Monday, July 8, 2013

Entrapment

Entrapment? Yes, we're being overlaid with an insidious veil of supposed intelligence (singularities lurk). Earlier, we mentioned Eric Hoffer, as an example for us (outside the mania of consumerism, for one). Doug, the mouse guy and more, is another (was not like the current ones who are raking in billions daily for getting us further into perdition). We'll be adding to this list (Perelman, Patel, ..., lots of people).

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We have people putting computer-based systems into processes without understanding how the two influence one another. Too, in some cases, they don't care as it pulls in the bucks (in the short term, then we have to bail them out). That's one big issue (push out the changes, make your user base adapt -- it's good for them).

Another is a map-territory problem (Google glass is only going to exacerbate the problem). You see, people get to believe that what's in the bits (such as, FB's trivia, etc.) is more real than the being itself. We'll have to go on at length about this type of mismatch. Being will (always does) win, folks, in the end.

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We'll be seeing more of this type of thing; when will the populace wake up (suggesting that people with their feet on the ground and hands in the mud know more of this than high-flying execs of these grandiosely motivated organizations).

SSA error
AARP recently wrote of a 93-year-old, WWW II Vet who lost his Medicare coverage when someone in a SSA process updated his birthdate to an incorrect value. Then, they (SSA) had the audacity to tell him that their value was correct AND that he would have to use their value for his birth date correctly.

Naturally, the guy got irritated. As he, and his family, were working with the media (old type, not social - ah, much to say there, too) on a story about the idiocy, SSA discovered their error and apologized (as if that were enough).

Makes one think that we've forgotten GIGO as the "experts" talk about error-correcting processes, robust systems, and such (ah, entrapment, indeed).

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All around, people have been making billions by spawning off half-systems (loaded with silly features - started early, yes Gates?) where errors, and losses, are the users' responsibility (has anyone actually quantified the bucks - trillions? - of accumulative losses from these half-witted types?). And, this witless (actually, it's a ploy to entrap) SOP has grown to proportions that are staggering.

Now, the solution going forward ought to be to have bucks devoted to 24/7 watch-dogging databases (say, watching the Equifaxes of the world) with the proviso that an error that can be certified by a human (even by phone) can be corrected (with appropriate notes and traces) quickly (with proper documentation, things can be looked at, and audited, at will - this is more than the financial folks can claim) and much more. There would be continual monitoring (many ways, not just NSA's little paranoia) by the people. Talk about jobs (yes, and this would be trainable -- look, please -- those who argue to bring in talent are looking for several things: no conscience, even less cultural attachment, reduced focus - some call this tunnel vision - so as to maximize pushing out crap, and more - yes, even though there are things like quality certification). There would be many, many jobs (see next for where the money would come from).

That is, all these billionaires are such because proper costs were not considered (near zero) in whatever the situation in which the bucks accumulated (yes, investors are problematic, to boot). In terms of cost, the populace bears the brunt in order for some to be luxuriously entertained (say, workers being screwed - too many ways to enumerate).

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Take Equifax, for one. They could very well prevent the computational hell that is being imposed upon us. We'll get into that further, to boot.

Remarks:

07/30/2013 -- The future: economy and technology.

07/12/2013 -- Will wonders never cease? Jon knocks early-lookers?

07/12/2013 -- Comment on FB: Just read in the WSJ of a growing presence of a shadow "Supreme Court" (details to be discussed via blog). Think of it: police, judge, jury, executioner, mortician (and all the other roles) all rolled up unto one secretive group(s). Kings and feudal lords (slave owners) come to mind; but, do we have those nowadays? 

Then, we have shadow banking (its size is probably multiples of what gets caught under accounting's purview - Ben knows this). We have banks using hackers to stress their systems (what shadow activities can arise from that? - the Internet did not have to unfold like it did).

We have shadow government (supposedly handled by open-door policies). And, shadow business is cloaked under those leg-irons called non-disclosure agreements that are required for employment (makes working for oneself attractive, even if such causes one's life to border on poverty). The market addicts (those who go gaga (apologies to the Lady G) when Ben goes goo-goo) want their dark pools, and more.

Shadows are everywhere (no conspiracy paranoia intended, or unintended). USA Today talked about the shadow credit ratings (yes, the silly number that we get to see if not it, folks - that is, those who decide your fate look at their own little bit of stuff). The Big-3, and such ilk, need more scrutiny.

Well, shadows are real, to the extent of their natural properties. We have to deal with them. But, the rise of the computer (and its offspring - web, etc.) is raising the bar (for the bad guys - lowering it for we, the people) by changing the context of shadows (poorly understood at this time) in ways only hinted at by early concepts, such as undecidability.

Happy Friday thoughts.


07/11/2013 -- In a sense, Ben is trapped into the expectations of the addicts. Yes, there are several factors involved with this. Poor guy. Yet, for the rest of us, like the savers who are being tortured, we'll have to endure this idiocy for whatever time it takes. Yet, entrapment is making things worse day by day.

07/09/2013 -- How will we get the proper mind set to counter the web that binds? Is it trainable or existential (study dedicated to GEK III)? Some ask if the lack of accountability, or the observed absence of notions of responsibility, are major factors. Yes, there are aspects to this problem that come out of our humanness, worked over and over as generations pile up on life's shore. However, the larger problem is that the presumption behind many worldviews dealing with technology is that we understand more than we actually do. That latter overlaps partly with the concepts behind quasi-empiricism. ... Money, as truth, muddies the water, to boot.

Modified: 07/30/2013

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