Tuesday 26 August 2008

Got a problem? Build a database!

Strangely, this has nothing to do with technology, really. It's more about knee-jerk reactions:

A flagship database intended to protect every child in the country will be used by police to hunt for evidence of crime in a "shocking" extension of its original purpose


I can't imagine why anyone is still shocked by scope creep from an "innocuous" or "helpful" government database. And why am I equally not surprised to see our glorious, Peelian police, protectors of our well-being and general all-round good eggs going forth on the path of policing by SQL. The useless cunts aren't interested in doing any physical work relating to the catching of criminals, from what I can see. I can only imagine that in ten years' time, the hottest crimefighters will be those guys who can really shake their SQL.

And the really cool thing? I suspect that ContactPoint is a dry run for proper policing by database with the ID Card database.

God help us all.

7 comments:

Old Holborn said...

Policing is not about prevention of crime.

It used to be. Now, it is simply working out which one of the 60 million suspects actually did it, using CCTV, DNA and databases.

Obnoxio The Clown said...

I don't even think it's that good any more. It seems to be much more about criminalising anyone who isn't in the political class.

RobW said...

If you work with databases and see how easily they can be corrupted. Or wrong info can be inputed.

And then you add to that the ignorance of most politicians when it comes to technology.

This sort of thing is really, really scary.

IanPJ said...

So to all those civil servants and IT workers too afraid to whistleblow, who have been working so hard to build this socialist utopia, I say this.
ITS YOUR CHILDREN THEY ARE LOOKING AT NOW!!!

You have done your evil work, now they don't need you any more, and will be abusing your children along with the rest of us.

Obnoxio The Clown said...

they don't need you any more, and will be abusing your children along with the rest of us

A singularly badly-turned phrase, Ian. :o)

(I'm not abusing anyone's kids, myself!)

Anonymous said...

Another database originally set up to protect the cheeeldren:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4597050.ece

Now it's used to sack gardeners.

IanPJ said...

they don't need you any more, and will be abusing your children along with the rest of us

A singularly badly-turned phrase, Ian. :o)

(I'm not abusing anyone's kids, myself!)

OOPS. The anger got to me and my fingers were obviously working faster than my brain this morning....