Data Mining

[LMNO]

So, a freind on FB wants to know why data mining is so bad, and is asking for documented instances where data mining has harmed an innocent person. 

It's an interesting request -- on one hand, extrapolating that corporations and governments will exploit every piece of available information isn't that hard to do, but on the other hand, she's looking for evidence rather than hype, which should be encouraged.

I found one example of employers using FaceBook to make hiring decisions, but I know there's jucier stuff out there.

Anyone know of something juicy offhand? 

[Faust]

Off the top of my head:

We'll there's the really obvious people getting arrested for posting on twitter during the Iranian elections.

There's the two white Florida college students who were arrested for making that stupid west side gang sign with their hands on facebook.

I'll look for links when I get home.

[Cain]

http://www2.sta.uwi.edu/~anikov/info1500/lectures/08-ITF-video-case-2-data-mining-for-terrorists-and-innocents.pdf

[Cain]

There were also the two Brits banned from America - for life - for using slang about their upcoming holiday on Twitter ("destroy")

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The NSA comes to mind.  And if I don't want them doing it, I sure don't want WalMart doing it.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/10/17/amanda_todd_suicide_did_anonymous_dox_the_wrong_guy.html

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/19/wrong-boy-targeted-online-witch-hunt-noisy-drummer.html

[P3nT4gR4m]

Data mining isn't bad, it's just another absolutely fucking awesome piece of tech or, rather, an awesome approach to using tech.

Some people are bad, so they do what they always do with fucking awesome tech - they use it to do retarded shit.

The "data mining is teh evil" mindset could equally be applied to science in general

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Data mining isn't bad, it's just another absolutely fucking awesome piece of tech or, rather, an awesome approach to using tech.

Some people are bad, so they do what they always do with fucking awesome tech - they use it to do retarded shit.

The "data mining is teh evil" mindset could equally be applied to science in general

Scientists stalk people?  That explains so much...

[Faust]

Data mining isn't bad, it's just another absolutely fucking awesome piece of tech or, rather, an awesome approach to using tech.

Some people are bad, so they do what they always do with fucking awesome tech - they use it to do retarded shit.

The "data mining is teh evil" mindset could equally be applied to science in general

Scientists stalk people?  That explains so much...

I thought this was common knowledge.

[P3nT4gR4m]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/10/17/amanda_todd_suicide_did_anonymous_dox_the_wrong_guy.html

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/19/wrong-boy-targeted-online-witch-hunt-noisy-drummer.html

Data mining isn't bad, it's just another absolutely fucking awesome piece of tech or, rather, an awesome approach to using tech.

Some people are bad, so they do what they always do with fucking awesome tech - they use it to do retarded shit.

The "data mining is teh evil" mindset could equally be applied to science in general

Scientists stalk people?  That explains so much...

Forgive me, I thought the thread was about data mining.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/10/17/amanda_todd_suicide_did_anonymous_dox_the_wrong_guy.html

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/19/wrong-boy-targeted-online-witch-hunt-noisy-drummer.html

Data mining isn't bad, it's just another absolutely fucking awesome piece of tech or, rather, an awesome approach to using tech.

Some people are bad, so they do what they always do with fucking awesome tech - they use it to do retarded shit.

The "data mining is teh evil" mindset could equally be applied to science in general

Scientists stalk people?  That explains so much...

Forgive me, I thought the thread was about data mining.

I fail to see any difference between data mining and stalking, to be perfectly honest.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Data mining isn't bad, it's just another absolutely fucking awesome piece of tech or, rather, an awesome approach to using tech.

Some people are bad, so they do what they always do with fucking awesome tech - they use it to do retarded shit.

The "data mining is teh evil" mindset could equally be applied to science in general

Scientists stalk people?  That explains so much...

I thought this was common knowledge.

There's that "informed consent" thing they're always harping about in school.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/10/17/amanda_todd_suicide_did_anonymous_dox_the_wrong_guy.html

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/19/wrong-boy-targeted-online-witch-hunt-noisy-drummer.html

Data mining isn't bad, it's just another absolutely fucking awesome piece of tech or, rather, an awesome approach to using tech.

Some people are bad, so they do what they always do with fucking awesome tech - they use it to do retarded shit.

The "data mining is teh evil" mindset could equally be applied to science in general

Scientists stalk people?  That explains so much...

Forgive me, I thought the thread was about data mining.

I fail to see any difference between data mining and stalking, to be perfectly honest.

They're pretty much the same thing.

[Cain]

You can slap control orders on stalkers. 

Although I'd give a gold star to anyone who manages to put a control order on the NSA.

[P3nT4gR4m]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/10/17/amanda_todd_suicide_did_anonymous_dox_the_wrong_guy.html

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/19/wrong-boy-targeted-online-witch-hunt-noisy-drummer.html

Data mining isn't bad, it's just another absolutely fucking awesome piece of tech or, rather, an awesome approach to using tech.

Some people are bad, so they do what they always do with fucking awesome tech - they use it to do retarded shit.

The "data mining is teh evil" mindset could equally be applied to science in general

Scientists stalk people?  That explains so much...

Forgive me, I thought the thread was about data mining.

I fail to see any difference between data mining and stalking, to be perfectly honest.

Data mining is a method of analysing massive repositories of data and mapping correlations that would be impossible for a human to see.

Stalking is following a person about. Cyberstalking is collecting information about someone, using the internet.

Datamining a person could be considered a form of stalking.

Datamining climate data could not be considered stalking

Datamining biological data could not be considered stalking

Finding planets which may support biological life could not be considered stalking

Datamining is science. Science can be used to stalk people.

So is science a bad thing?