Software taps experts among your friends

Tacit Software is preparing software that will make it easy to pick the brains of friends for expertise.
The New York Times

The story "Software taps experts among your friends" published May 28, 2006 at 9:35 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[Joe Bolt]

How To Become An Instant Expert

Couldn't They Have Picked A Better Word Dept:

"The service allows the user to MINE THE DATA on the computers of friends, business associates and others with shared interests on any subjects."

My first thought was, I wonder how many hours it will be before the Angry Left claims it's all an evil plot by the NSA? You can already see the title of the article: "Tacit Should Have Been Called TraceIt!"

My next thought was, how many minutes will elapse before the hackers, after they've gotten through celebrating the event with champagne, start writing up a fresh batch of code?

Actually, I feel kind of sorry for these guys. They probably started writing the program years ago, back in a kinder, gentler time, but these days? With hackers only getting smarter? Too much. Perhaps it's gone without notice, but, despite massive advancements in computer security, the amount of viruses, worms and trojans has NOT diminished. Or, if the actual total number has decreased, what's still out there has only gotten smarter.

But forget all the security issues. Let's say that Tacit is safe as can be. There are easier ways around it. But first, there's this gem of a sentence:

"Tacit Software is preparing to introduce an online service that will make it simple to pick the brains of friends and colleagues for opinions and expertise."

You know what this reminds me of? The original TiVo web site, where they enthusiastically claimed that now you could do this thing called "time-shifting", where you could actually (I hope you're sitting down) record a TV program and watch it later at your own convenience!! Wow, what a concept! They acted as if the VCR had never existed.

In this case, well, uh, gee, there are these things called "web forums"? There's this massive area of the Internet called "Usenet"? And some crazy thing called the "IRC"? Oh, and even this odd hand-held device called the "telephone"? Apparently, these information sources are just myths and it's up to Tacit to set things right.

Okay, let's take a look at how Tacit might be determining who's the "expert" here. Discounting Mr. Smith's concerns for his own privacy, let's assume that most people want information on things, not people. If they merely wanted information on famous people, a Google search would probably be enough. And, quite frankly, if I'm looking for information on George Washington's early years, I'd certainly trust some established historical web site over my neighbor's opinion.

So, okay, you want info on Nikon and Olympus cameras. First off, we gather Tacit isn't going to assume that the people who have emailed Nikon and Olympus the most over the past year are the experts, since actually the opposite would be true. These people are probably writing Tech Support and therefore know the LEAST about the product.

So how does Tacit determine who's the top dog? Ah, here it is:

"...that index LOCAL [meaning, what's on your computer] user content, including documents and electronic mail."

So, if I were a Master Hacker, here's how I'd do it:

1. Get one of those "list of all English words", then go to some 'Who's Who' site that lists out every single famous and semi-famous person who ever lived. Ditto some "list of all companies worldwide". Combine the lists.

2. Make 10,000 copies of it in TXT format and invite the Illumio software to scan them. That covers the "documents". Now put the master list in an email, set up either a macro program or a mass emailer and send it to yourself 10,000 times, again inviting the Illumio software to look through them. That takes care of the "email".

3. Voilá! You now have 10,000 (at least) references on your computer for any subject imaginable, and are now the expert on any subject someone types in. You're contacted by Joe Blow, asking you which is better, the Nikon or the Olympus.

4. "Dear Joe. Thanks for your inquiry. File-attached is a Word document I've written exclusively for you and which contains all the information you're looking for. Good luck on your purchase!"

You eagerly open the worm-laden Word document.

And the rest, friends, is history. :)

[jabbotts]

Good idea if it didn't reference the term Hacker negatively

I like that the first thing in your mind was how to exploit the system. I really do as it's a trait sadly lacking in many people. Sadder still, it's a trait lacking in many developers of bug-ridden things phisical and logical (ie. software and toasters).

My only complaint is the negative use of the term Hacker. What your example is describing is an everyday criminal that happens to use computers to further illicit goals.

A hacker is simply anyone who chooses to learn about a thing and modify it to provide functionality that wasn't designed in by the manufacturer or was crippled before product release. This may be "hacking" together wires under your trainset (where the term started) or hacking together code to develop an OS when none was available (hm, Unix was it?).

The hacker ethic (as metaphisical a thing as it is) looks down on script-kiddies and the like who would cause damage to a system and ideolizes an efficient and untracable passing. Even those that would be called "hackers" entering restricted computers are there to explore there own growing abuilities and knowledge. When the intent becomes to cause damage or harm others, they loose the title of hacker. They become no better than the social pond scum that lay in wait down alley's for a mugging victim.

In your example, call it what it would be; a criminal intent to harm others for personal gain.

At least you didn't use the dreaded "blackhat/whitehat" buzwords or attach the preface "cyber","e" or "i" to any of your words. These are generally reserved for those that need to sound far more important and knowledgable than they really are.

[Joe Bolt]

How To Become An Instant Expert

Couldn't They Have Picked A Better Word Dept:

"The service allows the user to MINE THE DATA on the computers of friends, business associates and others with shared interests on any subjects."

My first thought was, I wonder how many hours it will be before the Angry Left claims it's all an evil plot by the NSA? You can already see the title of the article: "Tacit Should Have Been Called TraceIt!"

My next thought was, how many minutes will elapse before the hackers, after they've gotten through celebrating the event with champagne, start writing up a fresh batch of code?

Actually, I feel kind of sorry for these guys. They probably started writing the program years ago, back in a kinder, gentler time, but these days? With hackers only getting smarter? Too much. Perhaps it's gone without notice, but, despite massive advancements in computer security, the amount of viruses, worms and trojans has NOT diminished. Or, if the actual total number has decreased, what's still out there has only gotten smarter.

But forget all the security issues. Let's say that Tacit is safe as can be. There are easier ways around it. But first, there's this gem of a sentence:

"Tacit Software is preparing to introduce an online service that will make it simple to pick the brains of friends and colleagues for opinions and expertise."

You know what this reminds me of? The original TiVo web site, where they enthusiastically claimed that now you could do this thing called "time-shifting", where you could actually (I hope you're sitting down) record a TV program and watch it later at your own convenience!! Wow, what a concept! They acted as if the VCR had never existed.

In this case, well, uh, gee, there are these things called "web forums"? There's this massive area of the Internet called "Usenet"? And some crazy thing called the "IRC"? Oh, and even this odd hand-held device called the "telephone"? Apparently, these information sources are just myths and it's up to Tacit to set things right.

Okay, let's take a look at how Tacit might be determining who's the "expert" here. Discounting Mr. Smith's concerns for his own privacy, let's assume that most people want information on things, not people. If they merely wanted information on famous people, a Google search would probably be enough. And, quite frankly, if I'm looking for information on George Washington's early years, I'd certainly trust some established historical web site over my neighbor's opinion.

So, okay, you want info on Nikon and Olympus cameras. First off, we gather Tacit isn't going to assume that the people who have emailed Nikon and Olympus the most over the past year are the experts, since actually the opposite would be true. These people are probably writing Tech Support and therefore know the LEAST about the product.

So how does Tacit determine who's the top dog? Ah, here it is:

"...that index LOCAL [meaning, what's on your computer] user content, including documents and electronic mail."

So, if I were a Master Hacker, here's how I'd do it:

1. Get one of those "list of all English words", then go to some 'Who's Who' site that lists out every single famous and semi-famous person who ever lived. Ditto some "list of all companies worldwide". Combine the lists.

2. Make 10,000 copies of it in TXT format and invite the Illumio software to scan them. That covers the "documents". Now put the master list in an email, set up either a macro program or a mass emailer and send it to yourself 10,000 times, again inviting the Illumio software to look through them. That takes care of the "email".

3. Voilá! You now have 10,000 (at least) references on your computer for any subject imaginable, and are now the expert on any subject someone types in. You're contacted by Joe Blow, asking you which is better, the Nikon or the Olympus.

4. "Dear Joe. Thanks for your inquiry. File-attached is a Word document I've written exclusively for you and which contains all the information you're looking for. Good luck on your purchase!"

You eagerly open the worm-laden Word document.

And the rest, friends, is history. :)

[jabbotts]

Good idea if it didn't reference the term Hacker negatively

I like that the first thing in your mind was how to exploit the system. I really do as it's a trait sadly lacking in many people. Sadder still, it's a trait lacking in many developers of bug-ridden things phisical and logical (ie. software and toasters).

My only complaint is the negative use of the term Hacker. What your example is describing is an everyday criminal that happens to use computers to further illicit goals.

A hacker is simply anyone who chooses to learn about a thing and modify it to provide functionality that wasn't designed in by the manufacturer or was crippled before product release. This may be "hacking" together wires under your trainset (where the term started) or hacking together code to develop an OS when none was available (hm, Unix was it?).

The hacker ethic (as metaphisical a thing as it is) looks down on script-kiddies and the like who would cause damage to a system and ideolizes an efficient and untracable passing. Even those that would be called "hackers" entering restricted computers are there to explore there own growing abuilities and knowledge. When the intent becomes to cause damage or harm others, they loose the title of hacker. They become no better than the social pond scum that lay in wait down alley's for a mugging victim.

In your example, call it what it would be; a criminal intent to harm others for personal gain.

At least you didn't use the dreaded "blackhat/whitehat" buzwords or attach the preface "cyber","e" or "i" to any of your words. These are generally reserved for those that need to sound far more important and knowledgable than they really are.

Ok, This Sounds Dumb

It sounds not much more than a Friendster-for-expertise. Does anyone really use these networks for anything? If I want to know if any of my friends have reccomendations or info about things, I ask them. I don't need a web service to do this.

Ok, This Sounds Dumb

It sounds not much more than a Friendster-for-expertise. Does anyone really use these networks for anything? If I want to know if any of my friends have reccomendations or info about things, I ask them. I don't need a web service to do this.