Iris-recognition System For Kids

GALVESTON — Technology developed to keep track of prisoners by scanning their irises became available Thursday to identify missing children or elderly people afflicted with Alzheimer's disease in Galveston County.

The Galveston County Sheriff's Department is the first sheriff's department in Texas and the 47th nationwide to join the Children's Identification Database, or CHILD Project.

The addition of Galveston County is part of an effort to image the irises of 5 million children into a nationwide database over the next few years, said Robert Melley, vice president and CEO of Biometric Intelligence & Identification.

Don't buy the claim that they will program "the database to remove an iris scan automatically once a child turns 18". What's to prevent them from storing the images somewhere else? Guess we should all just trust 'em. We all know how honorable and moral the Police are.
(more)

Wikipedia Just Another Corporate Whore

"The reward board is an informal page where users who want a specific task related to Wikipedia (such as the promotion of an article to featured article status) can offer a reward to editors willing to take on the task, similar to the German edition's de:Wikipedia:Auftragsarbeiten. The execution and details of the transaction are the responsibility of the participating parties, and the reward can be monetary, goods (books, cookies, etc.) or tit-for-tat editing (like improving another article)."

What a bunch of crap. Fuck these retards!
(more)

If one googles the phrase, "Function Creep" (in quotes), 44,500 results are displayed. If the phrase, "Functionality Creep" is googled, 2110 results come up. You do the math.

So how is that functioncreep.com - this very website - has been disappeared from the search engine Google? We're number 2 over at Yahoo, and we used to rank 4th at Google. What changed, you may ask?

Let's go back to the beginning.

A few months ago, we here at functioncreep noticed that the function creep wikipedia page had been redirected to another page called Functionality Creep. What difference does it make, you may ask yourself? Function versus functionality? At first, we thought the same thing. But slowly, over time, it became apparent that the person behind this campaign was pursuing a much more sinister path: the total and complete usurpation of the phrase "function creep"!

This person, who goes by the name, Kreepy Krawly, on Wikipedia, not only managed to take control of the function creep entry on Wikipedia, but also got functioncreep.com de-listed from Google - twice!

Talk about identity theft!

To top it off, KK even managed to "out" our identity in the Talk section of "his page".

The abuses are obvious. The motivation less so.

While we may never know if Kreepy Krawly is a government agent, one thing cannot be denied: his actions are nothing short of despicable.

But maybe it's something less glamorous... maybe he's doing it for the money:

Kreepy Krawly said...
"Well ... You'd be arrogant too if someone tried to usurp your golden goose..."
2:18 PM


(more)

wtf?
When people think of the CIA, they think of people lurking around in trenchcoats, sending messages in code, and using cool tools to do their job. Well, to some extent that's true, but it's not the whole story.
(more)

Report Or Be Jailed
"Millions of commercial Web sites and personal blogs would be required to report illegal images or videos posted by their users or pay fines of up to $300,000, if a new proposal in the U.S. Senate came into law.

The legislation, drafted by Sen. John McCain and obtained by CNET News.com, would also require Web sites that offer user profiles to delete pages posted by sex offenders.

In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, the Arizona Republican and former presidential candidate warned that 'technology has contributed to the greater distribution and availability, and, some believe, desire for child pornography.' McCain scored 31 of 100 points on a News.com 2006 election guide scoring technology-related votes.

After child pornography or some forms of 'obscenity' are found and reported, the Web site must retain any 'information relating to the facts or circumstances' of the incident for at least six months. Webmasters would be immune from civil and criminal liability if they followed the specified procedures exactly."

What about a picture of your sick face, John? Will that be reported?
(more)

Britain's Top Cop: Take Babies' DNA
"“As well as solving crime, it would really make someone think twice about committing crime if they knew their DNA was on a database.

'There is also a compelling case for taking DNA from people when they die, so that we can cleanse the database.'

There are already three million profiles — covering six per cent of the population — on the National DNA Database, set up in 1999.

Currently saliva samples are taken only from those arrested and cost £47 to put on the database.

Yet 'heel prick' blood samples are already taken from babies at four days old to test for genetic diseases and could be used at little extra cost."
(more)


One Generation Is All They Need
"One day we will all happily be implanted with microchips, and our every move will be monitored. The technology exists; the only barrier is society's resistance to the loss of privacy

By the time my four-year-old son is swathed in the soft flesh of old age, he will likely find it unremarkable that he and almost everyone he knows will be permanently implanted with a microchip. Automatically tracking his location in real time, it will connect him with databases monitoring and recording his smallest behavioural traits.

Most people anticipate such a prospect with a sense of horrified disbelief, dismissing it as a science-fiction fantasy. The technology, however, already exists. For years humane societies have implanted all the pets that leave their premises with a small identifying microchip. As well, millions of consumer goods are now traced with tiny radio frequency identification chips that allow satellites to reveal their exact location."
(more)

Please Don't Delete Us
The "Function Creep" Wikipedia page should be deleted because it fails to follow Wikipedia Style Guidelines, and is a narrower definition of the subject, which relies on subjective definitions of sinister and malicious applications of technology, rather than alterations over time from original intended purpose.

Obviously this is a stupid dispute. "Function" and "Functionality" are both nouns. Function refers more to overall utility, while functionality refers to the utility of specific qualities of the object. This is splitting hairs. Who invented the telephone ? Alexander Graham Bell or Elisha Gray ? Well ... A.G.B. got to the patent office first ... that is his patron did. Nonetheless, the Function Creep purveyor has a blog about the subject, which tracks contemporary examples of technology becoming sinister from innocuous origins. While the purveyors of Functionality Creep seem to indicate a more broad definition, to wit: "Functionality creep is what occurs when an item, process, or procedure designed for a specific purpose ends up serving another purpose for which it was not intended." The purveyors of Functionality Creep clearly are indicating that, good or bad, malicious or innocuous, the definition transcends any moral judgment. The purveyor of Function Creep is solely focused on sinister applications of technology, which is narrower than what the purveyors of Functionality Creep intend. Besides, judging by the irrational vitriol included in the Function Creep Wikipedia page, and it's total lack of attention to Wikipedia style guidelines, the Function Creep Wikipedia page should be deleted. This user should be required to create an account and follow Wikipedia style guidelines. This identical posting will be pasted to the Functionality Creep Talk Page. Kreepy krawly 19:00, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
(more)

If its a stupid dispute, then why try to malign the "purveyor" of this blog (in this case, me)? I am only trying to present a point of view. You disagree with me. You could have just ignored this little blog. Instead, you choose to belittle me, this site, and the intention of its mission. I only hope that you can see the irony in your actions: I preach against abuses; you abuse the preachers.

Kid, you can't just change the world because you want to. the term is "fuNctioN cReeP", not "functionality creep". And it doesn't matter how hard you try to dominate this topic... when you're wrong; you're wrong!.... Google function creep vs. your precious functionality creep. 30,000 vs 2,000 results? you do the math, mutherfucker!


Yo, Fuck yr Flag!
What is the 'Flag' button? This feature is called "Flag As Objectionable" and it's accessible via the Blogger Navbar. The 'Flag' button allows the blogging community to easily note questionable content, which in turn helps us take action when needed. So we're relying on you, the users, to be our eyes on the web, and to let us know of potential issues that are important to you.
(more)


Fuck you Blogger/Google/Youtube/Starbucks! You are corporate scum! Flag me and I go to hell. But so does everybody else...

BRITS NOW STAND COMPLETELY SURROUNDED...
The entire citizenry are now surrounded by nearly omnipresent surveillance by way of 4.2 million+ cameras in the streets of London, some of which now have microphones to eavesdrop on conversations and even speakers to shout back at individuals in an effort embarrass and correct behaviour. Not to mention a phasing in of face-scanning cameras and other monstrous technology. AND THAT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING...
(more)


Registered Traveler Program Set to Go
READY or not — and some critics say not — the long-delayed Registered Traveler program is moving forward, with the single existing operator planning a succession of openings soon at four airports, while a competitor says it is about to join in...
(more)


America's Robot Army
Already there are killing machines operating by remote control. Soon the machines will be able to kill on their own initiative. A new warfare is on its way

War is about to change, in terrifying ways. America's next wars, the ones the Pentagon is now planning, will be nothing like the conflicts that have gone before them.

In just a few years, US forces will be able to deal out death, not at the squeeze of a trigger or even the push of a button, but with no human intervention whatsoever. Many fighting soldiers - those GIs in tin hats who are dying two a day in Iraq - will be replaced by machines backed up by surveillance technology so penetrating and pervasive that it is referred to as 'military omniscience'. Any Americans involved will be less likely to carry rifles than PlayStation-style consoles and monitors that display simulated streetscapes of the kind familiar to players of Grand Theft Auto - and they may be miles from where the killing takes place.
(more)


US Plans Lunar Outpost
NASA unveiled plans yesterday to set up a small and ultimately self-sustaining settlement of astronauts at the south pole of the moon sometime around 2020 -- the first step in an ambitious plan to resume manned exploration of the solar system.

The long-awaited proposal envisions initial stays of a week by four-person crews, followed by gradually longer visits until power and other supplies are in place to make a permanent presence possible by 2024.
(more)

Word. One question: will the moon-people be able to pay for this development with money made from the mining of their resources?

They Still Kill You!

"'If a widespread pattern of [knock-and-announce] violations were shown . . . there would be reason for grave concern.' —Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, in Hudson v. Michigan, June 15, 2006.

An interactive map of botched SWAT and paramilitary police raids, released in conjunction with the Cato policy paper 'Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids,' by Radley Balko."
(more)

FBI Taps Cell Phone Mic As Eavesdropping Tool
"The FBI appears to have begun using a novel form of electronic surveillance in criminal investigations: remotely activating a mobile phone's microphone and using it to eavesdrop on nearby conversations.

The technique is called a 'roving bug,' and was approved by top U.S. Department of Justice officials for use against members of a New York organized crime family who were wary of conventional surveillance techniques such as tailing a suspect or wiretapping him.

Because modern handsets are miniature computers, downloaded software could modify the usual interface that always displays when a call is in progress. The spyware could then place a call to the FBI and activate the microphone--all without the owner knowing it happened. (The FBI declined to comment on Friday.)"

At first they came for the mobsters...
(more)



Man Cuts Electricity Use By 2/3, Gets Audited
"When high school science teacher Ray Janke bought a home in Chicopee, Mass., he decided to see how much he could save on his electric bill.

He exchanged incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents, put switches and surge protectors on his electronic equipment to reduce the “phantom load” - the trickle consumption even when electronic equipment is off - and bought energy-efficient appliances.

Two things happened: He saw a two-thirds reduction in his electric bill, and he found himself under audit by Mass Electric. The company thought he’d tampered with his meter. 'They couldn’t believe I was using so little,' he says."

What else can't THEY believe we're using so little of? Or so much of? Stay tuned...
(more)

As Long As You Have Nothing To Hide...
"PHOENIX (AP) - Sky Harbor International Airport here will test a new federal screening system that takes X-rays of passenger's bodies to detect concealed explosives and other weapons.

The technology, called backscatter, has been around for several years but has not been widely used in the U.S. as an anti-terrorism tool because of privacy concerns."

Apparently some modest fools are concerned about being viewed NAKED AS FUCK by a "professional" screener making $5/hr. ATTN PEDOPHILES: excellent job opportunity!
(more)



...You Have Nothing To Worry About
"WASHINGTON (AP) - Without notifying the public, federal agents for the past four years have assigned millions of international travelers, including Americans, computer-generated scores rating the risk they pose of being terrorists or criminals.

The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk assessments, which the government intends to keep on file for 40 years.

The scores are assigned to people entering and leaving the United States after computers assess their travel records, including where they are from, how they paid for tickets, their motor vehicle records, past one-way travel, seating preference and what kind of meal they ordered."

Coming to a flight near you: seats segregated by income and meal preference. Let's just be thankful we can contest these "scores" - - oh wait, we can't. who needs to travel abroad anyway? commies and intellectuals!
(more)



Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Makes Peaceful Protesters Terrorists
"An endemic crackdown on peaceful protest and dissent has continued with President Bush signing the 'Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,'. Under the guise of protecting researchers, scientists and their staff who conduct experiments and tests on animals, the latest terror bill seeks to class as 'terrorists' those who seek to protest against such activities..."
(more)



No GPS In Company Vehicles
"In the case investigated by the OPC, several workers complained that
their employer, a telecommunications company, is using GPS to improperly
collect their personal information -- specifically their daily movements while
on the job.
The company is using GPS in its installation and repair, and construction
vehicles to locate, dispatch and route employees to job sites. Some workers
worried, however, that GPS is also being used to monitor work performance and
that information gleaned from this technology will be used to justify
disciplinary action."
(more)