Reply to: Big brother thinks you are a liar

[Bagpuss]

New houses? I didn't think they were building new council houses just paying the private sector a fortune to make up the shortfall, brilliant for those with down market BTLs.

Re Cliphead, yes that's what I mean, most of the calls they deal with are from people trying to rectify their errors e.g being chased for council tax for properties you didn't live at when the bill was raised.
They are invariably smug, self righteous little Hitlers, now to think they will be operating like the SS interigators that they always aspired to be makes me sick.

[hyperD]

I phoned Surrey Trading Standards once about reporting a dodgy decorator. She was the most patronising, unhelpful condescending bint I've ever had the misfortune to phone.

I agree that as soon as you know it's the council on the phone, most people will get angry and stressed so voiding the test.

If not, then simply get your council tax bill and remember that the council tax increases in your area were not down to the fact that the government haven't provided enough cash, or it goes into their pensions...

...it's your money paying for all these new councils houses and housing benefit that has caused the year on year increases.

Don't believe me? Check out your council tax breakdown (if you can find it)

[Fishface]

can it be calibrated to distinct regional accents?

In the US people sound generally the same - so it may work.

If the system is calibrated to Brummige but someone with scowse accent phones in then the machine will go mental, erratic needle movements and guilty verdicts right away.

I can do an ace impression of a yorkshire accent - that'll fool 'em next time I am call CTAX to complain

[TheFaQQer]

It isn't a polygraph though (no vital signs measurements), it measures the stress in your voice, that leaves it open to error. When people get angry they get stressed, talking to people at councils would have got mother teresa stressed.

That's why it's used as an indicator only, not a judgement of whether the caller is committing benefit fraud or whatever.

[Clippy]

I was under the impression our taxes paid their wages, hence we are the customer not the suspect.

Have you ever phoned your local council? Particularly the rates department.

A bigger bunch of rude, un-helpful, in-competent and paranoid feckwits you will not meet.

[Bagpuss]

Yes, just imagine if you'd run out of Special Brew and Lamberts on Wednesday, and you were still on the phone on Friday trying to sort out your next dole payment. High levels of stress indeed.

Dole isn't claimed from the council.

[xoggoth]

Oh god! I always sound guilty even if I am not.

[chicane]

It isn't a polygraph though (no vital signs measurements), it measures the stress in your voice, that leaves it open to error. When people get angry they get stressed, talking to people at councils would have got mother teresa stressed.

Yes, just imagine if you'd run out of Special Brew and Lamberts on Wednesday, and you were still on the phone on Friday trying to sort out your next dole payment. High levels of stress indeed.

[Bagpuss]

It isn't a polygraph though (no vital signs measurements), it measures the stress in your voice, that leaves it open to error. When people get angry they get stressed, talking to people at councils would have got mother teresa stressed.

[TheFaQQer]

I was under the impression our taxes paid their wages, hence we are the customer not the suspect.

I think the suggestion is that this is designed to catch those who are committing fraud, or not paying their taxes, therefore not paying the wages.

The technology is used much more in the US, where the idea of taking a polygraph is much more accepted than over here. From what I was reading, the idea is that when you are on the phone to the benefits helpline, a little box appears on the screen which says whether the system has detected things in your voice. From there, if there is anything suspicious, it triggers a manual check - no-one is getting rejected on the technical evidence, it's another way of helping to identify possible benefit fraud.

Next rollout will be to insurance companies - listen to the "your calls may be recorded..." message, which is changing for those that are using the call recordings for stress analysis.

[Bagpuss]

This is the problem we have in this country with these infringements of hard fought liberties. As long as it's justified by some noble cause nobody bats an eyelid, it's only several years down the line when the legislation is being used to extract money/incriminate the law abiding that we all of a sudden see it for what it is.

[PRC1964]

I was under the impression our taxes paid their wages, hence we are the customer not the suspect.

I think they are only using this on people claiming benefits. As such they are NOT paying the wages.

[Bagpuss]

I was under the impression our taxes paid their wages, hence we are the customer not the suspect.

[TheFaQQer]

This may be old news but there was a feature on Breakfast this morning. Major councils in the UK are going to roll out telephone lie detectors to identify 'cheats'

So, the local authorities now film you on CCTV, bug your bin, and analyse your phone calls let alone Fine you for putting rubbish in the coloured wrong box

It was in last Thursday's Technology Guardian.

The irony is that the politician that was most in favour of this kind of technology was David Blunkett.

[King Cnvt]

And monitor your Internet activity for dissent.