.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Zz9zZ on Saturday July 23 2016, @11:06PM
I was heading off what I saw as the inevitable "well they're just dumb" reply from anyone. The best compromise I've heard of is letting users tailor their own ad topics or user experience. Stalking users to determine the profile is creepy and wrong.
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Saturday July 23 2016, @11:19AM
with a simple feedback system! seriously, netflix doesn't probe my life (just my feedback) and yet it does a fair job of selecting media i might like. why is not spying on people such a difficult concept for you assholes?! ((ヾ(≧皿≦；)ノ＿))
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Knowledge Troll on Saturday July 23 2016, @12:23PM
They used to be a lot better than they are now - something's changed. In the top recommendations on my account it has been listing items that have a low rating like someone forgot to grep out the results that the likeability estimator came up with. And for some odd reason every (or what seems like it) Netflix created show that bubbles up into my suggestions has 5 stars and has no relation to how much I'll care for the show.
I agree with the feedback system being sufficient because it did a great job and the Netflix X prize for increasing the accuracy of the predictor was one of the greatest things I've seen a tech company do. Now it looks like marketing got ahold of it and is using it to shove crap down people's throats. Such a shame.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Sunday July 24 2016, @12:22PM
Now it looks like marketing got a hold of it and is using it to shove crap down people's throats. Such a shame.
This sort of thing is becoming pervasive. YouTube is now flooded with right wing conspiracy (Infowars and such crap) videos that pop up in every recommended videos feed. They are either paying for placement or somehow gaming the system.
(Score: 2) by Knowledge Troll on Sunday July 24 2016, @12:59PM
YouTube is now flooded with right wing conspiracy (Infowars and such crap) videos that pop up in every recommended videos feed.
Hmmmm I wasn't sure if this was a local experience for you or if I was really good at filtering that crap out with out knowing it. I just checked some recommended videos in Youtube and still didn't see anything I noticed was even political. But this was in there [youtube.com].
Course all I really do with Youtube is watch PBS SpaceTime, the weekly Last Week Tonight topic, and as of yesterday the best worst cocktail shaker ever [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Wednesday July 27 2016, @08:57PM
Hmmmm I wasn't sure if this was a local experience for you or if I was really good at filtering that crap out with out knowing it.
Funny, the day after I typed this they were gone, but just for a day or so and they have returned. Do you log in? I don't, so nothing is being filtered by my preferences other than whatever YouTube does with the videos I'm watching that day. I also only allow the minimum scripts necessary to view videos.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Knowledge Troll on Thursday July 28 2016, @02:39AM
Do you log in? I don't, so nothing is being filtered by my preferences other than whatever YouTube does with the videos I'm watching that day.
I do not authenticate with google when using youtube, even when videos require it. The results are still filtered through a system that takes into account the physical location of the viewer - you might be able to change the behavior if you can look at it from different IP addresses. I wonder if they also keep a list of all the tor exit nodes and filter just for them instead of the exit node's physical location.
My google text search results like to pre-populate with questions about weird racial stereotypes - I also live in an area that is full of racists. The racists are usually pretty ignorant though but I guess everyone can use the Internet now.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Thursday July 28 2016, @08:09PM
The results are still filtered through a system that takes into account the physical location of the viewer - you might be able to change the behavior if you can look at it from different IP addresses
Interesting. Occasionally my location will show as a town many miles away rather than local. I wonder if that is why those videos disappeared for a short time.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by art guerrilla on Saturday July 23 2016, @11:21AM
speaking of personal drama, in talking w SWMBO about kids at the school where she teaches, it appears the prevalent behavior is to act like you are the star of your own 'reality' (sic) show...
dog almighty ! is that where we are headed ?
is ted kazinski's shack for rent ?
(Score: 2) by Knowledge Troll on Saturday July 23 2016, @12:25PM
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I would like to subscribe to your news letter.
Seriously - details please? Is it kids? Adults? The school staff? Everyone?
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Saturday July 23 2016, @07:30PM
I don't live in the ghetto any more. What's a "w SWMBO"?
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @09:38PM
w is short for with
SWM is short for single white male
BO is short for back orifice
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @05:05AM
I thought BO was short for body odor. Not sure why someone would be talking to that though.
(Score: 2, Informative) by jpkunst on Sunday July 24 2016, @06:20AM
SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed. From the novel She by H. Rider Haggard, jokingly used for "wife".
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Knowledge Troll on Saturday July 23 2016, @12:04PM
One the one hand, we have a brave new world where everything from your news to your morning enema is custom tailored to you and you alone
Don't login to sites that provide such services and clear your cookies like you change your underwear (or more frequently in your case). That leaves geolocation and browser fingerprinting. Now change browsers around depending on where you go and you've left behind a partial trail.
If you want to avoid falling victim to your own echo chamber use duck duck go for your search engine; everyone gets the same results.
(Score: 2) by Anne Nonymous on Saturday July 23 2016, @02:33PM
> your morning enema
No thanks, I'll just stick with strong, black coffee.
(Score: 2) by quintessence on Saturday July 23 2016, @06:08PM
You can have both!
The colon is highly vascular, which makes it ideal for quick absorption, not to mention the stimulating effect increasing peristalsis...
At least you didn't say hot coffee. That could get... messy.
Have you seen the Amazon reviews?
https://www.amazon.com/Enema-Approved-Transparent-Re-Usable-Reinforced/dp/B00WZYEVB8/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1469297067&sr=8-1&keywords=gerson+therapy+coffee+enema [amazon.com]
Those aren't coffee beans.
:)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @06:36PM
I like my men like you like your coffee.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anne Nonymous on Saturday July 23 2016, @10:57PM
Orally, rather than anally?
(Score: 2) by Zz9zZ on Saturday July 23 2016, @07:01PM
I think you missed the metaphor, your morning caffeine is the enema.... Or have I taken lunch too early?
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @09:43PM
Perhaps I took breakfast too orally.