Sentimental Algorithm

Software Being Developed to Monitor Opinions of U.S. (NY Times): file under “newsflow arbitrage.”

A consortium of major universities, using Homeland Security Department money, is developing software that would let the government monitor negative opinions of the United States or its leaders in newspapers and other publications overseas.

Hell, I have a negative opinion of a lot of my leaders, though not of my Gringolândia.

Such a “sentiment analysis” is intended to identify potential threats to the nation, security officials said.

And I am an imminent threat — to vote the rascals out if they do not get this mess straightened out — impeach somebody if you have to, just get it done.

Researchers at institutions including Cornell, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Utah intend to test the system on hundreds of articles published in 2001 and 2002 on topics like President Bush’s use of the term “axis of evil,” the handling of detainees at Guantánamo Bay, the debate over global warming and the coup attempt against President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela.

In other words: Are our lies working?

Hell, I can tell you what the world thinks of the Chávez coup: They think we did it. And if State was planning to deny that, the smirk on the face of that State Dept. guy on the day didn’t help matters much.

I’m sure my fellow phhilsopher Mr. de Carvalho believes the flubbing of the coup was a plot by the Council on Foreign Relations to strengthen Mr. Chávez’s hand.

Which was precisely the effect it had.

American officials have long relied on newspapers and other news sources to track events and opinions here and abroad, a goal that has included the routine translation of articles from many foreign publications and news services. The new software would allow much more rapid and comprehensive monitoring of the global news media, as the Homeland Security Department and, perhaps, intelligence agencies look “to identify common patterns from numerous sources of information which might be indicative of potential threats to the nation,” a statement by the department said.

Shit. I guess that means guys like me will be out of a job.

It could take several years for such a monitoring system to be in place, said Joe Kielman, coordinator of the research effort. The monitoring would not extend to United States news, Mr. Kielman said.

Right. Gotcha.