Coronavirus

[MrGongGong]

I wondered recently about how they get estimates of traffic usage. Is it possible that most vehicles now have in-built devices (e.g. phone connectivity) which enables them to be tracked? Any car with enhanced mobile phone capability could probably do that - and if the capability is in-built, then it could perhaps be used by authorities, whether or not the car's owner or user knew anything about this.

Didn't you see this ?

https://www.wired.com/story/99-phones-fake-google-maps-traffic-jam/

[teamsaint]

It will give the likes of Cummings and his nasty mates your data which they can sell and make themselves richer.

What is needed (and the expertise is around) is some real hacking to frustrate them.

Given that the alternative seems to be Apple / Google, and that contact tracing seem to be the only way to get society functioning again, what would you suggest ?

[LMcD]

Given that the alternative seems to be Apple / Google, and that contact tracing seem to be the only way to get society functioning again, what would you suggest ?

I'm starting to wonder whether certain Forumistas aren't great admirers of the Prime Minister and his colleagues - but I could be wrong, I suppose.

[teamsaint]

I'm starting to wonder whether certain Forumistas aren't great admirers of the Prime Minister and his colleagues - but I could be wrong, I suppose.

Who, me ?

I was just asking GG what his view was .

[LMcD]

Who, me ?

Perhaps I should have said 'Forumistas who, for example, post pictures of Her Majesty and her Head of Government'. I'm no admirer of BJ and his colleagues but I prefer to make that clear in more measured tones.
The frequent mentions of social distancing take me back to my visits to The Dell, when we were regularly asked to 'pack more closely' in order that fans queuing at the turnstiles could enter the stands before kick-off.

[teamsaint]

Perhaps I should have said 'Forumistas' who, for example, post pictures of Her Majesty and her Head of Government. I'm no admirer of BJ and his colleagues but I prefer to make that clear in more measured tones. (Therefore, not you

I’m baffled as to why you chose to quote me then.

( That’s Noggin the Nog on my avatar by the way, as I’m sure you know..... we could do with more like him in leadership roles )

[LMcD]

I’m baffled as to why you chose to quote me then.

( That’s Noggin the Nog on my avatar by the way, as I’m sure you know..... we could do with more like him in leadership roles )

Sorry - I wasn't aware I had!
Regarding avatars, I still have hope that my four-legged companion might come up with some helpful suggestions, seeing as he was clever enough to regularly catch the train to and from Cape Town without ever purchasing a ticket.

[MrGongGong]

Given that the alternative seems to be Apple / Google, and that contact tracing seem to be the only way to get society functioning again, what would you suggest ?

I don't think that there are only two "choices".
What I suggest (and it's a wish) is that we had people we could trust in charge.



Also, which bits of society do we really want to get "functioning" again anyway ?

[oddoneout]

By no means everyone has a smartphone. Those who do have one may not want to drain their battery by leaving Bluetooth left on. More countries have opted for a decentralised approach. The centralised app looks to break data protection legislation. . . .

Isn't data protection going to be another casualty of Brexit? Presumably seen as one of the advantages in certain quarters...

[teamsaint]

Sorry - I wasn't aware I had!
Regarding avatars, I still have hope that my four-legged companion might come up with some helpful suggestions, seeing as he was clever enough to regularly catch the train to and from Cape Town without ever purchasing a ticket.

Ok, thanks for clarifying that. I’m sure your faithful friend would be more use than most of the cabinet.

[LMcD]

I don't think that there are only two "choices".
What I suggest (and it's a wish) is that we had people we could trust in charge.



Also, which bits of society do we really want to get "functioning" again anyway ?

I think we can all agree on that. While the 'experts' may basically be less devious and self-serving than the politicians and business leaders, they nevertheless often give me the impression that they're merely engaging in a sophisticated combination of trial and error and guesswork. Reading out, without comment, the '5 tests' that we can read for ourselves scarcely counts as expertise in my book.

[teamsaint]

I don't think that there are only two "choices".
What I suggest (and it's a wish) is that we had people we could trust in charge.



Also, which bits of society do we really want to get "functioning" again anyway ?

Well personally , I’d like to be able to travel to see my kids family and and friends , help get the business that I work for publishing and selling books and employing authors,( so that we have a long term future) go to hear music live, go to the seaside, see my mum on her 80 th birthday in June, that sort of thing.

What I dont want to see is schools recklessly reopened with little regard to the safety of those working or studying, which seems to be the plan.
All just examples of course.

[teamsaint]

I think we can all agree on that. While the 'experts' may basically be less devious and self-serving than the politicians and business leaders, they nevertheless often give me the impression that they're merely engaging in a sophisticated combination of trial and error and guesswork. Reading out, without comment, the '5 tests' that we can read for ourselves scarcely counts as expertise in my book.

The 5 tests that the NEU have put in place for reopening schools look better thought through.

[oddoneout]

I think we can all agree on that. While the 'experts' may basically be less devious and self-serving than the politicians and business leaders, they nevertheless often give me the impression that they're merely engaging in a sophisticated combination of trial and error and guesswork. Reading out, without comment, the '5 tests' that we can read for ourselves scarcely counts as expertise in my book.

It doesn't, but having the 'experts' read them out implies that they a) are endorsed by said experts and b) therefore have some value.

[LHC]

Isn't data protection going to be another casualty of Brexit? Presumably seen as one of the advantages in certain quarters...

No, we have already passed legislation to enshrine GDPR in UK law, and we will still have the same data protection laws in place as the rest of Europe post-Brexit.