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Government

Innocent Until Predicted Guilty 430

Posted by kdawson from the no-telepaths-yet dept.
theodp writes "Gizmodo has an angry piece on IBM helping Florida to predict how delinquent your child's going to be. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has decided to start using IBM predictive analytics software to help them determine which of the 85,000 kids who enter their system each year poses the biggest future threat. From IBM's sales pitch: 'Predictive analytics gives government organizations worldwide a highly-sophisticated and intelligent source to create safer communities by identifying, predicting, responding to and preventing criminal activities. It gives the criminal justice system the ability to draw upon the wealth of data available to detect patterns, make reliable projections and then take the appropriate action in real time to combat crime and protect citizens.'"

Comment Re:Arrogant Power Play (Score 4, Funny) 175

by FireIron (#30273286) Attached to: Arrington's CrunchPad Dies

For some reason, the link where Fusion Garage gives their side of the story is missing in my browser. Can you provide me with it?

For some reason, the clause in the Slashdot TOS that requires me to hear both sides of an argument before rendering my personal opinion is missing in my browser. Can you provide me with it?

Comment Re:I want to see a provision in the stimulus packa (Score 1) 485

by FireIron (#26874029) Attached to: New York Wants To Tax Internet Downloads
A government should be forced to plan its finances like a responsible household, taking into consideration risk, debt and spending just like the rest of us have to in reality land. After all, it's our money they're spending. Why is this so hard to comprehend?

Because it's provably wrong, impossible, and stupid, all at once.

Look: state spending (primarily health care and education) rises and falls according to population trends, while revenue from taxes rises and falls according to state GDP. Once population starts growing faster than GDP, the state starts falling further and further behind the revenue curve, with no way out except to borrow like crazy and increase the mill rate on taxes (both of which NYS has done to death already).

Slashing spending on health care and education kills people, kills jobs and sacrifices the future, at a time when we should be spending more on these things, not less (but NYS is trying this too, thanks Gov. Paterson).
Businesses

PC Sales Slump Over Economic Crisis 232

Posted by timothy from the what've-you-bought-lately dept.
nandemoari writes "The damage isn't just limited to the United States. Shipments of PCs in Europe, the Mid-East, and Africa dipped to records posted around the turn of the century. It was even worse in Asia, which according to Gartner, posted its worst growth rate ever — just 1.8 per cent. Within the industry, desktops took the hardest hit, as was expected. Sales of non-portable computers were down about 16 per cent as consumers opted instead for the rising 'netbook' and similar hybrids. That fact alone is troubling for PC makers, given that $300-$500 netbooks offer a far lower profit margin than more expensive and more powerful laptops and desktops."

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The aim of science is to seek the simplest explanations of complex facts. Seek simplicity and distrust it. -- Whitehead.

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