A Bold Prediction about Quantum Computing
September 6, 2021
IBM’s big sales person once thought the market for computers was limited. Obviously that wizard was not channeling musk-scented Teslas. Now the NSA is going out on a digital limb. “NSA Doesn’t Think Quantum Computers Can Break Public Key Encryption” offers a viewpoint which I found interesting. The US government is interested in quantum computing. Heck, even big time intelligence conference attendees show some desire to backfill their technical understanding of the discipline which mucks around with space-time.
Here’s a statement from the write up I circled:
“NSA does not know when or even if a quantum computer of sufficient size and power to exploit public key cryptography (a CRQC) will exist,” said the security agency in response to whether it is worried about the potential of adversarial use of quantum computing.
If I were motivated, I would try to extract from the budget for the new US government fiscal year exactly how much money is allocated to quantum computing at DARPA, government research labs, three letter agencies, grants to universities research outfits, and miscellaneous funding in other US government-linked entities.
But I am not.
My thought is that this statement, as colorful as it may be, is a bit of a red herring. Who knew that red herrings were popular in quantum circles? Will the cyber dogs pick up the scent?
Stephen E Arnold, September 10, 2021
Need a Job? TikTok or TikNot?
September 6, 2021
I read “Employer Pitfalls of the TikTok Resume Trend.” Some organizations, eager to beef up their social media offensive line, are prowling TikTok for candidates. Those seeking “real” jobs (sort of) are posting TikTok video resumes. The write up states:
Human resources industry experts have long cautioned companies about peeping at the social media accounts of job applicants. The drawbacks of using social media in professional contexts are exactly the same even if the platform differs. Employers who use TikTok, Facebook, Twitter or other social networks to evaluate job candidates run certain risks, including overlooking potentially strong non-video savvy applicants or unwittingly succumbing to bias, Stevens [a headhunter] says. Social media profiles and TikTok resumes almost always include user images, which can reveal the candidate’s age, race, weight and level of attractiveness—factors that are more easily obscured in a resume.
There are other risks as well. How about old tweets or posts like those which wrapped Sony and Jeopardy in late night comedy jibes. Imagine a Timnit Gebru-type of matter in which TikTok videos are evidence in court?
Try explaining that to a judge and jury.
Stephen E Arnold, September 9, 2021
FR Is Going Far
September 6, 2021
Law enforcement officials are using facial recognition software and the array of cameras that cover the majority of the world to identify bad actors. The New York Times reports on a story that was used to track down a terroristic couple: “A Fire In Minnesota. An Arrest In Mexico. Cameras Everywhere.”
Mena Yousif is an Iranian refuge and Jose Felan is a felon. The couple were frustrated about the current state of the American law enforcement system and government, especially after George Floyd’s death. They set fire to buildings, including schools, stores, gas stations, and caused damage to over 1500. The ATF posted videos of the pair online, asking for any leads to their arrests. The ATF received tips as Felan and Yousif traveled across the US to the Mexican border. The were on the run for two weeks before they were identified outside of a motel in Texas.
Mexican authorities deployed a comprehensive facial recognition system, deployed in 2019, and it was used to find Felan and Yousif. Dahua Technology designed Mexico’s facial recognition system. Dahua is a Chinese company, one of the largest video surveillance companies in the world, and is partially owned by the its government. The US Defense and Commerce departments blacklisted Dahua for China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims and the trade war. Dahua denies the allegations and stated that it cannot control how its technology is used. Facial recognition did not catch Yousif and Felan, instead they were given a tip.
China is marketing surveillance technology to other countries, particularly in South America, Asia, and Africa, as a means to minimize crime and promote order. There are issues with the technology being perfect and the US does use it despite them:
“In the United States, facial recognition technology is widely used by law enforcement officials, though poorly regulated. During a congressional hearing in July, lawmakers expressed surprise that 20 federal agencies were using it without having fully assessed the risks of misuse or bias — some algorithms have been found to work less accurately on women and people of color, and it has led to mistaken arrests. The technology can be a powerful and effective crime-solving tool, though, placing it, for now, at a tipping point. At the start of the hearing, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, highlighted the challenge for Congress — or anyone — in determining the benefits and downsides to using facial recognition: It’s not clear how well it works or how widely it’s used. As Ms. Jackson Lee said, “Information on how law enforcement agencies have adopted facial recognition technology remains underreported or nonexistent.”
Many governments around the world, including the US, seem poised to their increase the amount of facial recognition and tracking technology for law and order. What is interesting is that China has been a pacesetter.
Whitney Grace, September 9, 2021
Rethinking the Work Week
September 3, 2021
I read the “real” news and analysis piece about how long one should work. You may have time to check this essay for yourself as long as you can disconnect work from “real” life in the WFH and hybrid work environment.
The article is “This Is the Optimal Number of Hours You Should Work Every Day.” I want to point out that the title is misleading. There is the parental “should” and the failure to define “work.”
Here’s the key assertion in the article:
…aim for a 7.6 hour work day. That would equate to a 38-hour work week.
Let me identify a few organizations who might struggle with a 38 hour workweek:
- The Légion étrangère
- Lawyers gunning for partner in a Big Time law firm in Manhattan
- Consulting firms like Bain, BCG, McKinsey, etc. (Mid-tier outfits may be stuck in the undifferentiated swamp of “experts” because the “get the job done” mentality is not part of the culture.)
- First responders when crises become the norm in Lake Tahoe.
These are “exceptions”. However, the article makes it clear that the “modern” worker conceptualized by Fast Company does not want that organization man-approach to work.
However, there are some cultural forces putting their invisible hand on the Fast Company approach:
- Reduced control by those who pay one’s salary
- Escape from cultural norms
- A perception that workers are entitled and have the right to work to get the job done within the workers’ guidelines.
When I worked at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, one of the Type As was known for spouting this aphorism:
Nothing worthwhile comes easy.
The goal of this type of write up, in my opinion, is to weaken the methods refined over the centuries to direct workers in such a way that specific tasks can be accomplished. Efficiency requires that waste be eliminated.
The redefinition of the work week is just one signal that change is occurring in real time.
How are the new approaches to working out?
Stephen E Arnold, September 3, 2021
Ad-Rich User Tracking GPS Maps: Can You Be Guided Off a Cliff?
September 3, 2021
It is easy to go on autopilot when using a GPS device like Waze or Google Maps, but never Apple Maps because it is never accurate. Unfortunately even trusted apps are not error free and Auto Evolution explains why in: “Don’t Trust Google Maps And Waze, Colorado Officials Say.” While many GPS apps are reliable, they are notorious for containing inaccurate data, especially in rural or foreign countries.
GPS horror stories haunt the Internet like old MySpace accounts. Two Russians blindly followed Google Maps to a location, where they lost their signal. They spent the night in frigid temperatures, one of them died. Other drivers use roads that are only meant for off-road vehicles or tractors. Local authorities end up rescuing these drivers, because they are often stranded.
In Colorado, drivers are trusting Waze, Google Maps, and other GPS apps way too much. The Colorado Department of Transportation even issued a statement telling drivers not to use these apps, because it could take them down dangerous or dead end roads.
“‘Don’t trust your cell phones, they are really getting people into trouble,’ Amber Barrett, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer, has been quoted as saying.
Trusting apps like Google Maps and Waze is a big issue, she said, though, in theory, all these solutions should be updated by map editors or volunteers with accurate data. But of course, no app is bulletproof, yet we wouldn’t go as far as not using these apps at all.”
The department advises people to not take GPS directions as set in stone. If a road appears that it is not meant for regular travel, then do not follow it. The GPS will persuade drivers to make a U-turn or turn around at the next possible place.
Ad supported map makers have an incentive to keep their users from killing themselves by following incorrect directions. Dead people cannot buy advertisers’ products nor can they deliver useful real time data to the map providers.
Whitney Grace, August xx, 2021
Taliban: Going Dark
September 3, 2021
I spotted a story from the ever reliable Associated Press called “Official Taliban Websites Go Offline, Though Reasons Unknown.” (Note: I am terrified of the AP because quoting is an invitation for this outfit to let loose its legal eagles. I don’t like this type of bird.)
I can, I think, suggest you read the original write up. I recall that the “real” news story revealed some factoids I found interesting; for example:
- Taliban Web site “protected” by Cloudflare have been disappeared. (What’s that suggest about the Cloudflare Web performance and security capabilities?)
- Facebook has disappeared some Taliban info and maybe accounts.
- The estimable Twitter keeps PR maven Z. Mjuahid’s tweets flowing.
I had forgotten that the Taliban is not a terrorist organization. I try to learn something new each day.
Stephen E Arnold, September 3, 2021
Interesting Number: Apple Sells Access
September 3, 2021
I read “Google to Pay Apple $15 Billion to Remain Default Safari Search Engine in 2021.” The write up states:
It’s long been known that Google pays Apple a hefty sum every year to ensure that it remains the default search engine on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Now, a new report from analysts at Bernstein suggests that the payment from Google to Apple may reach $15 billion in 2021, up from $10 billion in 2020. In the investor note, seen by Ped30, Bernstein analysts are estimating that Google’s payment to Apple will increase to $15 billion in 2021, and to between $18 billion and $20 billion in 2022.
Apple and Google care about their users and their “experience.” That’s a mellifluous thing to say, particularly in an anti-trust deposition.
Let’s put the allegedly accurate number in context:
The metasearch engine DuckDuckGo may be in the $70 million range. That is in the neighborhood of 200 times the metasearch system’s estimated revenues for 2020.
Stephen E Arnold, September 3, 2021
IBM: The Master of Motivation Sets a High Bar for Professionalism
September 2, 2021
I sure don’t know if the information in this story is accurate:
The headline is catchy but the message seems like one I have seen before.
I noted this statement in the article:
according to this latest lawsuit and many others, IBM does not keep its payment commitments. Since 2018, the complaint says, Big Blue has successfully argued in court that its IPL is not a contract and it does not have a contractual obligation to pay specified commissions. As IBM doesn’t have any other contract with its California-based salespeople who earn commissions, the company maintains it doesn’t have to pay them what it said it would pay them. Predictably, this has prompted sales reps to sue to recover what they contend they’re owed.
The source article cites laws and regulations.
My thought is that IBM is taking steps to motivate its sales professionals to take action. What specific action? Looking for a new job perhaps? Looking for a lawyer? Sharing details about Big Blue with those interested in fading technology giants’ management methods?
Let’s ask IBM Watson, shall we? Will the answer be, “Let’s exploit the Pavlovian and insecure sales professionals”?
Stephen E Arnold, September 2, 2021
Google: Fighting the Fate of Kleenex and Xerox?
September 2, 2021
Yep, genericide.
It is hard to imagine anything scaring Google, one of the most powerful tech company’s in the world. There is something that scare Google (other than net neutrality, Internet privacy laws, and breakup of monopolies: genericide. Cracked dives into the meaning of “genericide” and Google’s fears in the article, “Google Has Been Avoiding ‘Genericide,’ The Scariest Word in Trademark Law.” Companies want their products and brands to become household names, but not to the point where their t\trademarked items become permanently associated with an item. Scotch Tape, Kleenex, Q-Tips, and Frisbees are victims of genericide.
Genericide means:
“This term refers to death by becoming generic, causing companies to lose trademark rights when their brand becomes commonly referred to the product or service in general rather than the specific brand itself.”
Google does not want to lose the trademark on their brand name. Google’s heads want people to use Google as a verb, like “I googled that,” but only when they are referring to the Google search engine. If someone were to say “I googled that” when using Bing, it would technically be incorrect. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary includes an entry on “google,” but its lowercased and specifically refers to searching on the Google search engine. Google was so worried about losing their trademark that the term was taken to court:
“This specific control of the trademark has been effective. In 2017, a petition made its way to the Supreme Court that claimed that the term Google had become generic. The Court dismissed this. Google has effectively enforced their trademark to ensure that people are only “Googling” something when they are on Google. Any other web searching is just searching.”
Google may eventually lose its trademark if the term “googling” becomes too generic. The company could also lose its cultural relevancy like other former big names in the game. Or Google may live never lose its trademark like Disney will never lose its copyright on Mickey Mouse.
Whitney Grace, September 2, 2021
Wiki People: One Cannot Find Online Information If It Is Censored
September 2, 2021
Women have born the brunt of erasure from history, but thanks web sites like Wikipedia, their stories are shared more than ever. There is a problem with Wikipedia though, says CBC in the article: “Canadian Nobel Scientist’s Deletion From Wikipedia Points To Wider Bias, Study Finds.” Wikipedia is the most comprehensive, collaborative, and largest encyclopedia in human history. It is maintained by thousands of volunteer editors, who curate the content, verify information, and delete entries.
There are different types of Wikipedia editors. One type is an “inclusionist,” an editor who takes broad views about what to include in Wikipedia. The second type are “deflationists,” who have high content standards. American sociologist Francesca Tripodi researched the pages editors deleted and discovered that women’s pages are deleted more than men’s. Tripodi learned that 25% of women’s pages account for all deletion recommendations and their pages only make up 19% of the profiles.
Experts say it is either gender bias or notability problem. The notability is a gauge Wiki editors use to determine if a topic deserves a page and they weigh the notability against reliable sources. What makes a topic notable, Tripodi explained, leads to gender bias, because there is less information on them. It also does not help that many editors are men and there are attempts to add more women:
“Over the years, women have tried to fix the gender imbalance on Wikipedia, running edit-a-thons to change that ratio. Tripodi said these efforts to add notable women to the website have moved the needle — but have also run into roadblocks. ‘They’re welcoming new people who’ve never edited Wikipedia, and they’re editing at these events,’ she said. ‘But then after all of that’s done, after these pages are finally added, they have to double back and do even more work to make sure that the article doesn’t get deleted after being added.”
Unfortunately women editors complain they need to do more work to make sure their profiles are verifiable and are published. The Wikipedia Foundation acknowledges that the lack of women pages, because it reflects world gender biases. The Wikipedia Foundation, however, is committed to increasing the amount of women pages and editors. The amount of women editors has increased over 30% in the past year.
That is the problem when there is a lack of verifiable data about women or anyone erased from history due to biases. If there is not any information on them, they cannot be searched even by trained research librarians like me. Slick method, right?
Whitney Grace, September 2, 2021
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