Not an advertisement.

 

So, while listening to NPR last night they had a talk about what I consider to be a real web gem: http://www.blueservo.net/

 

What is it? You can watch, in real time, the US border for illegal activity. Seriously. Personally I think it's pretty hilarious, they've apparently got something like 40,000 regular users that watch the border. Quite a bit of marijuana has been seized because of reports from this website.

 

I'm a bit confused as to what to think of it as a whole though.

 

 

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

Edit: Here's a link to the article as I heard it: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =101050132

Lol, too bad you need to register :thumbdown:

WOW getting people to watch the border for you

Awesome initiative. If it helps curtain illegal immigration or drug trafficking, I'm all for it.

My first thought was that we finally have web-controlled mounted shotguns at the border. But this is good, too.

Awesome initiative. If it helps curtain illegal immigration or drug trafficking, I'm all for it.

 

It works both ways, unfortunately or not.

My first thought was that we finally have web-controlled mounted shotguns at the border. But this is good, too.

 

 

 

=D>

Some part-time job. It's probably a good thing if it starts making improvements in border control, but it's an interesting way to handle the business.

Awesome initiative. If it helps curtain illegal immigration or drug trafficking, I'm all for it.

 

It works both ways, unfortunately or not.

 

 

 

Unfortunately?

Sad that the quallity of the camera's is that bad :(

Awesome initiative. If it helps curtain illegal immigration or drug trafficking, I'm all for it.

 

It works both ways, unfortunately or not.

 

 

 

Unfortunately?

 

"Coast is clear, go go go!"

 

 

 

Neat, though.

I'm kind of meh about it. It sounds like a hobby a closet racist would have, why can't the border patrol do this themselves? I know it is difficult, but it's their job. They're supposed to be one step ahead of "the enemy", however hard it may be.

Awesome initiative. If it helps curtain illegal immigration or drug trafficking, I'm all for it.

 

It works both ways, unfortunately or not.

 

 

 

Unfortunately?

 

"Coast is clear, go go go!"

 

 

 

Neat, though.

 

 

 

What?

 

 

 

To be honest, the more I read his reply the more confused I get. I'll have to let dsavi clarify what he was saying.

Ha. 2,000 mile, wall-less border between two of the most varied countries in the world? There are only a couple thousand border patrol agents for the whole border. The Texas border is the least-defended in the country. California's border is mostly walls, Arizona's isn't defended too well, but it's most dangerous, New Mexico doesn't attract illegal immigrants very well. Texas, we get the longest, hardest to defend piece. The Rio Grande is a [bleep], that's for sure.

 

 

 

Warri0r, I think he meant that drug dealers and such could check to see if the coast is clear with those cameras. Or, they could send a fake report on some other area, and sneak past.

Sad that the quallity of the camera's is that bad :(

 

 

 

They aren't to bad, and for what they are being used for. All you really have to see is a human shaped object roaming around or whatever or a vehicle and report it. For their purpose I think they are pretty good.

My first thought had to do with how Texas has instated Big Brother.

To be honest, the more I read his reply the more confused I get. I'll have to let dsavi clarify what he was saying.

 

What I mean is that the people trying to stop the immigrants aren't the only ones watching. There are people that use the network of cameras to check to see that the coast is clear. By "Unfortunately or not", I mean that it's unfortunate if you are against illegal immigration and not if you're for it for whatever reason.

It's hilarious. That's it.

It's hilarious. That's it.

 

I love the idea of some drug criminals acting out a meticulous and daring plan to cross the border, only to be caught out by some bored teenager sat on his pc at 3am eating a pot noodle.

This is the best thing i've seen all week (last week included), i'm signing up.

I think it's handy. Like Warrior said, it's cheaper than building a fence or wall and there are only so many officers available in Texas to patrol the border. Especially one so hard to manage like the Rio Grande. The problem is not only people coming across the border, but in some areas the river is too strong. Now those illegals might be spared death in the river if someone catches it and the report comes across quickly enough.

 

 

 

Over 2800 miles of border in Texas alone, you can't have agents cover all of that nor can you have a few people monitoring them.

One more good thing about it:

 

People are easily manipulated with, if you have a lot of border guards, then (methinks) it is easier to bribe them to let illegal immigrants in country. But if you have 200 people watching at the camera at the same time, it is harder for also border guards to make dark deals.

I should have linked to the article as I heard it in the OP, but anyway here it is: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =101050132

My only reservation is: how do we know these areas are what they say they are?

 

 

 

~Das

My only reservation is: how do we know these areas are what they say they are?

 

 

 

~Das

 

That's the entire point. If illegal immigrants or drug dealers knew where the cameras were pointing, they would be able to use this new technology to get through unnoticed. The only way they would know where the cameras are looking is if they'd personally walk around the border and take pictures, in which case they'll probably be arrested.