more on Which Travelers Have 'Hostile Intent'?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Mary Shaw <mary.shaw () gmail com>
Date: August 22, 2006 9:24:21 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Which Travelers Have 'Hostile Intent'?

Dave,

It isn't pure hokum, though.  Back in kinder, gentler times -- the  
last century -- I was on vacation at a place where the guests mingle  
freely.  Another guest was a customs inspector at a minor crossing to  
the north. I remember him saying that it wasn't too hard to choose  
people for extra attention -- they sweated, fidgeted, wouldn't make  
eye contact, ...

So profiling isn't new, and estimating risk based on physiological  
cues isn't new. What does seem to be new is the anxiety about the  
possibility of any Type II (false negative) errors at all. That leads  
to reasoning of the form "Technique X can't totally eliminate Type II  
errors without unacceptable effect Y (for example, because Technique  
X can't identify sociopaths), therefore Technique X should not be  
used at all."  This, of course, is poor reasoning.  Most security in  
the real world uses numerous filters of various kinds, intending that  
they be complementary.

The thing I find troubling in the current climate is the low weight  
put on Type I (false positive) errors and personal disruption to  
innocent bystanders (including privacy violation).  In the end we  
need a reasonable balance, but right now I think it's tilted too far.

Mary


Mary


On 8/22/06, David Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brett Glass <brett () lariat net>
Date: August 21, 2006 8:20:59 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net, ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Which Travelers Have 'Hostile Intent'?

At 12:54 PM 8/21/2006, David Farber wrote:

> This sounds like alie detector and they have been proven not to
> work djf

Actually, it sounds a lot like the "E-meter." And, like the E-meter,
it seems to be part of a scam that takes in only the gullible.

--Brett Glass



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