Anyway, there are a number of interesting features, firstly, you can set your devices visibility and secondly you can control who can view you. Bear this in mind, we'll come back to it later.
As is usual for the advent of any new technology it doesn't take long for the Chicken Licken's to roll out of their cramped little pens and start screaming that the Sky is falling down. Here is a gem I picked up in the Scotsman. The first thing tht got me going is the reporters last names. A chap called “Christ-is-on” has been teamed up with the appropriate partner “Howle” (Hole). It would be a shame not to crucify them not that they have taken up the cross on this crusade.
First up to the batting cage is Helen, a family lawyer to let us know that these devices may be used by people to abuse their spouses. The little control freaks even go through the rubbish grabbing receipts! The bastards. Imagine what they could do with this technology. Awful nice of these abusive husbands to get Mommy a blackberry with her black eye for Christmas and hang on, didn't we say you could turn this off?
The next manical rant is the Big Brother slant, now this is probably a good point, especially when eminated with someone with Dr. before their name. Dr. unpronouncable who is mooted as a computer expert, so good in fact that he is holed up with Howle, in Glasgow. (They really went all out there) warns us that them skinny little geeks at Google are the new Big Brother and will be watching us all furiously and compiling how many steps we take to the bus stop and home again presumably to co-ordinate buses with personalised advertising plastered on the side to shadow us all the way there.
They then criticise the hypothetical unforseen implications of Google storing said information. Whilst already charging they don't believe Google's promise (not that he's bitter that they probably turned him down for a job or anything) that they are not, with a pinch of salt for, wait for it, police or anti-terrorist use. OH NO! The use of mobile phones tracking has been used in a number of high profile cases to track criminals movements without which convictions may not have been possible. They are already doing it. This new feature is not a new technology. It's been out there for quite some time and I'm sure the eminent Dr. “computer expert” is hip on this.
Next comes my favourite bit, the real fear whoring that we see plastered in the media whenever they want to sell some smut. Paedo Bear!
But the technology has raised concerns that people will be able to spy on their partners from home – and fears that it could potentially place children at risk from paedophiles.
And further:
The software, which is free to use in the 27 countries where it has been launched, has also caused concern for child welfare organisations.
Nikki Kerr, projects manager at Kidscape, said: "It is a concern that children are posting precisely where they are. There is the danger that they don't realise what is out there." (Yeah a dodgy organisation called Kidscape. Is that not a perfect name for a dungeon for kiddies or should it be "kids-no-scape!")
First off in nearly all cases, children are abused by people that are close to them, mostly a family member, after that maybe a bent priest or a twisted little grade school teacher. The Paedo has become the new dark stranger in the quet little western town. The long haired freak masterbating furiously over the internet and stalking 6 years olds on their blackberries, skulking around town with their apple wi-fi making little beep beep noises as they creep closer and closer. Lets cut this scaremongering horseshit out right now. Parents these days are afraid to let their kids out the door in fear of the faceless stranger and meanwhile little Susie is getting groped upstairs by a brother or grandparent. I'm not going to roll out statistics but have a look, it's shocking. The most high profile abuse case in Ireland happened where a mother abused her children to almost universal silence from child protection groups who were to busy villifying nameless ghosts outside the door.
The central non bullshit argument comes from a Mr. Scott. (in Scotland! I'm having fun with these names today)
John Scott, a lawyer who specialises in human rights cases, said: "There are privacy implications that should be looked at and the question that should be asked is not can we do it but should we be doing it?"
Right on Scotty now get those engines going!. Privacy. I for one don't want my significant other, or ex significant other knowing when I am on the can and just how long I am staying there.
But the answer to that comes in a succient little reply from Google's spokesperson:
A spokesman for Google last night responded to security concerns by pointing out that users need to turn on the tracking software and can choose who is able to view their location.
That's right geeks, turn the motherfucker off or stop inviting strangers you just met at paedofriends.com as your viewing partners. Unfortunately for us here in Ireland the technology is not yet available, or Scotland for that matter. Guess we won't have to lock the kids up just yet.
"Awful nice of these abusive husbands to get Mommy a blackberry with her black eye for Christmas"
ReplyDeleteI laughed hard. Very funny post, and true. Much ado about nothing, as per usual with the media.