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Crime Your Rights Online

Chicago Adding Sensors For Public Monitoring 107

Posted by timothy from the keepin'-eye-on-yous dept.
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?"
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Chicago Adding Sensors For Public Monitoring More

Chicago Adding Sensors For Public Monitoring

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  • It's Chicago (Score:5, Funny)

    by PPH ( 736903 ) on Friday June 20, 2014 @06:29PM (#47285751)

    They could just count voters.

    No, wait. Forget that.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by stox ( 131684 )

      That is why sensors will be installed in all cemeteries. One of the reasons I love Chicago, I can stay active in politics after I die.

      • Sometimes I forget that Slashdot is considered a "liberal" site...

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by PPH ( 736903 )

          One has to be able to laugh at one's own faults.

        • It would be an interesting graph, showing how many users here are on the liberal/left side or conservative/right side of various topics here.

          But even liberals can make jokes about Chicago's reputation. Especially if they live(d) there.

          • I figured with your sig you would realize there is a lot more to the political spectrum than just the left/right false dichotomy that the US system presents. The voting system ensures that the system will never change from 2 dominant political parties, but it would be nice to at least get a better party than the two shitfests we have now.

          • It would be an interesting graph, showing how many users here are on the communist/left side, liberal/MIDDLE side, or conservative/right side of various topics here. FTFY.

            • That's something I've asked about on other forums as well as here before.

              What separates the left, especially the European version of left, from the American concept of left/liberal?

              Is it really just ownership of land and business? Because it seems the American left wants all things that the European left does - wage parity, paid college education, national health care, abortion rights, environmental regulations, banking regulations, other business regulations, etc.

              So what sets the far left so much apart, ot

              • What separates the left, especially the European version of left, from the American concept of left/liberal?

                Left=pro-worker=socialist, though that word has been poisoned by a century of Red Scares here.

                Right=pro-aristocrat=capitalist. (When you have a hereditary class of state-backed "owners" who control the economic resources, that's an aristocracy.)

                Left/right has nothing to do with social issues like abortion rights, gay marriage, etc., nor does it have to do with the size of government. It's about wh

                • The Democratic party is thoroughly capitalist, with only a relatively minor disagreement with the Republican party as to what degree of exploitation of the proles by their feudal lords is best.

                  You better tell that to their leadership. Well, that or actually listen to them and change your comment to match reality. Unless you consider the elimination of private profit thoroughly capitalist. That is a stated goal of the socialist party that most of the democratic party including Pelosi and I think Reid are mem

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by rtb61 ( 674572 )

            For a start let's stop considering those who choose to corrupt politics and democracy as being either liberal or conservative, clearly they themselves do not believe in either only seeking to use them for purpose of camouflage and masquerade as they seek to defraud the people who trust them. As for monitoring cell phone traffic and claiming it as a service, yep, sure a service to big brother and the panopticon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P... [wikipedia.org] and only those in power can be trusted and the rest of us are a

        • Re:It's Chicago (Score:4, Interesting)

          by PopeRatzo ( 965947 ) on Friday June 20, 2014 @08:37PM (#47286483) Journal

          Sometimes I forget that Slashdot is considered a "liberal" site...

          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.

          • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

            by pete6677 ( 681676 )

            Chicago residents have zero interest in individual rights and freedom. In fact, the very idea frightens them. They would much rather have the government take care of them and tell them what to do. This is why every Chicago incumbent (all Democrats) gets reelected as long as they are interested in running. People here have no desire for reform, as they are either getting something from "the system" or think they will be too.

            Once I realized this, a lot of things that were previously a mystery all of a sudden

            • Chicago residents have zero interest in individual rights and freedom. In fact, the very idea frightens them. They would much rather have the government take care of them and tell them what to do.

              Is that so? What a fascinating insight into us.

              People here have no desire for reform, as they are either getting something from "the system" or think they will be too.

              Sounds like your describing our current flavor of capitalism. Emphasis on the "think".

              • That's right. Since 2008, the Chicago Way has gone national. I'm sure I don't need to explain why.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by mysidia ( 191772 )

        Install sensors in Abraham lincoln's grave. As he turns in his grave; the direction he chooses to turn will indicate the vote; Aye or Nay.

        • "Install sensors in Abraham lincoln's grave. As he turns in his grave; the direction he chooses to turn will indicate the vote; Aye or Nay."

          Oh please, he'll be spinning so fast in the 'nay' direction to be pointless.... ....however, hook a generator up to him and he should be able to power a fair portion of the city...... :)

    • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I'll wait for at least CTos 2.1

    • " Researchers say there is nothing to fear about privacy because the sensors will only count people by observing cellphone traffic"

      Yes, because there is nothing in cell phone traffic that uniquely identifies the phone, and there is no way to link the phone to an individual. You might have lent it to anybody.

  • Splunk log (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    2014, Jun, 20 22:15:47 - Person with SSN 352-79-3492 enters establishment 'Marla's Marvelous Massage'
    2014, Jun, 21 01:42:15 - Person with SSN 352-79-3492 exits establishment 'Marla's Marvelous Massage'
    2014, Jun, 21 03:19:02 - Person with SSN 352-79-3492 exists alleyway behind establishment 'Marla's Marvelous Massage'

    • Lol, o god.

    • 2014, Jun, 20 22:15:47 - Person with SSN 352-79-3492 enters establishment 'Marla's Marvelous Massage'
      2014, Jun, 21 01:42:15 - Person with SSN 352-79-3492 exits establishment 'Marla's Marvelous Massage'
      2014, Jun, 21 03:19:02 - Person with SSN 352-79-3492 exists alleyway behind establishment 'Marla's Marvelous Massage'

      Why you posting my personal data yo?

  • Fuck 'em (Score:2)

    by Chas ( 5144 )

    Guess the only way I'm going downtown is with a backpack full of jamming equipment.

    • You forgot noise makers,smoke bombs and a strobe machine.
      • Isn't that the gov's core business these days?

      • Maybe he better pack a purple dildo, a six pack of Vaseline and a spatula in their too. When the cops stop him, he can just say he's going to a party and hope they don't ask what the spatula is for.

        Without that, I'm thinking he would be labeled a terrorist and if anything innocent could get you a one way ticket to Club Gitmo, noise makers,smoke bombs, a strobe machine and a backpack full of jamming equipment would.

    • Or, you could just 'early adopt' one of those sensors for your own projects.

    • cool. I'll bring the bread and peanut butter. we'll have a great picnic!

    • That would actually ID you rather well, if only you are doing it.

    • Re:How To Tell You Live In A Dictatorship (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Nidi62 ( 1525137 ) on Friday June 20, 2014 @07:15PM (#47286085)
      The best test is can you openly criticize your government. If the answer is yes then congratulations, you don't live in a dictatorship.

      • >> can you openly criticize your government. If the answer is yes then congratulations, you don't live in a dictatorship

        And if a government body (like the IRS) singles your group out for harrassment (like auditing the hell out of all your associates) after critizing the government, then "yes, you can" live in a dictatorship too.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by judoguy ( 534886 )
        Wrong. The fact that you have permission to do something (for now) has nothing to do with whether you love live in a dictatorship, or more properly, a police state.

        The police state simply hasn't come after you, yet.

        Don't confuse permission with liberty.

  • I read this, and thought, "Wait, I'm currently playing this in simulationâ¦" It's sad that this is manner in which life has chosen to imitate art. It also raises the question, "Did the researchers see the game and decide to try it? Is the game really a covert proof-of-concept? Or is this *really* just a coincidence? (Go away you nutty conspiracy theorists!)"

  • Sigh (Score:4, Insightful)

    by LookIntoTheFuture ( 3480731 ) on Friday June 20, 2014 @07:03PM (#47285991)

    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.

    The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

    • I read this, and thought, "Wait, I'm currently playing this in simulationâ¦" It's sad that this is manner in which life has chosen to imitate art. It also raises the question, "Did the researchers see the game and decide to try it? Is the game really a covert proof-of-concept? Or is this *really* just a coincidence? (Go away you nutty conspiracy theorists!)"

      The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

      Or in this case, with unintentionally accurate simulations.

    • The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

      I used to think that, now I think it's paved with people with good intentions, by people with bad ones. Cue the trampling.

    • The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

      The new, Federally funded "Congressman Asshat Bypass" is faster!

  • Scratch the cell phone monitoring, and (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Nutria ( 679911 ) on Friday June 20, 2014 @07:04PM (#47286005)

    it would also be darned useful to non-fascists.

  • Toss those words and phrases around LBGT issues, and the masses flock to your church.

    But try to use them around issues like privacy, surveillance and three-letter agencies, and you're as ignored as Richard Stallman.

  • An anonymous contributor submits a link-free Oh Noes 1984!!!!, and the End Of All Our Freedoms comments just flood in.

    • A quick googling shows several articles that match up with what the AC described. Including the one in the Chicago Tribune. It's not hard to check on this sort of thing, really.

  • those who think they are witty appending "of things" to a technology noun should be beaten to death with the femurs of those who use "in the cloud"

  • Fuck the 'Array of Things' , and Fuck Chicago. I used to like it as a kid, then I grew up.

  • And Watch_Dogs just came out (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Looks like somebody thought it was a good idea.

  • goolge is observing cellphone traffic for maps so why send the cash on this when we need other things done with more and longer CTA lines.

  • I just finished playing Watch Dogs.

  • Now if that isn't newspeak.. fuck the surveillance state.

  • Isn't this the complete premise to WATCH_DOGS, including the freakin' city?

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