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this is cute, but it's not going to help against the kind of things we've seen from the nsa recently. the analysis there (and the stuff from palantir etc) is s
by andrewcooke 13y ago
this is cute, but it's not going to help against the kind of things we've seen from the nsa recently. the analysis there (and the stuff from palantir etc) is simply looking for a positive signal - a single connection. the kinds of algorithms used (graph based) don't normalise by the total number of connections (it's not statistical, it's structural). so having a bunch of "normal" stuff won't change anything.
- tadfisher 13y agoOK, so add in searches for bomb-making and forums that a terrorist would likely visit. Get lots of people to use your extension and generate lots of false positives.
- swombat 13y agoAgain you fail. Those who will truly abuse this system will not be looking for true positives. They will be looking for excuses. Such a system would provide them with excuses aplenty to drag someone away and lock them up for a while, until they show the proper love and respect to the system.
- ar4s 13y agoI completely appreciate what you're saying here, and I think you're absolutely correct... However framing your insight with "Again you fail" makes me respect your opinion less. As someone who had a similar idea to the person you replied to, and as someone who comes to HN to have "smarter people in the room", it's this kind of condescension that keeps me from commenting on HN. Sorry for the mini-rant, your three word comment doesn't really warrant it but hopefully you can respect why I took the time to type it.
- Radle 13y agoI am not that long around at HN, but isn't that kind of comments unavoidable in the Internet?
- graeme 13y agoNot in these parts. They've been creeping in, but incivility is still heavily downvoted here.
- nkurz 13y agoVoted up, but I think (hope) he meant it in the sense of "And even that is not enough."
- ar4s 13y agoReading it again, you might have it right... in which case I feel bad for offering up criticism when it is surely better deserved elsewhere.
- swombat 13y agoYes, sorry - I did not mean it in a derogatory sense, more like "Even with these changes the idea won't work". In hindsight, a far too aggressive way to state it, mea culpa!