Curse

Inde · Feb 23, 2008, 08:00 PM // 20:00

I wish I was making this up:

Quote:

Be careful who you frag. Having eliminated all terrorism in the real world, the U.S. intelligence community is working to develop software that will detect violent extremists infiltrating World of Warcraft and other massive multiplayer games, according to a data-mining report from the Director of National Intelligence.

The Reynard project will begin by profiling online gaming behavior, then potentially move on to its ultimate goal of "automatically detecting suspicious behavior and actions in the virtual world."

The cultural and behavioral norms of virtual worlds and gaming are generally unstudied. Therefore, Reynard will seek to identify the emerging social, behavioral and cultural norms in virtual worlds and gaming environments. The project would then apply the lessons learned to determine the feasibility of automatically detecting suspicious behavior and actions in the virtual world.
If it shows early promise, this small seedling effort may increase its scope to a full project.

Reynard will conduct unclassified research in a public virtual world environment. The research will use publicly available data and will begin with observational studies to establish baseline normative behaviors.

The publicly available report -- which was mandated by Congress following earlier concerns over data-mining programs -- also mentions several other data-mining initiatives. These include:

Video Analysis and Content Extraction - software to automatically identify faces, events and objects in video
Tangram - A system that wants to create surveillance and threat warning system that evaluates known threats and finds unknown threats to issue warnings ahead of an attack
Knowledge Discovery and Dissemination - This tool is reminiscent of the supposedly-defunct Total Information Awareness program. It seeks to access disparate databases to find patterns of known bad behavior. The program plans to work with domestic law enforcement and Homeland Security.

The report gives no indication why the find-a-terrorist cell in Sims project is called Reynard, though that is a traditional trickster figure in literature.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/200...s-spies-w.html

Inde · Feb 23, 2008, 08:04 PM // 20:04

Of discussion would be if this software is implemented by a techincal "3rd party" and it would monitor the game wouldn't it violate EULA for most games? ROFL. Would love to know what gaming companies think about this and the rights and privacy of their users if it is one day used to identify people as this. Would someone like NCSoft now be required to hand over account information and names of suspects?

Lima · Feb 23, 2008, 08:05 PM // 20:05

Ok, I don't understand how terrorism in a computer game would have any effect on the safety of those who play them and others who don't partake... The only way this would be justified is if they wanted to monitor wether people in MMORPG's were tryin influence acts of terrorism in the real world. This is so wierd lol. I swear they're gettin way too paranoid about terrorism. But not everything in the world today is under threat from acts of terror... My advice would be to just chillout lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

Of discussion would be if this software is implemented by a techincal "3rd party" and it would monitor the game wouldn't it violate EULA for most games? ROFL.

^Haha yea that's true. Surely if they allow people to spy on us using 3rd party programs, then we should be allowed to use 3rd party programs too to enhance gaming experience

Splitisoda · Feb 23, 2008, 08:08 PM // 20:08

Hmmm, it could be possible they (dont laugh at me for this) are using the in game messaging system to possibly be able to give plans? It's also possible lots of people on videogames know things in the U.S. and they are trying to get the information out of em.

lakatz · Feb 23, 2008, 08:13 PM // 20:13

Actually if you read the article, you can see the title is all about sensationalism... WIRED's not above that I guess. The article has nothing to do with hunting terrorists and is about studying behavior in virtual environments.

I think the point is really that the Wammo you just added to your PUG could actually be a sociologist bot activated by the government to study your behavior ingame.

Lima · Feb 23, 2008, 08:13 PM // 20:13

Haha yea they've created their own guild that's specifically geared towards acts of terrorism, Al Quida [AQ]

. Yea I suppose you have a point though, but still it all seems abit farfetched...

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakatz

Actually if you read the article, you can see the title is all about sensationalism... WIRED's not above that I guess. The article has nothing to do with hunting terrorists and is about studying behavior in virtual environments.

I think the point is really that the Wammo you just added to your PUG could actually be a sociologist hired by the government to study your behavior ingame.

To what advantage is it to anyone knowing how people using online games behave? I can't see how they could use this info in any way to solve anything. Surely people would only buy the game to play the game? I mean if you have any other reasons as to why you'd play the game other than to play it, please let me know. Sorry if i'm being narrow minded btw

Sora267 · Feb 23, 2008, 08:22 PM // 20:22

It's quite obvious.

Fox News or Jack Thompson have infiltrated the CIA and got them to link MMORPGs to terrorism via an ultimatum in their never-ending quest to destroy all video games not Nintendogs or Nintendogs ripoffs.

Winterclaw · Feb 23, 2008, 08:26 PM // 20:26

You know, if a cyber terrorist hacked Blizzard, they could quickly gain access to millions of computers.

Lima · Feb 23, 2008, 08:28 PM // 20:28

Oh and just to clarify, if you click the link it does sound like the research is geared toward finding terrorists. Just look at the image for example, oh and the title at the top in big letters... Just so you know

lakatz · Feb 23, 2008, 09:05 PM // 21:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lima

To what advantage is it to anyone knowing how people using online games behave? I can't see how they could use this info in any way to solve anything. Surely people would only buy the game to play the game? I mean if you have any other reasons as to why you'd play the game other than to play it, please let me know. Sorry if i'm being narrow minded btw

Whether you're narrow minded or not I haven't a clue. But you have voiced an awareness of only your 'reason' for gaming and not of game behavior or other reasons or elements other people bring to the game. And I'd guess from you statement that you haven't invested much thought in things sociological, so I feel really safe in assuming you're not a sociologist. If you were a sociologist, however, I believe you would have little difficulty in perceiving an advantage for such a study.

I'm not a sociologist, but one facet of behavior that I think warrants study is that we do tend to behave differently when we feel protected by anonymity than we do when our identity is at risk of being exposed, and I'd love to see some results and conclusions from such a study.

Another thing I'd like to see come from such a study is the ability to quickly and easily identify pedophiles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lima

Oh and just to clarify, if you click the link it does sound like the research is geared toward finding terrorists. Just look at the image for example, oh and the title at the top in big letters... Just so you know

I clicked the link. I saw the picture. And... lol... although no doubt the intention in posting it, the picture doesn't remind me of terroism in the least.

Furthermore, I also did something you didn't suggest which was to read the article... and I find nothing to indicate the study is about a hunt for terrorists. I get that the reference to terrorism is typical "Wired" sarcasm. And I'd suggest you read my first post again because "the title at the top in big letters" was a very big point in my post. Sensationalism... look it up---> http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sensationalism

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the government were looking for terrorists in games. They were tapping our phones illegally (an act for which I still want to see the cooperating phone companies prosecuted) looking for terrorists... so... you know... anything is possible. But this article in no way provides conclusive evidence to that effect. It only insinuates and intimates.

Redfeather1975 · Feb 23, 2008, 10:24 PM // 22:24

There are a lot of people who act poorly in games. Maybe they will act a little more self consciously if they knew people who can come to their house and search it are playing too. XD

RPGmaniac · Feb 23, 2008, 11:08 PM // 23:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splitisoda

Hmmm, it could be possible they (dont laugh at me for this) are using the in game messaging system to possibly be able to give plans?

This is actually exactly what I was thinking. I could definitely see terrorists doing this. It wouldn't cost them that much more money to sign up for a month of WoW and start divulging plans.

I'd love for the government to see just how many people act like complete idiots online. They're either gonna get oversuspicious and think everyone online is a terrorist or not catch anybody since everyone acts the same on the internet.

Quote:

Having eliminated all terrorism in the real world, the U.S. intelligence community is working to develop software that will detect violent extremists infiltrating World of Warcraft and other massive multiplayer games

Haha, that's kind of like Baghdad Bob saying "there are no Americans in Baghdad! We're winning the war" as we roll into his office.

-Loki- · Feb 23, 2008, 11:17 PM // 23:17

Quote:

Having eliminated all terrorism in the real world

That's hilarious.

Stockholm · Feb 23, 2008, 11:21 PM // 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakatz

They were tapping our phones illegally (an act for which I still want to see the cooperating phone companies prosecuted) looking for terrorists... so... you know... anything is possible. .

Bush declerd AMNESTIY for all companys that had helped the Goverment under the Patriot Act, only a couple of day's ago.

fowlero · Feb 23, 2008, 11:48 PM // 23:48

Where is this "real world" the OP talks about?

Anywho, Blizzard will probably make a bit of money out of it somehow lol...

Raiders beware of suspect packages.

Inde · Feb 24, 2008, 12:42 AM // 00:42

Yes lakatz, it was a bit of sensationalism on their part. But it's an interesting discussion considering the OUTRAGE that happened when people found out something as simple as Yahoo or Google tracking their searches. Giving you customized ad banners according to your geographical area and what not.

Now a game, purely for entertainment, to be used for anything outside the gaming community (I don't care if it's for marketing purposes or what not) doesn't sit well with consumers knowing that they are being profiled. Especially considering the range of laws that you encounter with privacy and the difference between the US and Europe. Or China and Australia. There are a lot of issues here, and while terrorism could just be one sensational outlook I guarantee you the majority of consumers do not want themselves profiled, ESPECIALLY because they believe and would fight to be anonymous.

Kanyatta · Feb 24, 2008, 01:28 AM // 01:28

Does this mean I should change my name from "Cho Seung-Hui" in Counterstrike?

Rushin Roulette · Feb 24, 2008, 01:39 AM // 01:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakatz

I think the point is really that the Wammo you just added to your PUG could actually be a sociologist bot activated by the government to study your behavior ingame.

Theres an easy way to check this... if he dies and doesnt flame or scream at the monk, then hes obviously a spy adn you can kick him... if he turns otu to be an obnocious (sp?) idiot... then its the normal GW Wammo and you are safe.

SephyXIII · Feb 24, 2008, 01:52 AM // 01:52

If this was an actual reasearch being conducted this information would not be open to the public. How are we supposed to act normal if we know about an investigation of this scale?

lakatz · Feb 24, 2008, 02:31 AM // 02:31

It's WAY sensationalized. Look at the url. It's a blog. It's a blog by someone probably wearing a tin-foil hat.

j/k... he's clearly got a sense of humor. And it's not even the same Wired that used to be. The old Wired was bought up by Conde.

Try googling for more information on "looking for terrorists in video games," and let me know what you find. If there's really information available about the government looking for terrorists in video games that this blogger was privy to, other people are going to know about it as well, and there's going to be other information about it on the internet. I'm still convinced this guy was being sarcastic. If not, then he really is wearing a tin-foil hat.

I can't agree more about the data mining that takes place on the internet. Thankfully, there have been laws passed recently in an attempt to minimize the gathering, selling and use of mined data. Unfortunately though the Patriot Act has given the government a lot broader latitude to gather and use information on the internet. And once a new administration is in the White House, I'll be fighting for repeal of the Patriot Act.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stockholm

Bush declerd AMNESTIY for all companys that had helped the Goverment under the Patriot Act, only a couple of day's ago.

I know... but not because of a lack of effort on my part. I signed petitions. I sent emails. I called my congresswomen and men. I for one am not giving up my freedoms without a fight.

Btw, what the phone companies did STILL wasn't legal under the Patriot Act. That's why the shakeup in Washington. If it WAS legal under the Patriot Act, there'd be no need for amnesty.