San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance • Hacker News Board

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#51

Post by panic » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:07 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #41

It's just a matter of time until we have country-wide full surveillance. It will be the perfect tool for anyone who wants to create a dictatorship. The thought police and the telescreens in 1984 will look primitive and weak in comparison. I think there is no way around it. Add to that drones to keep the population under control and there is huge danger we'll have a pretty bleak future.

This sort of defeatism isn't helpful. Surveillance technology doesn't sprout up from nothingness; it's built on a culture and a political/economic environment which can be changed.

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#52

Post by sonnyblarney » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:07 PM UTC

The most shocking thing is that this could happen apparently without any public discussion or awareness.

There is simply not enough crime in most US areas to justify this.

This should only be allowed in hyper-specific scenarios wherein there is an evident need: airports, borders, very high crime areas, international conferences, maybe around Capitol Hill and White House etc..

And it should be marked / publicized.

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#53

Post by anticensor » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:10 PM UTC

mindslight wrote: post #45

shittyadmin wrote: post #33

Maybe this will be viewed as too anti-social, but has anyone considered doing laser based attacks on these? Lasers seem to be able to damage camera sensors fairly easily and permanently and as they operate in the visible light range should be hard to block. Could make a system like this prohibitively expensive to operate.

This could work great mounted to a drone, to operate without being tracked by the remaining surveillance cameras. The problem is that the stakes are quite high, and a gradually creeping occupation doesn't lend itself to a flashpoint of popular opinion saying enough is enough. This might be a great nonmurder application for an assassination-market style thing though.

You could begin in dense districts to have a more pronounced reaction.

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#54

Post by maxxxxx » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:12 PM UTC

panic wrote: post #51

maxxxxx wrote: post #41

It's just a matter of time until we have country-wide full surveillance. It will be the perfect tool for anyone who wants to create a dictatorship. The thought police and the telescreens in 1984 will look primitive and weak in comparison. I think there is no way around it. Add to that drones to keep the population under control and there is huge danger we'll have a pretty bleak future.

This sort of defeatism isn't helpful. Surveillance technology doesn't sprout up from nothingness; it's built on a culture and a political/economic environment which can be changed.

This isn't defeatism. I just think there is a wave coming that's really hard to stop and I don't see anything in the current political structure that's willing to stop it.

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#55

Post by Mikeb85 » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:13 PM UTC

panic wrote: post #51

maxxxxx wrote: post #41

It's just a matter of time until we have country-wide full surveillance. It will be the perfect tool for anyone who wants to create a dictatorship. The thought police and the telescreens in 1984 will look primitive and weak in comparison. I think there is no way around it. Add to that drones to keep the population under control and there is huge danger we'll have a pretty bleak future.

This sort of defeatism isn't helpful. Surveillance technology doesn't sprout up from nothingness; it's built on a culture and a political/economic environment which can be changed.

> which can be changed.

But won't be. GWB expanded the state's powers with the Patriot Act, Obama signed an extension and then a new version of the act when parts expired. When both sides are pro-surveillance and Americans refuse to change the system or support 3rd parties, what change can there be?

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#56

Post by ocdtrekkie » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:14 PM UTC

zzzcpan wrote: post #43

This is what so sad about tech, it gives those in power unprecedented abilities to control the population. Essentially heading back to slavery through technology with no way out for the slaves anymore.

It also gives tech workers unprecedented abilities to fight it. Software engineers need to take social responsibility for what they create.

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#57

Post by usrusr » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:14 PM UTC

fbonetti wrote: post #40

01100011 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Headlamps can be dangerous because the shadows are in the same plane as your vision. I gave up using them for hiking because they didn't help me see drop-offs. You're better off with a light in your hand or on your waist.

Just get a headlamp that can be angled down.

Does not change the fact that the light source is very close to the observer, and to make it worse higher than the observer. Both are quite bad for detecting the structure of the ground.

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#58

Post by maxxxxx » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:16 PM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #56

zzzcpan wrote: post #43

This is what so sad about tech, it gives those in power unprecedented abilities to control the population. Essentially heading back to slavery through technology with no way out for the slaves anymore.

It also gives tech workers unprecedented abilities to fight it. Software engineers need to take social responsibility for what they create.

But you know they won't. There is a lot of money to be made in going along. Heck, I probably wouldn't refuse big money from google for a few years. Maybe after having enough money I would eventually turn into a freedom activist, but who knows?

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#59

Post by nosuchthing » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:16 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #54

panic wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sort of defeatism isn't helpful. Surveillance technology doesn't sprout up from nothingness; it's built on a culture and a political/economic environment which can be changed.

This isn't defeatism. I just think there is a wave coming that's really hard to stop and I don't see anything in the current political structure that's willing to stop it.

Just because you're not interested or motivated in changing something, doesn't mean it can't be changed.

City and state level political change is very malleable.

Re: San Diego Implemented City-Wide Streetlight Surveillance

#60

Post by veryworried » Mon, Apr 01, 2019, 9:19 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #41

It's just a matter of time until we have country-wide full surveillance. It will be the perfect tool for anyone who wants to create a dictatorship. The thought police and the telescreens in 1984 will look primitive and weak in comparison. I think there is no way around it. Add to that drones to keep the population under control and there is huge danger we'll have a pretty bleak future.

Under control from what? Committing crimes, breaking into homes, shooting people dead, raping women going out for a jog, planning terrorist activity? I welcome it.