Viral Video About Body Scanners • Hacker News Board

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#161

Post by RealAmerican » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 5:20 PM UTC

The really funny thing is that this guy is probably making between $93,00 - $142,000 (paid by us). Look at this job listing for a TSA program analyst: http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/311287200

...with tasks like "You will develop and approve solutions to current and anticipated problems"

I think Blogger Bob is writing some of these job descriptions, too.

Makes me sick.

Here are the benefits Blogger Bob gets: DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to www.dhs.gov/careers and select "benefits."

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#162

Post by fluidcruft » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 5:21 PM UTC

betterth wrote: post #141

shin_lao wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think there is any attempt at anything. It's just written by someone not very intelligent supervised by someone of similar intelligence swimming in a sea of mediocrity.

Exactly. Someone got assigned to "blog duty" at the TSA, of which TSA management has no idea what a blog is, or why it is important, but there is a regulation somewhere, or a rule, that says the TSA must maintain a blog. So someone maintains a blog. This is my estimation of the situation. A Hanlon's Razor moment: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

I think there's probably an element of: "Bob, we need you to write something now about this video everyone is emailing each other" and Bob not having any authority, information or resources to actually address anything.

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#163

Post by rpstrong » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 5:29 PM UTC

quink wrote: post #64

stewbrew wrote: post #59

It seems they don't watch German television shows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrKvweNugnQ

OK, this is the most shocking thing I've seen in a while... I've never seen anything so awesomely refuted. Even if you don't speak German, watch it. Basically, they do a scan of the man, who claims to be carrying a swiss army knife, and only find a mobile and the microphone transmitter on the back that's inevitable since they're on TV. However, the man is carrying thermite (three vials), an igniter for the thermite,…

If anything, the video supports the use of the TSA's active screening technologies (backscatter and millimeter wave devices). The scanner being used is neither of these, it is an entirely passive device - see: http://www.thruvision.com/Products/TS4_Sub_Pages/TS4_Product... for a brief explanation of their technology. While ThruVision's scanner is arguably safer, it is clearly deficient in detecting threats.

And it isn't being used by the TSA. In fact, ThruVision's website does not cite a single instance of their scanner being used anywhere in the world for passenger screening.

In other words, the video has NOTHING to do with current screening technology.

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#164

Post by chimeracoder » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 5:35 PM UTC

jfoutz wrote: post #22

pg wrote: post #8

There is something chillingly unconvincing about their attempts at informality. Big Brother jokey is a lot more frightening than Big Brother bureaucratic or Big Brother bombastic. Too bad this insight wasn't available to Orwell or he could have made 1984 even scarier.

That's because Huxley was right. ( http://www.recombinantrecords.net/docs/2009-05-Amusing-Ourse... )

Aside from the fact that that comic misrepresents the argument behind 1984, they're not really at odds with one another the way the comic makes it seem.

Orwell was writing within the context of his time - the late 1940s. So if he were writing today, it's not too hard to imagine him writing about banning websites (ie, SOPA), or the similar actions that are going on today.

If Orwell were writing today, I imagine 1984 might look more like Cory Doctrow's 'Scroogled'

> http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2007-09-17-n72.html

(The one main difference between the two that Orwell may have gotten 'wrong' is that it is the corporations, not the strictly the government, that serve as Big Brother in Doctrow's case - or rather, a coalition of corporations and the government. Then again, in Neal Stephenson, the corporations eventually become the government, so that's not as significant a difference as it really might seem.)

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#165

Post by zyeljanee » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 5:45 PM UTC

betterth wrote: post #141

shin_lao wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think there is any attempt at anything. It's just written by someone not very intelligent supervised by someone of similar intelligence swimming in a sea of mediocrity.

Exactly. Someone got assigned to "blog duty" at the TSA, of which TSA management has no idea what a blog is, or why it is important, but there is a regulation somewhere, or a rule, that says the TSA must maintain a blog. So someone maintains a blog. This is my estimation of the situation. A Hanlon's Razor moment: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

But if you read carefully its like there is some truth in it. Nowadays people are doing crazy things without thinkig about the consequences.

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#166

Post by brlewis » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 5:52 PM UTC

DevX101 wrote: post #33

I'm almost impressed by the linguistic gymnastics taken here to avoid saying outright that they got caught with their pants down. The post concludes on an entirely unrelated point to the premise of the post | Anybody can opt out of the body scanner for a pat-down. Sure, I'm carrying in a gun in my shirt pocket I'd like to get on the plane. Let me just request the patdown to make sure I get caught.

That sentence was there for the benefit of people with safety questions about the scanners. For more information on the medical uncertainties, follow the link labeled "completely safe" to the Archives of Internal Medicine article and look under "Related Article".

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#167

Post by mikeash » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 6:28 PM UTC

dlss wrote: post #154

mikeash wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would a TSA blogger need to be able to work effectively under pressure?

This. Also, anyone that thinks they don't fall apart under pressure is strongly encouraged to look up choking in the psychology literature and/or talk to attractive members of the opposite gender :p

Some people can do pretty well. But you can't know until you've tested it, repeatedly.

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#168

Post by jff » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 6:49 PM UTC

Natsu wrote: post #40

pg wrote: post #8

There is something chillingly unconvincing about their attempts at informality. Big Brother jokey is a lot more frightening than Big Brother bureaucratic or Big Brother bombastic. Too bad this insight wasn't available to Orwell or he could have made 1984 even scarier.

Sometimes I wonder if we would be better off if 1984 and the like had never been written. It feels like people have been using them as a how-to manual.

Well, at the very least we wouldn't have to hear it referenced every time a government or company does something, so that's a plus.

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#169

Post by CWuestefeld » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 7:00 PM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #150

CWuestefeld wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your explanation would suggest that the writer's cognitive abilities (whatever they might be) don't carry over into chaotic or stressful situations (i.e., he falls apart under pressure). I would submit that this in itself ought to disqualify him from an important position in an agency as putatively critical as the TSA. People working there, especially those in positions of responsibility, ought to be able to work eff…

Why would a TSA blogger need to be able to work effectively under pressure?

I think the fact that we're all dissecting his work in order to criticize the Agency goes a long way to demonstrating that.

Re: Viral Video About Body Scanners

#170

Post by rythie » Thu, Mar 08, 2012, 7:07 PM UTC

hub_ wrote: post #159

rythie wrote: post #41

In any case, surely the weakest link is airports in less developed countries, which always seem to be much less secure to me.

You work for TSA? 'cause that the kind of reasoning coming from TSA.

Is it? I don't much about them since I live in the U.K. it just seems generally when I've been travelling, mostly to less developed countries, that the airports aren't really that secure.