Secret Service Wants Software To Detect Social Media Sarcasm

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
Really? The Secret Service needs software to tell when someone makes a sarcastic Facebook post? :rolleyes:

The Secret Service is looking to buy software that can detect sarcasm on social media. Whatever. We're sure it will work. In a work order posted online Monday, the agency said it wants analytics software that can, among other things, synthesize large sets of social media data and visually present that data. The request for proposals was first reported by nextgov.com.
Click to expand...
 
This makes some sense. The government has a hard time of detecting sarcasm. Sometimes, people say things like "I'm gonna kill that guy" and are 100% not going to do it.

Of course, no matter what... It's racist. ;)
 
Reminds me of MIB - "We at the FBI do not have a sense of humor that we are aware of.".
 
People online have a hard time with sarcasm, and you think software will do a better job? Good luck with that. The moment some kid makes threats in Xbox Live about being a bomb and the NSA shows up at his door, there's going to be hell to pay.
 
Ashbringer said:
People online have a hard time with sarcasm, and you think software will do a better job? Good luck with that. The moment some kid makes threats in Xbox Live about being a bomb and the NSA shows up at his door, there's going to be hell to pay.
Click to expand...

That's in essence the problem, current software sucks, DUH!
/sarcasm
 
Ashbringer said:
People online have a hard time with sarcasm, and you think software will do a better job? Good luck with that. The moment some kid makes threats in Xbox Live about being a bomb and the NSA shows up at his door, there's going to be hell to pay.
Click to expand...

Oh, there was a funny incident not too long ago in Overclock.net IRC. Let us just say the FBI were called and someone had to spend a crapload in legal fees defending themselves for just being an ass.
 
This might be a problem for them if they intend to use this as a way of discarding information.
The criminal element will devise ways of making what they do look like sarcasm.
Then again there may be ways of flagging that up too, like if there is continuous sarcasm.
But again, the criminal element could post a lot of other sarcasm material that is just spam.
...

It must be fun to be in the secret service lol.
 
Nenu said:
This might be a problem for them if they intend to use this as a way of discarding information.
The criminal element will devise ways of making what they do look like sarcasm.
Then again there may be ways of flagging that up too, like if there is continuous sarcasm.
But again, the criminal element could post a lot of other sarcasm material that is just spam.
...

It must be fun to be in the secret service lol.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that anything really sensitive would already be cyphered into the spam itself.

You ever wonder why so much spam has random capitol letters and obvious spelling mistakes, despite the fact that most modern browsers and email clients include some form of inline spell check.

If you don't want the government to know who you are based on who you talk to (metadata), the best solution is to talk to everyone. Nobody is going to think twice about some Viagra spammer who happens to spam a few terrorists along with everyone else.
 
Actually, I read the article and the government's RFP (request for proposal) and the RFP doesn't say what the reporter claims it says. Here is a link to the RFP.
https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=fb2ca11b7d9ca8c61e5ee6d8ae69ad4d

Here is the closest anything comes to what the reporter claims.
5.0 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
The software tool must possess the following capabilities/functionality:
• Real-time stream analysis;
• Customizable, keyword search features;
• Sentiment analysis;
• Trend analysis;
Click to expand...

Sentiment Analysis could be nothing more then an easy tool that allows an analyst reading posts to mark and annotate comments. So like they read something that was sarcastic they can highlight it and assign the "sentiment" of "sarcastic" to the comment. It in no way suggests the software is required to possess the automated ability to determine human sentiment without human intervention. The reporter is full of shit, again, as usual.
 
Ooops, I left out what it was that the reporter claimed;
Then there's the request to sift through the heaps of snark on Twitter and other social media services: "Ability to detect sarcasm and false positives," the request reads.
Click to expand...

Yea, this is not in the request for proposal. (RFP).
 
So instead of [possible spam] in front of emails we will have [Possible Sarcasm] infront of facebook posts, awesome.
 
Skripka said:
Oh, there was a funny incident not too long ago in Overclock.net IRC. Let us just say the FBI were called and someone had to spend a crapload in legal fees defending themselves for just being an ass.
Click to expand...

Link?
 
lcpiper said:
Actually, I read the article and the government's RFP (request for proposal) and the RFP doesn't say what the reporter claims it says. Here is a link to the RFP.
https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=fb2ca11b7d9ca8c61e5ee6d8ae69ad4d

Here is the closest anything comes to what the reporter claims.


Sentiment Analysis could be nothing more then an easy tool that allows an analyst reading posts to mark and annotate comments. So like they read something that was sarcastic they can highlight it and assign the "sentiment" of "sarcastic" to the comment. It in no way suggests the software is required to possess the automated ability to determine human sentiment without human intervention. The reporter is full of shit, again, as usual.
Click to expand...

Sentiment analysis can be as simple as :eek::mad::rolleyes::cool::p;):D:eek::(:) and :confused:
 
Alternate solution? Stop spying on us. Terrorism statistically is one of the absolute lowest threats to American lives there is.

You really want to save lives, divert all that money to fighting obesity, build parks, playgrounds, work on a cure for cancer, just anything that is actually a statistically useful application of limited resources.
 
lcpiper said:
Ooops, I left out what it was that the reporter claimed;


Yea, this is not in the request for proposal. (RFP).
Click to expand...

Uh, yeah it is.

Acquisition Regulation (FAR), as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. A subsequent solicitation document will not be issued. Solicitation HSSS01-14-Q-0182 is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP) though FAC 2005-72. The NAICS is 511210. The United States Secret Service intends to award a ( FFP) Firm Fixed Price competitive contract on the basis of Best Value to the Government

STATEMENT OF WORK
UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE
SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS TOOL

1.0 INTRODUCTION
This requirement is for procurement of a social media analytics software tool to be used by the United States Secret Service (USSS) Office of Government and Public Affairs (GPA).

2.0 MISSION
The Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency with headquarters in Washington, D.C. and over 140 offices domestically and internationally. Although, the USSS was established in 1865, solely to suppress the counterfeiting of United States currency, its mission has grown to include: safeguarding the nation's financial infrastructure and payment systems; preserving the integrity of the economy; and to protecting national leaders, visiting heads of state and government, designated sites, and National Special Security Events (NSSE).

3. 0 OBJECTIVES
Procure a social media software analytics tool with the ability to:
• Automate the social media monitoring process;
• Synthesize large sets of social media data;
• Identify statistical pattern analysis;
• Visually present complex data in a clear, concise manner; and
• Provide user friendly functionality to multiple staff members.

4.0 TASK ORDER/PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
One (1)BPA (Blanket Purchasing Agreement) with a period of 5 years.

5.0 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
The software tool must possess the following capabilities/functionality:
• Real-time stream analysis;
• Customizable, keyword search features;
• Sentiment analysis;
• Trend analysis;
• Audience segmentation;
• Geographic segmentation;
• Qualitative, data visualization representations (heat maps, charts, graphs, etc.);
• Multiple user access;
• Functionality to have read-only users;
• Access to historical twitter data;
• Influencer identification;
• Standard web browser access with login credentials;
• User level permissions;
• Compatibility with Internet Explorer 8;
• Section 508 compliant;
• Ability to detect sarcasm and false positives;
• Functionality to send notifications to users;
• Functionality to analyze data over a given period of time;
• Ability to quantify the agency's social media outreach/footprint;
• Vendor-provided training and technical/customer support;
• Ability to create custom reports without involving IT specialists; and
• Ability to search online content in multiple languages.
Click to expand...
 
No one at the Secret Service has a sense of humor, so they need a computer to detect sarcasm.
 
Uh, yeah it is.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected.

For an NSA analyst, CTRL+F is a useful tool. /sarcasm (or is it...)
Click to expand...

And it might be, but I was never an NSA Analyst, I was an Army SIGINT Analyst and SIGINT activities are overseen by the NSA.
 
I bet the healthcare.gov folks will make one. It should only take 8 months and 260 billion dollars.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top