TSA debuts new full-body scanner software
Feb 2, 2011, 1:12 pm
#76
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That's right. The more diverse the equipment is for the same claimed functional purpose, the greater the costs for any change that is done. Stupid government agency in action.
Feb 2, 2011, 1:21 pm
#77
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The U.S. Travel Association estimates more than 70 percent of all passengers consider the TSA's searches inefficient and frustrating, said senior vice president Geoff Freeman. Incremental changes, he said, won't address those concerns.
Another waste of money, by yours truly.
Feb 2, 2011, 2:06 pm
#79
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 733
Right.
My point was that in responding to EPIC's FOIA request, the TSA responded that the current image was a chalk outline. Like this one.
Therefore, if the current one looks like a chalk outline, why in the world would they need software to make it look like a chalk outline?
My point was that in responding to EPIC's FOIA request, the TSA responded that the current image was a chalk outline. Like this one.
Therefore, if the current one looks like a chalk outline, why in the world would they need software to make it look like a chalk outline?
Feb 2, 2011, 2:31 pm
#80
Join Date: Dec 2010
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The problem with these sort of lies, misleading statements, and dam*ed lies, is that it will take years for TSA to rebuild any credibility with its critics. You can see the disbelief in the posters here if TSA so much as claims the sky is blue. It torques the TSA defenders here, but how else are we to assess statements by an agency that does not do what it says, does do what it says it doesn't, makes promises it doesn't keep, and hides its customer-impacting operating procedures so they get blindsided at every turn?
"we expect WBI to be used only for secondary screening"...
Feb 2, 2011, 2:55 pm
#81
Join Date: Sep 2009
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My personal opinion on them implementing this new software is because with all the lawsuits and the complaints. They did it to get rid of some of the concerns because they were afraid they were fixing to get pinned to the mat if this went before the supreme court because with the image and the person who sees the image being hidden away in the secret room. It makes it look like the TSA is hiding something that is shady and not on the up and up. To prove to the court it wasn't. They were going to have to actually show them a real image of what those body scanners really produce and what the screener in the secret room sees and the second they refused to produce that particular image. I am certain they began to see, that the day that came about, they were seeing that they more than likely were going to lose these machines as primary screening on that fact alone.
Last edited by Lara21; Feb 2, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Feb 2, 2011, 4:10 pm
#82
Join Date: Oct 2008
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CNN has reasonable coverage:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/02/01...ex.html?hpt=T2
Though I did not understand this part:
"We don't intend to leave the monitors in place when we go to retrofit the software," said Robin Kane, the Transportation Security Administration's chief technology officer. "The way we will have them in the field they will not run concurrently."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/02/01...ex.html?hpt=T2
Though I did not understand this part:
"We don't intend to leave the monitors in place when we go to retrofit the software," said Robin Kane, the Transportation Security Administration's chief technology officer. "The way we will have them in the field they will not run concurrently."
1) "Monitor" refers to the remote viewer, and with the new system they can do everything right at the scanner and reassign that remote person to other duties.
2) "Monitor" refers to the secondary screen which the pax can see, and once they think they've sufficiently lulled people into a false sense of peace of mind they'll yank those screens and go back to having someone peep remotely.
Feb 2, 2011, 4:22 pm
#83
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Right.
My point was that in responding to EPIC's FOIA request, the TSA responded that the current image was a chalk outline. Like this one.
Therefore, if the current one looks like a chalk outline, why in the world would they need software to make it look like a chalk outline?
My point was that in responding to EPIC's FOIA request, the TSA responded that the current image was a chalk outline. Like this one.
Therefore, if the current one looks like a chalk outline, why in the world would they need software to make it look like a chalk outline?
Would it be proper for the TSA to send an image of something that was in the lab?
I am really lost on the fixation on the "chalk outline" thing. Would it help it the word "chalk" were removed, thus simply call it an "outline?"
My personal opinion on them implementing this new software is because with all the lawsuits and the complaints. They did it to get rid of some of the concerns because they were afraid they were fixing to get pinned to the mat if this went before the supreme court because with the image and the person who sees the image being hidden away in the secret room. It makes it look like the TSA is hiding something that is shady and not on the up and up. To prove to the court it wasn't. They were going to have to actually show them a real image of what those body scanners really produce and what the screener in the secret room sees and the second they refused to produce that particular image. I am certain they began to see, that the day that came about, they were seeing that they more than likely were going to lose these machines as primary screening on that fact alone.
Plus an additional set of rooms for the monitors for all the machines they are planning to put in? I think the logistics of getting more people into more room in small airports as-is was a factor as well.
Not to mention, this will free up more TSAers to extend their tentacles and get to the gates more often (for example).
Feb 2, 2011, 4:57 pm
#84
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maybe TSA meant chalk as in the chalk the sidewalk artists use, you know, in those highly detailed 3D drawings...."from the look of those jewels, that must be Bert"
The problem with these sort of lies, misleading statements, and dam*ed lies, is that it will take years for TSA to rebuild any credibility with its critics. You can see the disbelief in the posters here if TSA so much as claims the sky is blue. It torques the TSA defenders here, but how else are we to assess statements by an agency that does not do what it says, does do what it says it doesn't, makes promises it doesn't keep, and hides its customer-impacting operating procedures so they get blindsided at every turn?
"we expect WBI to be used only for secondary screening"...
The problem with these sort of lies, misleading statements, and dam*ed lies, is that it will take years for TSA to rebuild any credibility with its critics. You can see the disbelief in the posters here if TSA so much as claims the sky is blue. It torques the TSA defenders here, but how else are we to assess statements by an agency that does not do what it says, does do what it says it doesn't, makes promises it doesn't keep, and hides its customer-impacting operating procedures so they get blindsided at every turn?
"we expect WBI to be used only for secondary screening"...
TSA has NO CREDIBILITY.
TSA employees cannot be trusted.
TSA will never gain the public's trust until a complete reorganization of TSA is completed.
Feb 2, 2011, 5:18 pm
#85
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 453
While I do not discount the TSA from shady skills as you describe, the fact of the matter is that there are a lot of airports that had great difficulty wedging the TSA in before the machines were put in.
Plus an additional set of rooms for the monitors for all the machines they are planning to put in? I think the logistics of getting more people into more room in small airports as-is was a factor as well.
Not to mention, this will free up more TSAers to extend their tentacles and get to the gates more often (for example).
Seems like suddenly something changed and that sudden change was not going to go in their favor because as early as a few months ago they said this software did not meet their requirements to detect concealed items on passengers and suddenly a few months later it suddenly has improved that much.
I mean Janet Napolitano herself said that these procedures were not going to change in anyway anytime soon so for the passengers to get use to it, and suddenly something has changed because here comes this software that shows only a generic outline image of a passenger.
Privacy issues and the airport having to create places for the secret image viewing rooms has always been a issue from the very first day these machines were inastalled at the airports.
They were told to do this and it was not to protect the privacy of the passengers or because room at the airport was an issue.
Last edited by Lara21; Feb 2, 2011 at 5:26 pm
Feb 2, 2011, 5:25 pm
#86
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That was not something that they TSA/DHS didn't already know when they started installing these machines so why all of a sudden the need to get rid of the image and the screener in the secret room now?
Seems like suddenly something changed and that sudden change was not going to go in their favor because as early as a few months ago they said this software did not meet their requirements to detect concealed items on passengers and suddenly a few months later it suddenly has improved that much. I mena Janet Napolitano herself said that these procedures were not going to change in anyway anytime soon so get use and suddenly something has because here comes this software that shows an a generic outline only.
Seems like suddenly something changed and that sudden change was not going to go in their favor because as early as a few months ago they said this software did not meet their requirements to detect concealed items on passengers and suddenly a few months later it suddenly has improved that much. I mena Janet Napolitano herself said that these procedures were not going to change in anyway anytime soon so get use and suddenly something has because here comes this software that shows an a generic outline only.
Feb 2, 2011, 5:26 pm
#87
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Last edited by BarbiJKM; Feb 2, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Feb 2, 2011, 5:36 pm
#88
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If they had concern for the passengers. This software would have been ready to go from the moment, or shortly right after these machines were first put into the airports in early 2010.
Last edited by Lara21; Feb 2, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Feb 2, 2011, 5:55 pm
#90
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