AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT

Hold on! What did the Mesa City Council approve last week about ____________________?

House Transportation Committee Looking To Restart Federal Funding Of Red Light Cameras

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the back-to-buying-stuff-everyone-alreadys-knows-doesn't-work dept

Thu, Jun 17th 2021 1:32pm — Tim Cushing

Federal funds -- banned since 2015 from being used by states to purchase red light/speed cameras -- are possibly headed back to buying tech that hasn't done anything to make driving safer.

In 2012, language was added to the federal transportation bill that denied states federal funding for traffic cameras.

"A state may not expend funds apportioned to that state under this section to carry out a program to purchase, operate, or maintain an automated traffic enforcement system…"

But it didn't become law until 2015, and was expanded to exclude automatic license plate readers.

"None of the funds made available by this act may be used to acquire a camera for the purpose of collecting or storing vehicle license plate numbers," the House-passed language states.

Some of that may be rolled back with this year's budget proposal, The Newspaper (which did all the previously-cited reporting) reports:

The US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Wednesday will review sweeping legislation that would, among other things, encourage local governments to set up speed cameras using federal taxpayer dollars. The move would reverse a ban on federal funding for both red light cameras and speed cameras that has been in place since 2015.

[...]

"Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a state may expend funds apportioned to that state under this section to carry out a program to purchase, operate, or maintain an automated traffic system in a work zone or school zone," the proposal states.

The bill [PDF] also adds this language, which doesn't do much to clarify what these guidelines might entail.

Any automated traffic enforcement system installed pursuant to subparagraph (B) shall comply with speed enforcement camera systems and red light camera systems guidelines established by the Secretary.

If this passes, it will reverse a half-decade ban on federally funding this mostly-useless tech. As The Newspaper notes, the federal government was an early adopter of traffic enforcement camera systems, providing funds for several pilot programs around the country more than 20 years ago.

But as report after report showed these cameras did little to increase safety, legislators began to reconsider the federal government's involvement in programs that appeared to do nothing more than generate revenue.

And it's not as though the tech has improved over the years.

> Accuracy isn't necessarily the goal.

The more tickets issued, the more every party involved (local governments, traffic cam manufacturers) benefits. Well, not every party. Drivers are part of the equation but they're viewed as little more than mobile ATMs. Automated systems cut down on payroll expenses and replace it with cheap mailed tickets that, in many cases, can't even be challenged in court. Win-win for governments. Lose-lose for the people paying their salaries.

In other words, there are several good reasons for the federal government to stay out of the automated traffic enforcement business. Those reasons apply to local governments as well. But the federal government shouldn't be making it easier for local governments to indulge their desires to turn residents into revenue streams.

Gaming The System To Appear More Popular Than You Are In Reality

Sounds so familiar for those who live here in Mesa, Arizona where city officials have started a new comprehensive marketing campaign.

. . . they want you to believe everything they say, print or publish, or produce in short form or extended formats for public consumption.

Here's a different twist on that topic

Content Moderation Case Study: YouTube Relocates Video Accused Of Inflated Views (2014)

Content Moderation

from the movin'-videos dept

Wed, Jun 16th 2021 3:49pm — Copia Institute

 

Summary: The internet is the way that many new musical artists get discovered these days, with perhaps the most famous story being that of that of Justin Bieber on YouTube. Some of this came from finding undiscovered musicians who had talent, and some of it came from finding otherwise unsigned artists who had managed to build large followings themselves.

Of course, this latter situation also opened up the possibility of gaming the system to appear more popular than you are in reality. Partly in response to this -- and more likely to prevent gaming views in order to gain advertising revenue -- YouTube put in place a policy of removing videos that appeared to use automated systems to game the number of views.An independent musician by the name of Darnaa sought to gain a following via YouTube, and engaged in a marketing campaign designed to drive traffic and popularity to her videos. In 2012 she had uploaded a video that had received nearly 1.9 million views according to YouTube’s counter. In 2013, another video received over 1.1 million views. In 2014, she uploaded a new video, for a song entitled Cowgirl, which started receiving views as well. Darnaa claimed that these came from a coordinated marketing campaign that cost her hundreds of thousands of dollars.

YouTube, however, believed that the views on the video were inflated through artificial means, violating the terms of service. Rather than simply removing the video, or shutting down Darnaa’s videos, the service simply moved the video to a new URL, resetting the counter (and breaking earlier links to the video). . .Darnaa’s music label, the conveniently named Darnaa, LLC. then sued YouTube arguing that moving the location of the video was both a breach of contract, and interference with her business dealings.

Decisions to be made by YouTube:

• How should a service like YouTube determine which videos are getting legitimate traffic compared to which are generated traffic through artificial means, such as bots?
• Is it possible to distinguish a heavy marketing campaign to point traffic to a video from methods involving artificially generated views?
• In which cases should a video that has received artificial views be moved to a different location (cutting off old links and restarting a counter) as compared to being removed entirely?

Questions and policy implications to consider:

• Will fighting back against artificially inflated views lead to false accusations?
• Could actions designed to stop artificial view inflation impact a legitimate marketing campaign?
• Should musicians and labels rely heavily on things like “views” to determine the actual popularity of an artist when they might be manipulated?

Resolution: After many twists and turns, the lawsuit Darnaa LLC filed against Google was dismissed at both the district court and the appeals court, though much of the dismissal was due to the case being filed after the statute of limitations had passed. However, the court also rejected the parts of the case that survived the statute of limitations questions, noting that YouTube was effectively entitled to manage its service as it saw fit, including how it treated Darnaa’s videos."

Originally posted to the Trust & Safety Foundation website.

Filed Under: content moderation, darnaa, gaming, inauthentic behavior, marketing campaigns, moving videos, viewer counts
Companies: youtube

 

 

*** SpaceX Launches Military Satellite, Lands Rocket on Drone Ship ***

CYBERSECURITY: Broadbandits

From The Economist . . ."Dealing with cyber-insecurity is hard because it blurs the boundaries between state and private actors and between geopolitics and crime. The victims of cyber-attacks include firms and public bodies. The perpetrators include states conducting espionage and testing their ability to inflict damage in war, but also criminal gangs in Russia, Iran and China whose presence is tolerated because they are an irritant to the West.

A cloud of secrecy and shame surrounding cyber-attacks amplifies the difficulties. Firms cover them up. The normal incentives for them and their counterparties to mitigate risks do not work well . . Reference: https://www.economist.com/weeklyedition/2021-06-19

To stop the ransom ware pandemic, start with the basics

The Economist | Jun 19th 2021 

                     "TWENTY YEARS ago, it might have been the plot of a trashy airport thriller. These days, it is routine. On May 7th cyber-criminals shut down the pipeline supplying almost half the oil to America’s east coast for five days. To get it flowing again, they demanded a $4.3m ransom from Colonial Pipeline Company, the owner. Days later, a similar “ransomware” assault crippled most hospitals in Ireland.

Such attacks are evidence of an epoch of intensifying cyber-insecurity that will impinge on everyone, from tech firms to schools and armies. One threat is catastrophe: think of an air-traffic-control system or a nuclear-power plant failing. But another is harder to spot, as cybercrime impedes the digitisation of many industries, hampering a revolution that promises to raise living standards around the world. . .

^ READ more ^

Assisted Bliss B4 Wedlock: How to Buy Your Boyfriend His First Sex Toy

Hey, Girlfriends can we talk? Never mind, but it's probably not your Main Squeeze's first sex toy. Congratulations you're in a relationship! 

Kiss abstinence and chastity out-the-door and keep in mind

"When buying your boyfriend his first sex toy, the first thing to do is remind him that toys don’t symbolize any sort of inadequacy in the bedroom. Sex toys offer sensations that body parts just aren’t capable of—they aren’t a replacement for intimacy.

 

Gifting a sex toy to your partner will allow him to explore his body, both alone and with you.

Masturbating with toys offers us a chance to really get to know what we do (and what we don’t) like during sex. And trying new toys with a partner isn't just incredibly fun; it also offers you both a chance to really communicate and  experiment during sex. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. VICE may receive a small commission if you buy through the links on our site.

How to Buy Your Boyfriend His First Sex Toy

Your partner with a penis may not know where to start when it comes to pleasure products. We're here to help, from beginner to advanced.

AB

by Archie Bongiovanni

If your partner has a penis, there’s a good chance that they’ve never bought themselves a sex toy. The concept of sex toys, for many, seems to be stuck on the classic rabbit vibrator or the Hitachi Magic Wand. Many men (and women) have no idea about the variety of toys currently on the market for folks of all genders. . .

So, if your penis-having partner hasn’t bought themselves a sex toy, it’s time to change that. Purchasing a sex toy for a partner can be intimidating, but the pros—enhanced orgasms, new sensations, and a chance to explore—outweigh any awkward conversation that the gift might bring. 

Not sure where to start? Don’t sweat. Here’s a list of AB's favorite beginner-friendly sex toys for people with penises.

For Beginners: Satisfyer Powerful One Cock Ring 

For Maximum Versatility: Noje Wand and Attachment Set

The Perfect Stroker: B Swish Bhandy Classic Wave

 

 

 

 

The Latest in Technology: ArcWave Ion 

If you want to get your boyfriend the newest and best in tech, check out the ArcWave Ion. Air pressure technology, like that found in the cult-fave Womanizer, was once exclusively relegated to direct clitoral sensation—until now. Pulses of controlled air stimulate the frenulum, and smart, silent technology (meaning the air pulsations stop when the toy isn’t pressed against skin) makes this a great toy for a boyfriend who wants to up his masturbation game but lives with roommates. (More of the best super-quiet sex toys are right over here.) 

Sex toys ensure both you and your boyfriend are having a variety of experiences in the bedroom. Sex toys will never replace the intimacy you two create with each other, but rather add to the overall sexual experience you have together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SpaceX Takes Military Satellite to Orbit for First Time

The rocket is carrying a classified national security payloads for the NRO, National Reconnaissance Office.... let's just say "weather satellites"

Grounded: Shroom & Doom - Game Update Overview | Xbox Games Showcase