Computer programming is far more sophisticated than it was 40 years ago, so now with answers to a well-researched list of questions--that if answered truthfully--a good match is more likely that can lead to a relationship that might grow beyond the first meeting, whether over coffee, dinner, or whatever. Everything is probability driven.
I'm not directly familiar with the "dating" site Ashley Madison, where those interested in stepping out on their spouses were to have registered and perhaps taken things further. (The site was hacked. Always troublesome.) Imagine what they could do with video, photos, and pointed questions as to preferences. My guess is that degree of prelims might be viewed as promoting prostitution, or adultery, but that's one for the legal people in the crowd.
The current book I'm reading is 'The Perfect Bet: How Science and Math are Taking the Luck out of Gambling," by Adam Kucharski, where betting schemes are written about, some that go back quite far, and others that use computer bots to read financial reports and cull data and text from online and printed news sources that help create and steer a stock market or commodities trade. We've probably heard about programmed trades by now. And of course there are programs that try and detect the programs and counter attack with nullifying moves. Nothing different than missiles and missile defense.
Whole chapters are devoted to blackjack and roulette wheels, and financial transactions, that other form of gambling. Gambling was always legal in the United States. It is called the New York Stock Exchange.
Did you know that a winner of the World Series of Poker, Craig Ferguson, had completed a Ph.D. in computer science the year before his victory? Mr. Ferguson comes from a family of math Ph.D.'s, with both parents holding the advanced degree. Hardly the bearded, disheveled, cookie-eating character Teddy KGB who inhabits a warren of decayed rooms in Brooklyn where high stakes poker games are played in the movie "Rounders.'
Which bring us to yesterday's story in the WSJ, "Many Call Centers Know a Surprising Amount About You."
The gist of the story is that there is a company called Afiniti International Holdings that has proprietary software installed in numerous call centers that uses what is publicly known about the caller from online sources like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter posts, and maybe as many 97 other databases to help route the call to someone in the center who is judged to be the best match to take that person's call. A call center date, so to speak. (Who gets Donald Trump's call was not mentioned.)
To me, the funniest part of the story is the description of an Afiniti board member who was a former executive at Verizon, Larry Babbio, who tells us, "it's a little scary to know how much information can be accumulated about you." Larry, you did work for a phone company, right?
Of course the privacy lobby is becoming aghast, but if what is being culled is publicly available it is no different than going through your trash. You put it out on the curb, the Cloud, so you have forfeited ownership. Years ago I knew of two customs agents who brought a neighbor's trash into a garage to go through it. No warrant needed.
The story talks of matching callers to people who might be best to sell something. Supposedly, the person answering the call doesn't know the caller's details that got the call routed to them, and they don't know what it is about themselves that makes them a good match to handle the call. The algorithm works at both ends to create the match. Mr. Babbio tells us "the trade-off [privacy] is a better consumer experience." Maybe we'll take him at his word.
Since call centers sell, as well answer complaints, my hope is that my health insurer will scan this post and and route my next call to someone who knows what they are talking about, rather than have me write to their CEO and receive a call and a two page letter explaining what went on, including
retraining the person who answered my call.
I look forward to being matched up with someone with a brain. What a concept.
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