I'm just a sheep who cain't say no...
veal calves
Microsoft submitted a patent application in the US for a “unique monitoring system” that could link workers to their computers. Wireless sensors could read “heart rate, galvanic skin response, EMG, brain signals, respiration rate, body temperature, movement facial movements, facial expressions and blood pressure”...
The system could also “automatically detect frustration or stress in the user” and “offer and provide assistance accordingly"...
Physical changes to an employee would be matched to an individual psychological profile based on a worker’s weight, age and health. If the system picked up an increase in heart rate or facial expressions suggestive of stress or frustration, it would tell management that he needed help
[emph mine]
The systems work not only through desktop or laptop computers but even through mobile phones or handheld PCs, meaning that even out of the office the employee can still be monitored. In its most advanced format, the system will monitor users’ private interests. ...
it can “locate people that are watching a particular TV programmes at the same time or are performing a similar activity at the same time. Discussion groups or social events can be generated as a result.”
the system ["Monitoring System 500"] described does more than just measure workload. It can test for honesty of those activities “performed successfully but not in accordance with company or government policies”...
Stupid/naive? Or just plain evil?
You decide.
[while you’re still allowed to without heeeeelp]
How in debt woulja have to be to put up with this?!?
My fall-back career as a hermit looks more appealing every day.
YET MORE:
for your monitored commute to your monitored job:
Just when I was beginning to think that Microsoft wasn’t so bad after all ...
One other thing to be aware of: more than a few people have a little camera on top of their monitor. Just where do they think the picture’s going?
On the other hand, I strongly suspect that sales of Prozac will take off like gangbusters (is that a bad simile?). Let’s go buy stock in Eli Lilly.
Botox is also quite effective in keeping those little anger-wrinkles from showing up. Allergan makes that one.
The British are just docile enough to go for the monitoring thing. They already have more surveillance cameras than people (almost), so it’s just a small step to workplace monitoring.
After that, just a small step to home monitoring. After all, we wouldn’t want anybody to get really cross and beat one of their loved ones with a blunt instrument, now would we? Of course not. Now which room is the telly in? Just a joke - we know exactly where it is. We’ll just put this little box on it. That’ll be 95p extra a month, thank you.
Posted by ZZMike on 01/16/08 at 03:45 PM*hides under couch*
[TW - “free”
hand me that iron...]Posted by Claire on 01/16/08 at 06:49 PM
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