It appears that the Federal government, or at least the U.S. Air Force, is seeking computer software to create fake people for propaganda purposes. Federal contract #RTB220610, Persona Management Software:

Software will allow 10 personas per user, replete with background , history, supporting details, and cyber presences that are technically, culturally and geographically consistent. Individual applications will enable an operator to exercise a number of different online persons from the same workstation and without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries. Personas must be able to appear to originate in nearly any part of the world and can interact through conventional online services and social media platforms. The service includes a user friendly application environment to maximize the user’s situational awareness by displaying real-time local information.

The software enables the government to shield its identity through a number of different methods including the ability to assign unique IP addresses to each persona and the ability to make it appear as though the user is posting from other locations around the world.

The intent is to create fake people to post on social network sites for propaganda purposes. So, is this the electronic equivalent of dropping propaganda leaflets, or is it something more ominous? See full story here.

Chicago election officials take note.

This story comes to you from the Ministry of Truth, providing fair & balanced news since 1984.

“Ford has a better idea” was the company’s slogan in the 1960s. I’m wondering if its current “better idea” is dangerous. I’m referring to a new driver interface in the Ford Edge (also available in the Lincoln).

A touch-screen interface does away with most knobs and buttons. According to Consumer Reports (Feb. 2011):

The driver interface systems use an 8-inch video touch screen in the center of the dashboard, with a panel of touch-sensitive buttons under it. It also includes two 4.2-inch dashboard displays flanking the speedometer that can be configured to show different gauges and perform some of the same functions as the center screen.

If that sounds confusing, it gets worse: The system also recognizes and responds to voice commands. It all adds up to three or four ways to make what should be simple adjustments. None of the options works as well or is as easy to use as old-fashioned knobs and switches, and they can be more time-consuming and distracting to operate.

The center screen’s cluttered pages, tiny buttons, and small fonts make choosing the right spot to touch difficult. The screen can be slow to respond.

Touch-sensitive buttons are designed to respond to a finger tap or swipe across their surface. They look high-tech but tend either to make bigger adjustments than you want or not respond at all – especially if you are wearing gloves. Their small size makes them difficult to find at a glance.

How is use of this interface less distracting than talking or texting on a cell phone? In places where use of cell phones while driving is outlawed, could this car be outlawed? Bring back the knobs and buttons.

I do not like robo-calls from political campaigns or any other telemarketers. I know that a call is much less expensive than campaign literature, but a call is an intrusion. And I tend to vote against intruders. And, I’m wise to the trick of push polls. A push poll is where, under the guise of opinion polling, disinformation about a candidate or issue is planted in the minds of those being ‘surveyed’. Push-polls are designed to shape, rather than measure, public opinion.

As for other telemarketers, I have a policy of not doing business with any company that makes cold calls to me. And I always report them to the FTC. (You can file a complaint with the FTC here: http://tinyurl.com/oj25jb )

So politicians, do not call. Send your campaign literature if you must; it makes good compost.