Twitter Bots: Usefulness Questioned
July 27, 2018
Twitter Bots have become the junk mail of the digital era. We get harassed and prodded by these autonomous accounts. Whether you are a celebrity or an average joe, you have likely been confronted by artificially intelligent Tweets that are tough to determine validity. We learned about an interesting way to combat this phenomenon from a recent Zero Hedge story, “Researchers Unmask Anonymous Twitter Accounts with 97% Accuracy Using Machine Learning.”
According to the story:
“For users who occasionally engage in anonymous tweeting, this revelation shouldn’t go unacknowledged. In their study, the researchers discovered that their most basic algorithm could correctly identify an individual user in a group of 10,000 using just 14 pieces of metadata from their posts on twitter nearly 96.7% of the time. Furthermore, attempts to obscure the individuals’ identity by tampering with the data were remarkably ineffective.”
Finally, we are getting to a stage where human intelligence is outwitting the artificial brand. These researchers are not alone, as was made big news recently, Twitter purged millions of accounts linked to bots recently. This is good news for regular folks, but also for retailers who now can have a more legitimate pedestal to stand on. It might be optimistic, but life seems to be inching closer toward the old definition of “normal.”
Patrick Roland, July 27, 2018
Qwant Search Now Integrated into Vivaldi Browser
July 27, 2018
We notice that French search system Qwant has been working to expand its reach. Earlier this year, the French delegation to China suggested that country consider implementing Qwant. We observed at the time that this was an interesting direction for the privacy-centered platform. Now, we learn the search engine has made its way into a rising browser from the post, “Vivaldi Update Integrates Qwant Search Engine” at gHacks. Writer Martin Brinkmann reports:
“Qwant promises that it ‘does not collect data about its users when they search,’ and that it does not use ‘any cookie nor any tracking device’ to track the browsing habits of users or create tracking profiles. The search engine does not put searchers into filter bubbles either as users from the same region will get the same set of results when they search for the same terms. You can select Qwant with a click on the small down arrow icon next to the search symbol in the search bar, or by opening the Search preferences vivaldi://settints/search/. There you can make Qwant the default search engine if you want and enable use as a private search engine. Last but not least, you may also use the nickname q to run searches on Qwant from Vivaldi’s address bar. Just type q searchterm to do so.”
Billed as a browser for “power users,” Vivaldi tends to put out a new release about 4 times a year. Its version 1.15 was released in April, and the inclusion of Qwant takes place in the most recent of three updates pushed out since then. See the write-up for a list of the other improvements. Vivaldi still captures just a small portion internet search traffic around the world, but is clearly working to grow those numbers. Founded in 2014, Vivaldi is based in Oslo, Norway. The Paris-based Qwant was founded in 2011 and launched its browser in 2013. Qwant incorporates some of the spirit of the Pertimm search and retrieval system. Pertimm was, shall we say, quirky.
Cynthia Murrell, July 27, 2018
Institutionalizing Good Enough
July 26, 2018
The question is, “When is it a good time to fix bugs?” The answer is, “Not too often.” The reason, as I learned from an alleged whiz kid who was speaking at one of the German tech conferences, was, “Software just has to be good enough.”
I was on the program too, but I was advocating an opinion less popular than a lecture about sediments in the Ruhr Valley in 1615.
As it turns out, the whiz kid is absolutely correct. Try and search YouTube for live streams about the Hawaii volcano. How’s that working out for you? Need to locate the phone number of person in your neighborhood via Bing? Let me know if you too long for the long gone white pages directory. Need information from a Russian blog? Give Qwant.com a whirl. Helpful, right?
I read “Not All Bugs Are Worth Fixing and That’s Okay.”
That’s a special title. We have the “all” word. A categorical affirmative. Logical. I also like the psychbabbley “That’s Okay.”
Good. I’m okay. You’re okay.
The write up explains that flaws are not really a problem. Maybe a missile guidance system has a glitch and takes out a primary school. Hey, no biggie.
I learned:
You may feel a strong pull to fix every software bug in your application. This is almost always a bad idea.
Obviously the children at the aforementioned school were of little consequence.
The author makes clear:
“The truth is sustaining high availability at the standard of five-nines costs a lot of money.” It’s a similar story with stability—at a certain point, it’s too expensive to keep fixing bugs because of the high-opportunity cost of building new features. You need to decide your target for stability just like you would availability, and it should not be 100%.
Okay, flaws are in.
The idea is that “good enough” is now institutionalized.
Interesting. I wonder what happens if that smart software has some issues which surface in unexpected ways.
Good enough, I assume.
Stephen E Arnold, July 26, 2018
IBM and a University Tie Up or Tie Down
July 26, 2018
I wanted to comment about the resuscitation of IBM’s cancer initiative at the Veterans Administration. But that’s pure Watson, and I think Watson has become old news.
A more interesting “galactico” initiative at IBM is blockchain.
What’s bigger than Watson?
Blockchain. Well, that’s the the hope.
IBM is grasping tightly to blockchain technology, this time through an academic partnership, we learn in CoinDesk’s piece, “IBM Teams with Columbia to Launch Blockchain Research Center.” Located on the Manhattan campus of Columbia University, the center hopes to speed the development of blockchain apps and cultivate education initiatives. Writer Wolfie Zhao elaborates:
“A dedicated committee comprised of both Columbia faculty members and IBM research scientists will start reviewing proposals for blockchain ‘curriculum development, business initiatives and research programs’ later this year. In addition, the center will advise on regulatory issues for startups in the blockchain space and provide internship opportunities to improve technical skills for students and professionals with an interest in the tech.”
Zhao also notes this move fits into a larger trend:
“The announcement marks the latest effort by the blockchain industry to invest in a top-tier university in the U.S. to accelerate blockchain understanding and adoption. As reported by CoinDesk in June, San Francisco-based distributed ledger startup Ripple said it will invest $2 million in blockchain research initiatives in the University of Texas at Austin in the next five years, as part of its pledge to invest $50 million in worldwide institutions.”
For those who are interested in the University of Texas at Austin’s Blockchain Initiative, there is more information here, via the university’s McCombs School of Business. Ripple, by the way, was founded in 2012 specifically to capitalize on blockchain technology. Though it is indeed based in San Francisco, the company also maintains offices in New York City and Atlanta.
Perhaps IBM will just buy university research departments before Amazon, Facebook, and Google consume the blockchain academic oxygen?
Cynthia Murrell, July 26, 2018
Free Great Books Available
July 26, 2018
Amazon may not be able to replace libraries…yet. It was a comparatively short time ago that some of the world’s brightest thinkers thought the Internet could be a utopian idea that shared knowledge and kindness and funny cat videos. Fast forward to now and the Internet is a place mostly filled with ads, fake facts and fakier news, social media, social media trolls, identity thieves, vendors of baby data, and cat videos. However, it’s not all a minefield, because the knowledge category is actually becoming a reality, thanks to inventive services like Harvard’s new site, “My Harvard Classics.”
The site claims:
If you would like to download a PDF of any volume of the Harvard Classics you may do so for free.” And features massive texts from Homer, Plato, Ben Franklin and many of history’s brightest thinkers.
This is just one of several ways in which the academic world is opening up to this idea. The University of California libraries now offer open access search options, which offers a world of knowledge to anyone with an internet connection. It’s rare that we see stories of goodwill and genuine advancement when we talk about online activity and especially databases, so it’s good to bask in the glow that people are really taking full advantage of the online world in one respect.
By the way, most of the Harvard Classics are available via Amazon for a fee… of course.
Patrick Roland, July 26, 2018
How Do You Track an Amtrak Train?
July 25, 2018
Passenger trains are expensive and vulnerable to delays in most countries. Riding trains in the UK can be darned exciting. Amtrak, the outfit responsible for passenger trains in the US, has made it easier to figure out where a train is on its route. No more futile calls to the Amtrak 800 number or, if one lives in a city where there is an easy-t0-access train station with a human attendant, and no more visits to the Amtrak Web site for information. Forget Bing, Google, Qwant, and Yandex queries.
Navigate to Track a Train. This is an Amtrak service which answers this question:
When will a train arrive?
Here’s what the site looks like:
I clicked on the blue icons with arrows. These reveal information about a particular train. I selected North Dakota because there were two dots in the vast expanse of that region.
I also figured that unlike the Northeast corridor, the trains would be able to zoom along. Here’s what I learned when I clicked on the left hand east bound blue icon:
The train, which departed from Seattle, appears to be running a mere seven hours and 26 minutes behind schedule.
The purple dots which look like this provide one click views of trains in the heavily used north east corridor:
Click one of these purple icons and you see:
I used to ride the train between Washington and New York when I lived in DC. What’s notable about this information is that it does not provide the date and time of the information. But a tiny green flag explains that this train is on time. That’s a plus.
Several observations:
- The train track data is from July 23, and I clicked on July 25. Not exactly semi real time or remotely useful.
- Most of the Amtrak blue icons report that trains are running behind schedule. This begs the question, “Why not adjust the schedules to real world performance or, as some might suggest, non performance?
- For a big country, there are not many trains; for example, there is no service connecting Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis. Options worsen as one moves west. South Dakota, Wyoming, and Idaho? Better fly or drive?
Net net: The information on the map does not paint a particularly positive picture of Amtrak on time performance. The wonky date information makes it difficult to determine how fresh or how stale the information on the map is.
Maybe those super coach rides are worth checking out?
Stephen E Arnold, July 25, 2018
Factoids for July 25, 2018
July 25, 2018
Some useful factoids:
- 11 percent of Americans do not use the Internet, down from 48 percent in Year 2000. Source: TheHustle
- Google’s capital expenditures for 2017-2018 were $5.5 billion. This is a 2X increase over the previous year. Source: GeekWire
- The health records of 1.5 million Singaporeans, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, were stolen. Source: Manila Times
- Stolen credit cards with PINS cost as little as US$8. Source: Daily Mail
- Almost two million start-ups were registered in the UK between 2013-2017 with 392,627 (20 percent) classified as technology firms. Source: Cambridge Network
- Companies selling flaws in software to government entities include Vupen in Montpellier, France; Netragard in Acton, Mass.; Exodus Intelligence in Austin, Tex.; and ReVuln (Malta). Source: Dark Government
Stephen E Arnold, July 25, 2018
Fake News: Maybe Deadly
July 25, 2018
Politics aside for a moment, a disturbing new trend is becoming more obvious thanks to social media and fake news. Human lives are being lost thanks to false news stories being circulated and it might just be the one arena in which everyone can agree there is a problem. This first came to our attention via an NBC News story, “Social Media Rumors Trigger Violence in India; 3 Killed by Mobs.”
According to the story:
“Mobs of villagers killed at least three people and attacked several others after social media messages warned that gangs of kidnappers were roaming southern India in search of children, police said ….Authorities said there was no indication that such gangs actually existed.”
This scourge of fake news leading to real world consequences has led to the government stepping in and perhaps becoming an incubator for other nations going forward. The Indian Government has reached out to WhatsApp and demanded that they begin filtering out fake news stories. Google and Facebook have already begun attempting to police themselves. If the Indian government’s move to take control over fake news proves successful, censorship dominoes are falling in many different nation states. In the July 31, 2018, DarkCyber video we report about recent developments and Kazakhstan. The video will be available on the 31st at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress.
Patrick Roland, July 25, 2018
Dark Web and Identity
July 24, 2018
Many in the media are making the Dark Web out to be a boogie man who will steal your identity and ruin your life. While that is possible, a greater threat lurks out there on the regular everyday Web that we all use. A fascinating recent study discovered that we are extremely vulnerable to anyone looking for our personal data. We learned just how vulnerable in a recent Which? story, “How The Internet Reveals Your Personal Data Secrets.”
According to the story, when 14 hackers were paid to do a test run and look for dirt on everyday citizens:
“None of the personal data sources we found were on the ‘dark web’ – a phrase that describes websites accessible only by a specialist browser geared up for anonymity. We were able to discover passwords and password hints, email and postal addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, middle names and even signatures. There was also a wealth of ‘softer’ information revealing people’s interests, hobbies, religion and political preferences.”
If that isn’t enough to scare you, consider that the place where we are supposed to feel the most safe, is actually a hotbed of identity theft. According to US News and World Report, your doctor’s medical files on you is an ID thief’s dream come true.
Patrick Roland, July 24, 2018
Amazon and Its Unrest Prediction
July 24, 2018
The Guardian, a “real” newspaper, published “Why the Amazon Boss’s Warning of No-Deal Brexit Unrest Rings Hollow.” The write up is a response to an Amazon executive’s prediction that muffing the Brexit trade deal bunny will lead to “civil unrest.” My interest is not the fate of the UK. I am, however, intrigued by an Amazon executive making a statement similar to those offered by individuals with access to intelligence centric next generation information access systems. (If you want additional information about NGIAs, check out CyberOSINT.)
The question which crossed my mind when I heard about the prediction was:
Does Amazon have access to an NGIA system similar to an IBM Analyst Notebook or a Palantir Gotham?
If the answer is, “No,” then I asked myself:
Does Amazon have its own intelligence analysis system?
From my vantage point in rural Kentucky, I have zero first hand information about Amazon and its possible intelligence capabilities.
It is indeed interesting to have this prediction emitted from what is usually a quite secretive outfit. My instincts suggest that Amazon does have an active intelligence system. This prediction may be a planned or unanticipated factoid by an Amazon executive.
Amazon does have some interesting capabilities, new functions which have been patented, and a number of vendors of policeware and intelware who use the Amazon AWS plumbing.
My takeaway from the prediction and the Guardian type coverage suggests that a closer, more informed look at what Amazon does to inform its executives of possible developments is warranted.
Stephen E Arnold, July 24, 2018
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