Sheeple

dan@geer.org dan@geer.org
Wed Dec 2 17:44:36 PST 2015


Some would say that to tell the truth you must use fiction...

-----------

Episode 18, CBS television show "Person of Interest"

   FINCH is a physically damaged billionaire programmer who developed
   machine intelligence for the government

   REESE is his sidekick muscle.


-----------

REESE

No photos?


FINCH

Not everyone in New York has a driver's license, REESE. First three
digits of the social suggest that Jordan Hester was born in Georgia.


REESE

I'm supposed to recognize him by his accent?


FINCH

Or her. I can't even verify the gender. Hester's living off the
grid. No photos online and nothing on the social networking sites.


REESE

I've never understood why people put all their information on those
sites.  Used to make our job a lot easier in the C.I.A. (takes
another sip from his cup)


FINCH

Of course, that's why I created them.


REESE

You're telling me you invented online social networking, FINCH?


REESE stands up. FINCH goes to his computer, setting down his
doughnut.


FINCH

The Machine needed more information. People's social graph, their
associations.

(opens up search on social networking website for "Jordan Hester")

The government had been trying to figure it out for years. Turns
out most people were happy to volunteer it. The business wound up
being quite profitable, too. Unfortunately, Jordan Hester seems to
be more cautious than most, but I was able to run a credit check.


REESE looks at papers on glass board. FINCH picks up his doughnut
again.



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