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Subject: 
Somewhat OT: Ever read any Robert J. Sawyer?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 27 Oct 2004 00:44:51 GMT
Viewed: 
1297 times
  
Too "Big Brotherish" yes, too well anticipated. I am afraid when I see • cameras
flourishing at every street corners, but I guess that's what tomorrow will • be
made of. {Scary}.

JP.

I think that cameras in law enforcement vehicles are an excellent idea
all-around.  If someone's committed a crime and they know that their actions
are being recorded, I like to believe that this would have the effect of
making them censure themselves instead of forcing someone elso to do it
(doesn't always work as evidenced by all the cable clip shows of security
cameras!).  The other thing is that if we are to believe our officers when
they deny police brutality, how could they possibly object to being recorded
while doing their duty if nothing improper is happening?

I think that monitoring could work (and not be scary) if it were implemented
properly.  Robert J. Sawyer is finishing a trilogy of sci-fi books where
humans encounter Neanderthals from a parallel universe (using quantam
mechanics theory to open the portal).  The Neanderthals have developed an
individual monitoring system.  Every Neanderthal has a implant that monitors
everything that happens to the implantee within a certain radius throughout
their entire life.  The implant cannot be tampered with and the info is
recorded in a way that is totally unalterable.  However, no one watches the
monitoring as it's being recorded, and any individual can view their
recorded info at any time.

This had the effect of making every Neanderthal personally responsible for
his/her own actions.  They know that if they commit a crime, even if no one
is watching, it will be recorded (and can be played back as a holographic
movie) as irrefutable proof should an accusation be made.  Of course, the
presentation of this principle in the story is idealized, I nonetheless
found it very attractive.

Now, all this blather is not to say that I think that this idea is the only
one that could work, but I do think that it has potential.

Whaddya think?

Dave



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Somewhat OT: Ever read any Robert J. Sawyer?
 
(...) I am not sure I get it!?!... (...) Right. (...) Attractive, yes. Very interesting! (...) I am French, and I *love* debates! I am afraid of a "big brother is watching you" kind of society. When you say it makes everyone "responsible for his/her (...) (20 years ago, 28-Oct-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Somewhat OT: Ever read any Robert J. Sawyer?
 
(...) Simply put - who decides what a crime is? Considering currently what can get you locked up longer than if you *kill* someone, there is no way, no how, that I would support such a system, or anything even approaching it. -- Tom Stangl *(URL) (...) (20 years ago, 29-Oct-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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