Alarmist News Reporting

While it shouldn't surprise me to have news programs try to increase ratings by alarming the public, I was quite disappointed by NBC's Nightly News on Saturday. Here's my letter to them:

On Saturday's Nightly News, you had a story about the Toyota Recall. In the story, you highlight a retired orthopedic surgeon who had an issue with his 2005 Toyota Highlander hybrid. This model vehicle is NOT part of the current recall and either you know something that Toyota doesn't or your story is trying to alarm the public. The recall only covers certain new model Highlanders; as an owner of a 2003 Highlander, I didn't pay much attention to it. Your story didn't make it clear that this story had nothing to do with the current recall. While the doctor highlighted may have had issues with his vehicle, I think it is quite irresponsible for you to do a story on an issue that has nothing to back it up; one person had an issue with an older car.

I would appreciate seeing a clarification to this story.

We'll see if NBC does anything. Toyota does have a huge problem, but this story could likely make it even worse.

Violating a privacy policy

Today I received a survey from the congressman that serves my area, Duncan Hunter. (Notice I didn't say my congressman, I don't think he serves my interests.). The survey was sent to an email address that I used once to fill out a form to tell the congressman to stop sending paper newsletters.

Well, it turns out that the congressman has violated the United States House Of Representatives Privacy policy which states:

Any personally-identifying information which you choose to provide. For example your mailing address, in an electronic mail message or web form requesting information or commenting on current legislative issues. Information collected in this manner is used solely for information and, in some cases, to respond to you. Please also see Security and Policy Notices posted on individual Member, Committee and other House office web sites for information on how individual offices may use the data you choose to provide them via forms on their sites.

It doesn't say that I can be contacted for a survey, does it? Furthermore, there was no unsubscribe link in the survey. This is almost a violation of the CAN-SPAM act as the act requires a way to opt-out. However, since this wasn't an ad, it probably doesn't violate it.

Duncan Hunter, stop sending me unsolicited paper and electronic mail. While you are trying to use technology to be in touch with your constituents, you are doing it in a way to further tick us (me) off.

Shifting the blame

When I see kiosks with Windows error messages, I usually love to blame Windows as I'm a life long (OK, I was 16 when I got my first Mac) Mac user so Windows is an easy target. Several weeks ago, I was at the San Diego airport picking up my wife and son when I saw an error on one of the displays. I realized that the displays were still running and the only problem was the crash message on the screen. I attribute this error to the person that setup the kiosk. Software is going to crash running most operating consumer operating systems (Mac OS and Windows primarily), so whoever sets up the kiosk needs to do whatever is possible to make sure the kiosk or display keeps running. This includes background processes to monitor the foreground processes and vice versa. In addition, all error messages need to be suppressed. Mac OS X has a command line option

defaults write com.apple.CrashReporter DialogType server

to prevent the crash dialog from coming up. I can only imagine that Windows has something similar.

I've worked on a kiosk system before and setting them up is not trivial. It takes a lot of thinking and failure design to get it right.

Fixing broken laws

I've written before about the California hands free cell phone law and how useless it is. While studies say that hands free still distracts people (my wife says that I'm distracted when I'm just talking to her in the car), a hands free law is a start to getting people to focus on the road.

On Saturday, as we were driving back from REI, we turned onto Convoy Terrace near the Air National Guard base when I saw a truck from A-Pot Rentals coming out of the base and moving in the same direction I was going. The driver was in the right lane and I was in the left lane; he was yapping on his phone and changed into my lane right where I was. Luckily there was a turn lane and no oncoming cars, so I was able to move into the turn lane and get around the driver.

This driver was clearly distracted by illegally using his cell phone while driving. I called the company later that day and the person that answered didn't seem to really care. If the driver had hit me, I'm sure the family owned company would have cared! Why can't people just get off their phones and drive? The fines need to be increased and enforced to discourage people from violating the law. How about raising the fine to $500 for the first offense, $1000 for the second offense as well as driving over the cell phone, and $5000 for the third offense? Maybe that would get people to think twice about talking while driving.