Work from Home Decorating Ideas
June 13, 2022
A happy quack to the person who alerted to me to this WFH (work from home) gallery of design ideas. The display of ingenuity is a reminder of the inner well springs of excellence within humans. The pristine settings would make Martha Stewart’s cell at FPC Alderson into a show stopper. The image only Web site presents more than 24 irl (in real life) decorating examples. Plan to share these with any teenagers or college students whom you know. Ask these individuals which approach is their fave. What fashionable touches will you incorporate into your Zoom nest?
Stephen E Arnold, June 13, 2022
The UK National Health Service: The Search for a Silver Bullet
June 13, 2022
Modern health care is a bit of muddle. The UK’s National Health Service has licensed, tested, tire kicked, and tried every angle to manage its myriad activities.
According to the odd orange newspaper (the Financial Times), the often befuddled NHS may be ready to embrace the PowerPoint assertions of a US company. “Palantir Gears Up to Expand Its Reach into UK’s NHS” reports:
Over the next few months, Palantir will bid for the five-year £360mn contract for the proposed Federated Data Platform (FDP), a new data tool to connect and integrate patient and other data sources from across the health system, so real-time decisions can be made effectively by clinicians and bureaucrats.
How similar is delivering health care to analyzing information to win a battle or figure out what an adversary is likely to do?
I am not sure. I do know that many intelware companies (this is my term for firms providing specialized software and services to law enforcement, crime analysts, and intelligence professionals) find that commercial clients can become squeamish under these conditions:
- Question from potential customer: “Who are your customers?” Intelware vendor: “Sorry, that information is classified.”
- Question from potential customer: “Can you provide a specific example of how your system delivered fungible results?” Intelware vendor: “We are not permitted to disclose either the use or effect of our system.”
- Question from potential customer: “How much consulting and engineering are needed before we can provide access to the system?” Intelware vendor: “That depends.” Customer asks a follow up question: “Can you be more specific?” Intelware vendors: “That information is classified.”
You can see how the commercial outfits not engaged in fighting crimes against children, drug smuggling, terrorist actions, termination of adversaries, etc. can be a tough sell.
But one of the big issues is the question, “Is our data available to government entities in our country or elsewhere without our knowledge or permission?”
Every licensee wants to here assurances that data are private, encrypted, protected by 20 somethings in Slough, or whatever is required to close the deal.
But there is the suspicion that when a company does quite a bit of work for certain government agencies in one or more countries, stuff happens. Data mining, insider actions, or loss of data control due to bad actors behavior.
It will be interesting to see if this deal closes and how it plays out. Based on NHS’s track record with Google-type outfits and Smartlogic-type innovators, I have a hunch that the outcome will be a case study of modern business processes.
Palantir needs many big wins to regain some stock market momentum. At least the Financial Times did not reference Palantir’s estimate of a 30 percent chance of nuclear war. Undoubtedly such a terrible event would stretch NHS’s capabilities regardless of technology vendor underpinning the outfit.
Stephen E Arnold, June 13, 2022
Zuckbook: Getting Tagged As a Digital King Lear
June 13, 2022
The Zuckbook (now officially known as Meta as in I never “meta” drop out who wanted to be king) may be facing some headwinds. Sure, there is the Jeeves-like British spokesperson to make everything seem so good. But the idea that the company is investigating the nominal number two leader at Zuckbook for inappropriate something is interesting. I believe this individual hails from the Google which had to deal with a baby in the legal department. Wow. Those Googlers. That Metazuck. Governance is these outfits’ core competency not.
A few other issues are identified in “Meta Is in Serious Trouble. Here’s Why.” The write up states:
It would appear that the biggest hurdle that Meta faces is slowing revenue growth, something that has already started to show its effects on Meta’s plans.
Ah, ha, money.
But is this the only ripple in the king’s toga? Nope. Consider:
- Virtual reality, a money pit
- The metaverse, a money pit
- The Zuck watch, a money pit
- The Google, an ad damper.
In sum, the Zuckbook faces innovation woes, money woes, and big plan woes.
As the semi-interesting observation of the character Albany spouted:
You are not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in your face.
There you go. King Lear had an outcrop of stone. The Zuck has a chunk of an island. Good places.
Stephen E Arnold, June 13, 2022
Smart Software and Textualists: Are You a Textualist?
June 13, 2022
Many thought it was simply a massive bad decision from an inexperienced judge. But there was more to it—it was a massive bad decision from an inexperienced textualist judge with an overreliance on big data. The Verge discusses “The Linguistics Search Engine that Overturned the Federal Mask Mandate.” Search is useful, but it must be accompanied by good judgment. When a lawsuit challenging the federal mask mandate came across her bench, federal judge Kathryn Mizelle turned to the letter of the law. Literally. Reporter Nicole Wetsman tells us:
“Mizelle took a textualist approach to the question — looking specifically at the meaning of the words in the law. But along with consulting dictionaries, she consulted a database of language, called a corpus, built by a Brigham Young University linguistics professor for other linguists. Pulling every example of the word ‘sanitation’ from 1930 to 1944, she concluded that ‘sanitation’ was used to describe actively making something clean — not as a way to keep something clean. So, she decided, masks aren’t actually ‘sanitation.’”
That is some fine hair splitting. The high-profile decision illustrates a trend in US courts that has been growing since 2018—basing legal decisions on large collections of texts meant for academic exploration. The article explains:
“A corpus is a vast database of written language that can include things like books, articles, speeches, and other texts, amounting to hundreds of millions of lines of text or more. Linguists usually use corpora for scholarly projects to break down how language is used and what words are used for. Linguists are concerned that judges aren’t actually trained well enough to use the tools properly. ‘It really worries me that naive judges would be spending their lunch hour doing quick-and-dirty searches of corpora, and getting data that is going to inform their opinion,’ says Mark Davies, the now-retired Brigham Young University linguistics professor who built both the Corpus of Contemporary American English and the Corpus of Historical American English. These two corpora have become the tools most commonly used by judges who favor legal corpus linguistics.”
Here is an example of how a lack of careful consideration while using the corpora can lead to a bad decision: the most frequent usage of a particular word (like “sanitation”) is not always the most commonly understood usage. Linguists emphasize the proper use of these databases requires skilled interpretation, a finesse a growing number of justices either do not possess or choose not to use. Such textualists apply a strictly literal interpretation to the words that make up a law, ignoring both the intent of lawmakers and legislative history. This approach means judges can avoid having to think too deeply or give reasons on the merits for their interpretations. Why, one might ask, should we have justices at all when we could just ask a database? Perhaps we are headed that way. We suppose it would save a lot of tax dollars.
See the article for more on legal corpora and how judges use them, textualism, and the problems with this simplified approach. If judges won’t respect the opinion of the very authors of the corpora on how they should and should not be used, where does that leave us?
Cynthia Murrell, June 13, 2022
Zuckbook and Addiction: Let the Legal Eagles Loose
June 10, 2022
I find the addiction to an online service or to a fungible device difficult to understand. The one year I taught in a high school, I did encounter students on drugs. For the most part, these individuals dozed, mumbled, and seemed pretty happy. The principal (remember, the principal is your pal) did not care as long as there was no trouble which would attract the local Live at Five TV crew.
I did not understand the need, desire, hunger, or whatever for controlled substances. I still don’t. Now I cannot fathom an addiction to online content or a computing device. Obviously I am not a good person to consult about getting hooked on anything other than “work” like writing blog posts and working on my new monograph for law enforcement and intelligence professionals. (A US government entity gets a preview in July! You don’t. Grab your mobile phone and zone out, okay?)
“Meta Was Sued for Its Algorithm. Section 230 Might Not Be a Shield” makes it clear that I have zero comprehension of this chain of activity:
Mobile phone –> Service providers –> Online content –> Algorithms = Digital heroin.
The write up tries to get through to my brain infused with a 500 ML Pellegrino and a granola bar:
Meta was slapped with eight different complaints, filed in as many states, alleging that its algorithms have contributed to mental health issues such as eating disorders, sleeplessness and suicidal thoughts or tendencies in younger users. The complaints allege that excessive time on Instagram and Facebook pose serious risks to mental health, with one plaintiff claiming that Meta “misrepresented the safety, utility, and non-addictive properties” of its platforms.
And the fix from my point of view? How about these tips? For parents, take the phone away. For 20 somethings, get a van and go off grid. For those older, grow up. But I am in the minority because this ecosystem of online is chugging along like an aggressive cancer in one’s pancreas. I learned:
Rather than going after the content itself, these complaints target the algorithm that serves it to users…
Okay, that will be fun to figure out and then explain to other lawyers, a judge, and maybe a jury. Most algorithms are combinations of mathematical procedures taught in every college and university math class in the world. Assembling them is a bit like building a model airplane. The cuteness is in the threshold settings, the desired feedback inputs, and that old razzle dazzle of looking at user behavior. Bingo. Math works like heroin.
The write up makes this point:
“Basically, it’s [winning one of the suits against the Zuckbook] like a lottery,” said Goldman. [big wheel legal eagle] “You only really need to win one in order to open up a very, very big door for future litigation.”
Since the 1970s, online has been a thing. Now it is society wide and suddenly we are setting up the largest flight of legal eagles in recorded history. “Big door”? Probably like the door for the old moon rockets.
Will the Zuckbook take the fall? Will parents take away mobile phones and limit Chromebook time? Will adults of different ages go back to typing stuff on a typewriter as one European intelligence entity has?
Probably not. Therefore, legal eagles aloft. Everyone benefits from the actions of legal eagles just not as much as the legal eagles. Will there be substantive change? Ho ho ho.
Stephen E Arnold, June 10, 2022
Ahoy, Captain Watson, Will We Make It This Time, Arrrghh
June 10, 2022
Not one to let repeated failures get in its way, marine research non-profit ProMare has once again sent its Mayflower Autonomous Ship across the open ocean with Watson at the helm. The Register reports, “IBM-Powered Mayflower Robo-Ship Once Again Tries to Cross Atlantic.” When the project first embarked in 2020, we wondered whether it might fall victim to hackers. As it turns out, that attempt was foiled by a more basic issue—a mechanical fault with its generator. As advanced as it is, Watson cannot yet wield a physical wrench. A minor electrical glitch halted the more recent crossing attempt, launched this past April 28, two weeks in. That issue was quickly fixed and the ship set on its way once again. Reporter Katyanna Quach writes:
“‘As of 0900 BST May 20, MAS was back underway with its transatlantic crossing,’ the IBM spokesperson said. It is aiming to complete the remaining 2,225-mile voyage in 16 days. Now, nearly a week into resuming its journey, the ship has made it to its furthest distance yet, a little over halfway to America.”
Well, that was a couple weeks ago. As of this writing, the MAS has been diverted to Nova Scotia to address yet another electrical issue. This team is nothing if not persistent. Quach goes on to give us a few details about the tech involved:
“The Mayflower’s AI software runs on four computers containing Intel processors, six nVidia Jetson AGX Xavier GPUs, two nVidia Jetson Xavier NX boards, and a few other chips. Live camera footage streaming from a webcam onboard the ship is back up online for viewers to follow. ‘We’ve made lots of improvements – the computer vision system has been significantly improved through at-sea testing, and similarly the data fusion algorithms are functioning better and better with every deployment and have greatly improved over the course of the past year,’ Brett Phaneuf, co-director of the Mayflower project … told The Register in a statement. ‘We’ve also improved many mechanical systems, particularly the air intake and exhaust for the generator on the hybrid drive line – and we’ve reduced power consumption significantly as well, over the past year, through applied research, testing and trials, and we’ve made the boat more robust in general.’”
Not quite robust enough, it seems. Not yet. It looks like ProMare is determined to press Watson past its limits. Will the persistent little ship finally make it to its destination? Curious readers can follow MAS’ progress here.
Cynthia Murrell, June 10, 2022
Google Management Methods: When High School Science Club Members Do Not Communicate
June 10, 2022
I have zero clue if this “real news” story is correct. It could be that a former Onion writer landed some gig writing work and here she be: “Google Apparently Had No Idea a Top Google Maps Feature Was Removed.” According to the write up,
the Android Auto version of Google Maps comes with multiple display options, including a satellite mode. Thanks to this view, users can navigate with satellite imagery
But “after a recent update, the satellite mode has mysteriously disappeared.”
Management at the Alphabet Google YouTube entity operates with Snorkel like efficiency. Accuracy? Close enough for horse shoes?
The write up stated:
But as it turns out, the search giant didn’t actually pull the satellite mode on purpose. A member of the Android Auto team and Community Specialist on Google’s forums is now asking for additional information on the whole thing…
Coordination, effective communication, and clear lines of authority when Google-ized foster this type of “who’s on first?”
Forget Onion. Think Abbott and Costello.
Stephen E Arnold, June 10, 2022
The Murena: A Semi Dark Phone
June 10, 2022
Mobile phones are outstanding surveillance devices. Forget Google. Technology exists to suck down quite a bit of information no matter what phone one uses. Innovators keep trying to create black phone or completely secure devices. There is a market for these gizmos even if the phones are produced by law enforcement; for example, the ANON.
I noted “The Murena One Shows Exactly How Hard it Is to De-Google Your Smartphone.” The write up is interesting. I noted this passage:
You just can’t have the full Android experience without inviting Google into the equation. Instead, when you log into Google or use its services, Murena tries to mitigate the data Google can collect.
Several observations:
- Innovators face a similar challenge de-Cooking the iPhone and de-China-ing the Oppo, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and other Middle Kingdom devices
- The write up makes it clear that Google is the Big Dog when it comes to the Google ecosystem. Not even the Apple has such a lock. For one example of the penetration gap, see this write up.
- One does not need to expend much effort to access data generated by mobile devices. Those apps? Yep, they are helpful.
How does one avoid leaking data? Some in the European Union use typewriters and carbon paper. Consider that perhaps.
Stephen E Arnold, June 10, 2022
Amazon and Counterfeit Products: Are They Really Are Here to Stay?
June 9, 2022
Counterfeit products once took some effort to locate. A quick trip to Orchard Street in lower Manhattan might yield some interesting finds. How about a $10 Rolex. A jaunt through a side street in Wuhan? A visit to a certain store in a shopping center in Bangkok? A journey to a jeweler located in a suburb of San Antonio?
But the Disneyland of counterfeits is the wonderful, clickable world of ecommerce. And who is the ageing Big Daddy of ecommerce?
Yep, Amazon, it seems to me, adopts the policy of Big Daddy Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: “I don’t want to talk about that.”
However, “Amazon Sees Dip in Sellers Signing Up to Sell Counterfeits” makes it clear that Amazon is talking or possibly PR’ing.
The article states:
Amazon said it ramped up investments in 2021 to keep counterfeit products off its retail site and saw signs its efforts are working, according to an annual brand protection report it released Wednesday [June 8, 2022]. The company spent more than $900 million on its anti-counterfeit programs and employed over 12,000 people focused on the problem in 2021. That’s up from $700 million and 10,000 people in the prior year.
But the important point in my opinion appears in this statement:
The increasing investment of money and manpower from Amazon is necessary, said Mary Beth Westmoreland, vice president of technology at Amazon. “That unfortunately speaks to the fact the problem of counterfeit isn’t going away,” Westmoreland said, adding, “it’s an industry-wide problem.”
The PR-ish write up explains that Amazon is using smart software and lines of communication so bad actors can be … what? … Well, Amazon sues and it relies on Chinese authorities to raid a warehouse with fraudulent good.
Does Amazon’s posture indicate that persistent crime is now part of the Amazon experience. I recall the fascinating process of explaining to Amazon that one of its “merchants” shipped me a pair of big red panties instead of an AMD 5900x cpu. Yep, lines of communication. Fraud.
Perhaps Amazon should step away from its third party merchants with made up words, vendors identified by customers as shipping interesting but mostly faux products, and deals with aggregating merchants working from apartments in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and other exotic locations?
Just a thought because the PR’ing seems to be similar to certain big tech companies’ thanking senators for a question.
Stephen E Arnold, June 9, 2022
Economical Semantics: Check Out GitHub
June 9, 2022
A person asked me at lunch this week, “How can we do a sentiment analysis search on the cheap?” My reaction was, “There are many options. Check out GitHub and let it rip.” After lunch, one of my trust researchers reminded me that our files contained a cop of a 2021 article called “Semantic Search on the Cheap.” I re-read the article and noticed that I had circled this passage in October 2021:
Innovative models are being released at a blistering pace, with different architectures and better scores against the benchmarks. The models are almost always bigger networks, with billions of parameters, requiring more and more GPU power. These models are extremely expressive, dynamic and can be fine-tuned to solve a multitude of problems.
Despite the cratering of some tech juggernauts, the pace of marketing in the smart software sector continues to outpace innovation. The write up is interesting because it raised a number of questions on Thursday, June 2, 2022. In a post-lunch stupor, I asked myself these questions:
- How many organizations want to know the “sentiment” of a chunk of text. The early sentiment analysis systems operated on word lists. Some of the words and phrases in a customer email, for example, reveal the emotional payload of a customer’s message; for example, “sue you” or “terminate our agreement.” The semantic sentiment has launched a thousand PowerPoints, but what about the emotional payload of an employee complaining on TikTok?
- Is 85 percent accuracy the high water mark? If it is, the “accuracy” scores are in what I continue to call the “close enough for horse shoes” playing area. In 100 text passages, the best one can do is generate 15 misses. Lower “scores” mean more misses. This is okay for online advertising, but what about diagnosing a child’s medical condition. Hey, only 15 get worse and that is the best case. No sentiment score for the parents’ communications with a malpractice attorney is necessary.
- Is cheap the optimal way to get good “performance”? The answer is that it costs money to go fast. Plus, smart software has a nasty tendency to drift. As the content fed into the system reflects words and concepts not part of the system’s furniture, the camp chairs get mixed up with the love seats. For certain applications like customer service in companies that don’t want to hear from customers, this approach is perfect.
Google wants everyone to Snorkel. Meta or Zuckbook wants everyone to embrace the outputs of FAIR (Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research). Clever, eh? Amazon and Microsoft are players too. We must not forget IBM. Who could ever forget Watson and DataFountain?
Net net: Download stuff from GitHub or another open source repository and get coding. Reserve time for a zippy PowerPoint too.
Stephen E Arnold, June 9, 2022
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