Chicago Adding Sensors For Public Monitoring 107
An anonymous reader writes "A research project dubbed the 'Array of Things' will add sensors for public monitoring throughout Chicago. The project is being started by a collaborative effort between the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratories. The goal of the project is to build a permanent data collection infrastructure to monitor things that might help government officials, researchers and companies better understand the city environment. Sensors will examine various attributes such as air quality, wind, light, sound heat, precipitation, and of course cell phone data. Eventually the researchers would like to see the sensors exist as a public utility throughout the entire city to help public, private and academic partners learn about the city. Researchers say there is nothing to fear about privacy because the sensors will only count people by observing cellphone traffic. With such assurances from researchers working in a shining example of transparency and democratic freedom like Chicago, what could possible go wrong?"
Re: Cell Phone = National ID (Score:4, Interesting)
Am I the only one who thinks this is cool as hell, and wants this made open access for all?
Why is it ALWAYS with the fear mongering about the privacy you already don't have, and no one ever talks about the better decisions we could be making if everyone knew what the elite already know?
Sensor networks are interesting for their potential to tell us things we'd never think to ask. About ourselves.
Quit trying to hide like cowards and chase the power to watch the watchers, you mis'rble bastards!
Re:It's Chicago (Score:4, Interesting)
Just because a place is run by Democrats does not mean there's anything "liberal" about it.
Chicago Democratic politicians are some of the most illiberal people you will ever meet. Especially our mayors. The last liberal mayor we had was Harold Washington, who was a really decent guy and a great mayor. Before him there was Jane Byrne, who was also really good for the city. Much of what's good in the city today had its start during Washington's administration, and you can trace most of the rot to the past two scumbags. The current mayor Rahm and his predecessor, Daley, are nothing but corporatist tyrants. It's why the bankers and Chamber of Commerce and corporate leaders all love them.
Here's a rule of thumb. If bankers and Wall Street support a politician, forget about their party label. They are scummy authoritarian fascists whose only agenda is the upward redistribution of wealth. You can count our current president and congressional leadership among them.
I'm not saying the two parties are the same, but their differences are completely trivial. It's why we see fundamentally the same policies no matter who gets elected.