Hooked on Modern Warfare 2 and haven’t left your house in a while? You could just go on playing videogames, but how will you know if the world outside has become an Orwellian nightmare or not? If you live in New York, that problem may become a thing of the past.
In an effort to ensure basement dwellers never have to meet the cruel gaze of the sun again, New York authorities intend to implement a way of broadcasting emergency alerts over videogame consoles. Let’s hope the cops know your friend code.
However, letting you know when to run is only one step in their plan. Dubbed “Empire 2.0″, the plan involves the Department of Mental Health monitoring Facebook posts for evidence of thought crime suicidal tendencies, and if that wasn’t scary enough, the Department of Homeland Security will be using Second Life to train first responders of terrorist attacks. Nothing says “capable of handling emergency situations” like socially maladjusted fur fetishists. “Web 2.0 is the world we’re beginning to live in. We should be part of the movement.” says New York State Deputy CIO Rico Singleton.
This has been a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. Please comment, rate and subscribe!
via: InformationWeek
I thought the third paragraph was you making stuff up until about half way through. I’m sure we can trust the government to handle this data with care…right?
It’s always strange when governments admit that they want to monitor you online. Normally they just do it without telling you.
@wardrox I don’t think I’M even cynical enough to come up with Empire 2.0.
Really quite amusing, I like your writing style Jeff.
“Nothing says “capable of handling emergency situations” like socially maladjusted fur fetishists.”
Sentence of the year?
When it all begins…you are all invited to the Buckets Bat Cave to watch the world burn…V for Vendetta style.
““Web 2.0 is the world we’re beginning to live in.”
Personally, I prefer reality, but each to his own.
If a natural disaster intends to interrupt my nightly gaming session, I say let me be taken. I have pity on the government official that breaks up a WoW raid with a hurricane warning.