Taze that kid!Before he tazes YOU!

Aside from all that, there's the problem that for a lot of people, fingerprinting is simply NOT RELIABLE. My fingerprints are recognizable as mine on the highest-end fingerprinting equipment, but hand geometry readers will frequently identify me as different at different times of the day, low end fingerprint readers have trouble matching me to my prior scan, and the fingerprint readers that use a swipe (like the ones on most laptops) don't even recognize my finger as a finger.

Giant fucking pain -- and I'm very concerned that with the coming fingerprint replacements for ID in a lot of situations, it might make me an unperson, or a hassle to identify, at the very least (which is a sort of good thing/bad thing, as if I were trying to remain anonymous it's a slight help, but my profession often requires me to identify myself).

Ugh...with the price of admission at Disney parks these days, I can understand why they would want to be sure that they get their cash from absolutely EVERYONE that enters their domain. They would otherwise risk leaving thousands per day uncollected. Regardless of the effectiveness of their strategy to verify and confirm their guest's identity, having a system in place that will scare people into not even trying to "trick the system" is good enough to prevent 90% of the people who come to their parks from risking the possibility of making a total a$$ of themselves by getting caught at the turnstyle. BTW - interesting conspiracy theory about our emerging police state.

I think inner lip barcode tatoos would be the way to go. The faster we get used to being treated like livestock the better we will be. :)

Ughhhh!

And Santa is watching to see who's "naughty or nice" as part of an NSA intelligence effort.

The Disney park staff with be happy to fashion your tinfoil hats into Mouse Ears, free of charge, at the entrance to "Paranoia Land".

Ahhh...I miss the days of cheating my way into amusement parks.

In the Midwest we had Kings Island. It was as simple as taking any ID and showing it as you walked through the employee entrance. Later, they got high tech and required to see the official employee ID, and that just meant find a friend that worked there and hold your thumb over the pict nonchalantly as you walked through. Few of friends even got jobs there for a single day so that they could get their official card, and then quit.

With the way prices are going up for these places, I might have to go back to my teen ways. Luckily, Cory's tips might just work!

Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is doing similar stunts. Theirs is a whole hand deal.

Funny, I don't remember being notified of their privacy policy when I bought the pass.

On the other hand, it's almost worth living in a police state for that awesome dive coaster of theirs. But you really do need to be in the front row, despite their claims.

CBC has a radio show (also a podcast BTW) called DNTO (Definitely not the opera). Recently the topic was privacy. For one segment host Sook-Yin Lee stood outside the CBC building in downtown Toronto, and simply asked passersby for their social insurance number.

I was floored by the number of people who without hesitation started to give her the number. She cut them off of course.

Only a few refused and seemed to know how important it is to keep that number confidential.

All this talk in the media about identity theft is starting to smarten people up, but apparently not fast enough..

"(again -- they're very poorly trained on this point)"

Disney World pays minimum wage and hires 90% of the people who go into casting. You get what you pay for.

In the Philippines, shotgun-armed guards stand in front of any business dealing with money, cops tote full auto AR-15 rifles, and every time you go in the mall you line up, lift your arms for a pat down and and open your bag for a quick search from an armed security officer.

Just stop going.

om nom nom nom nom.

Shckr, Cry s cmplnng bt prvcy nd/r DRM. f y dn't lk thr bsnss prctc, dn't g. Wr y scrmng bt plc stts whn thy strtd pttng ths rdrs n lptps? thnk tchnlgy scrs y.

for what Disney costs,wouldn't you rather take your kid kayaking with whales, charter a light plane, learn to scuba dive, buy a really BIG telescope.....

#13 - for the troll

Thy'v hd ths fr 10 yrs.

Ths s vn lttl bt vrbrd fr Cry. Wr y drnk whn y pstd ths?

When I went to Disneyland several thousand years ago they used those A through E tickets for the different kinds of rides. When you bought your ticket book, you knew you had so many teacup rides for each submarine or river boat. The best part was finding lost coupons under benches or in the shrubbery. My sister and I had several extra rides, even a couple of E rides, thanks to our keen eyesight and childlike willingness to crawl around on the asphalt.

so they've been wrong for 10 years. Wrong is wrong.

I dunno.. fingers.. hands.. are they going to start using those to cut off our appendages with lasers when we don't comply?

Mr. Carroll has the right of it. It's probably too much to hope that we can get cute cartoon characters along with our barcode huh?

"Just stop going." ... You may boycott it, but those kids still go there, happily getting fingerprinted. They will grow up in a world where it's totally normal to be fingerprinted like a criminal, several times a day. What do you think your retirement home will look like? Implanted RFID locator chips (for your own safety)? Security cameras on the toilet (for your own safety)? Censored communication with the outside world (because too much excitement is bad for you)? You think that's weird? They won't. Old people have to be kept safe.

The young generation will have to pay so much for their (still ongoing...) war on terror. The old people should contribute for their safety too. Let's decide that the whole pension scheme is obsolete. Old people don't need so much money anyway, when it's cheaper (and safer!) to pen them up in secure retirement centers. Security works great. We taught them so.

You're not afraid of a society whose children never experienced individual freedom? Some of them will become politicians. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Paranoia? Yeah. Time will tell.

I do note that transplanted Japanese (raised in a relatively conformist, controlled society) blossom into North American teenage hellions in about a day and a half. I wouldn't worry too much, I suppose we could evolve into Hive nebbishes - but we'll we it coming.

TH SKY S FLLNG!!!!

I've read rumors that the Disney theme parks will soon be doing away with biometric scanners anyway.

But you're absolutely right about them training us to accept that sort of scanning. I remember reading that Disney's use of the biometric scanners has been part of a program to see how well the public accepts them.

@22
THE SHEEP LOOK UP!

Today in my ongoing series of comments on Cory's photos I gotta say, when it comes to fears about abusive security measures Disney admission tactics are really among the least of our problems.

"You oughta know not to stand by the window somebody might see you up there," Talking Heads, security analysts.

###

What these readers are effective at is conditioning kids to accept surveillance and routine searches and identity checks without particularized suspicion. One morning at Epcot Center, as we offered our ID to the castmember at the turnstile and began to argue (again -- they're very poorly trained on this point) that we could indeed opt to show ID instead of being printed, a small boy behind us chirped up, "No you have to be fingerprinted! Everybody has to be fingerprinted!"

Just put a carrot in there instead of your finger.

Don't go.

@#26

You truly believe they sat in a meeting and said, 1-"OK, so we are going to start using these fingerprint readers at our gates."
2-"What's the reason? Is it to maximize our ticket sales by stopping ticket sharing?"
1-"NO WAY! Obviously The intent is to socialize and normalize submission to tracking and identification. Also, to condition the "C student" kids likely to grow up to work as guards, jailers, and enforcers as to what "normal" behavior "should be".

When did Disney stop being a corporation trying to make money, and start being a conspiracy against our civil liberties. I am going to go outside.

#29:

I agree. There is no substantial proof for such conspiracy. However, the subconscious effect that Cory mentioned is valid.

I am fortunately taught by my parents to ask if it is necessary when shopkeepers (especially in big box stores) ask for my phone number, zip code, social security or any identifications.

But I am not good at protecting my rights when it comes to filling forms. When I was at school, I was taught to fill in all the blanks in a form to get full marks, and therefore, the habit continued.

Does anyone know if it is really necessary to fill in all the fields when a landlord or a credit card issuer ask you to do it? I seriously don't think so. Anyone?

when one ignores the rules, the rules frequently get rewritten to exclude them

Don't go, or move to Cuba.

I prefer to think that these absurd scanners condition kids to reject, spoof, and break the stupid, dangerous machines that weaken our rights as citizens.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Fool-a-Fingerprint-Security-System-As-Easy-/

Re "Don't go" -- you guys ever hear of capitalism? In a capitalist system, customers of businesses express their views on those businesses in order to influence those business's behavior.

Speaking of "don't go" -- if you don't like market economies, move to a banana republic somewhere.

You'd think they'd've at least put two more circles above the scanner, as ears.

what better way to express your opinion of a business's offerings than not to go? Not to buy?

Of course you have to TELL them you aren't going. Otherwise, whats the point?

further,isn't a banana republic the ultimate epitome of a market economy? Not the place in it you wish to live in ,but an essential part nonetheless.

@ 29 & 30

When did Disney stop being a corporation trying to make money, and start being a conspiracy against our civil liberties.

Witness the adoption of public relations (i.e. propaganda) as one set of tools for reshaping customers rather than redesigning products.

Banana republics are feudal economies. That is the direction the entire global economy is headed. Nation states are on the wane while corporate power waxes.

Doesn't take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

banana republics exist because wealthy capitalist societies lacking scruples exist to prop them up and benefit from them. Otherwise,you just have a lot of happy Indians living in the jungle.

further,isn't a banana republic the ultimate epitome of a market economy?

very well, isn't a banana republic the ultimate expression of the resources market economies create to sustain their own growth, regardless of the human cost?

I like bananas.

I guess few people have read Cory's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. I totally see the condition going on everyday. I can even see myself slipping into it, little by little. While I do believe trust has to be earned, it also has to be given. Especially for an entity as large as Disney. True they are a corporation, and Disney World isn't public (as in terms of an "open space"), so technically then can do what they want. It that means subjecting everyone to a full roto-router cavity search, then to the back of the teeth it shall be. And you options? Limited at best, and futile at worst. Unfortunately in this world power is granted to those with money, not those with common sense.

I see.... a calm, measured response is called for....KILLTHEMOUSE! KILLTHEMOUSE! KILLTHEMOUSE!!

It all boils down to human greed and the need for power over others. In practice it isn't much more nuanced than that.

I agree with Cory that this represent a further slide toward a surveillance society. Some of that is to be expected simply due to the crush of over population. Asian cultures have been dealing with this a long time and have chosen to give up some of their individuality. We in the west are less comfortable with that solution and would like to retain the freedoms we enjoy when the population density is not so great. I don't know if there is a solution or not.

In the meantime we could do with a lot less raping and pillaging and death and destruction. Not holding my breath on that.

Disney had the biometric readers planned long before the events of September 11th.

Having worked at Disney and knowing several people who work there and are "insiders" in the corporate ranks i will say that the readers have nothing to do with "security" and everything to do with marketing.

Disney uses the readers to capture information on who is coming to parks at what times, what days, etc. They track age, gender, native/non-native to Florida, how much you spend on average, etc.

Many don't know but Disney instituted an economic plan years ago where, in summary, each year specific areas of the parks MUST increase each year by a certain percentage. The bio readers are just Disney's attempt to assist them in maintaining their marketing goals.

Where do you think those cattle chutes that you have to walk through on the way through security at the airport originated? You know, those dehumanizing and circuitous reminders of how we're each just some thing on its way to being somehow 'processed' at the other end of the line even as we're indirectly insulting ourselves by making little "moo"ing noises...

Did you guess "Disney?" Bingo! Disney has had an interest in crowd control and keeping people within designated areas for a long time now (they've had security cameras everywhere since at least the mid-80's). Sure, it's part of their business model rather than some secret R&D program for crowd control and keeping people within designated areas in general, but that's not to say some of Disney's innovations have not been adopted by others with precisely those intentions. On the other hand, these folks tend to have lunch with each other and otherwise run in the same circles, so differentiating Disney from the U.S Government is like pretending there's a difference between oil companies and the Gov't.

The larger portion of the "Magic" Kingdom is never seen by the general public; all we get is the flashing lights, marching bands, and idle amusements. So long as you don't open the doors you're not supposed to, wander from any designate paths, pay up what you're asked to pay, and don't cause any 'scenes' then you can have yourself a remarkably mediocre time. Seems like that's another aspect of Disney that's been adopted elsewhere...

I think this is an issue for Cory because he really, really likes disney world, but really, really doesn't like offensive and useless security measures.

In fact, if you had to sketch his entire public image with a single blog post this would be it. "I wanted to go to the Mickey Mouse tiki Asimov reading, but they confiscated my AK47 belt buckle, made me take off my super cool arabic script tshirt made by this incredible artist who I know (link) and then DRM happened and now I'm liveblogging in ethiopia about it on a steampunk tse-tse fly protocol wi-fly"

very well, isn't a banana republic the ultimate expression of the resources market economies create to sustain their own growth, regardless of the human cost?

The exercise of violence is the hallmark of government, but as violence is solely destructive, armed gangs must "feed" upon wealth created by others to survive. Often this leads to a stabilizing government-business partnership, where a business begins to exercise government sanctioned violence as a kind of coercive fraud with its trading partners, in exchange for the wealth the government needs to consume to survive (a kind of goose that lays the golden egg, usually called "taxes" or "protection money").

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, think of the exercise of violence (i.e. government) as Sauron's Ring of Power. It corrupts whoever wears it into its bidding, but it also seduces potential wearers with supernatural powers because the ring itself is an inanimate object and cannot travel on its own. It needs someone (e.g. a business) to "wear" it.

(Ignoring the interpretation of Tolkein's work on the whole as essentially classist. ^_^ )

in other words, being of pure heart he is offended by those who are not and accuse him of the same.

for a market economy to exist,by definition,the VOLUNTARY participation must extend from end to end.

A peasant picking coffee beans is just as important as the North American billionaire sipping his morning cup.

What we are pleased to characterize as market economies are indeed not.

An old film, do dig it up: "O lucky Man!" starring a very young Malcom McDowell

A peasant picking coffee beans is just as important as the North American billionaire sipping his morning cup.

What we are pleased to characterize as market economies are indeed not.

While it is true the readers have more to do with marketing than security it's also a fact that many corporations have been very willing to share their marketing data with the government. NPR did a story about that a few years ago. Marketing companies have been all too willing to had over huge databases under the guise of post 911 security concerns.

So there is every reason to believe that this information will eventually find it's way into Poindexter's "Total Information Awareness" program, which is still quite alive and well.

Are we being disemvoweled simply for disagreeing?

I don't, in fact, disagree, but this post is sensationalism at its worst. (and barely coherent at that). Disney have been doing this for years, and it's been well-established that the data captured by these readers is good for authentication, but not identification.

I could understand when they did this for the expensive year long full park passes, as those would really easy to give to friends going on vacation when you're at home, and could easily lose the parks a lot of money. But doing it to keep people from scamming the park out of the price of a day pass is kind of absurd.

Are we being disemvoweled simply for disagreeing?

Your disemvoweled comment was rude and insulting. What did you expect?

You might also note that when Cory writes, "...in my ongoing series of photos from my travels...", there is no implication that the post is news.

Schools condition your kids of the exact same thing.

I can't wait for Cory's Little Brother to come out and give us the tips & tricks we need to counter the counter-insurgents!

Brewcaster:"When did Disney stop being a corporation trying to make money, and start being a conspiracy against our civil liberties. I am going to go outside."

Who says they are two different things? See also: Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.

Schmod, if you're pretending that all you did was disagree, you must not know how easy it is to read disemvowelled text.

You are certainly welcome to voice your disagreements Schmod. Join the discussion.

yeah, but ya have ta promise not to puke on anybody

Ths s th frst hv lrnd f bng dsmvwld. Nt rlly sr why ws. Srry f ddn't prs th thr, bt thght cmmnts wr hr s w cld rct t th thr nd th cntnt? Th thr s bl t mk llsns tht Dsny s jnng frcs t crt Plc stt, bt m nt llwd t pnt t th thrs ngng sss wth nythng DRM/Scrty rltd? Lm +10

Rdy t s th vwls dsppr.

I am not allowed to point out the authors ongoing issues with anything DRM/Security related?

To the contrary, law and custom allow you to do it - on your own blog. Insult the host at a party, you get a faceful of guacamole. Simple cause and effect.

I'd say it's a step worse than censorship, as it's effectively modifying a statement with my signature on it, making no note of the fact that this was done.

If not illegal, such behavior is at the very least, dishonest.

(And I apologize if I came across as a troll. I have a low tolerance for articles that contradict themselves, are hopelessly out of date, and USE ALL CAPS. I'm normally a big fan of Mr. Doctorow, but this post comes across as rambling and incoherent)

lv gcml. Bt dn't lv cnsrshp. Cld y rlly gv m fc fll f gcml nxt tm nstd f cnsrng m fr dsgrng n yr plygrnd?

One of the best things about getting older is that, not only do you accept that the universe jerks your chain occasionally, you realize that it's a good thing.

Tr, gn, sr d lv gcml. LV T! Hdd t th dr t t sm mxcn grb. Y wr rght grt mdrtr, t s gd thng. Hw dd y gn yr sprm knwldg f lf? mmmmmmmmmmm gcml....

I'm not a moderator. I just support the people who provide me with free entertainment.

guacamole bukakke?

Have times really changed so much? Are there really so many people out there now that have never faced any social consequences? Is the entire world now raised in basements in front of monitors?

The truth points to itself.

This seems like yet another bad data gathering effort for everything from park traffic flow to marketing ... at least to me.

In the olden days, when there was just one Disneeyland. they stamped your hand so you could go out and back in.

Now they want to know, when did you go out? What time did you go back in? Are Americans more likely to leave at certain times and return at other likely times? What do visiting Asians do? What do Euros do? It all effects how the market their services to be more attractive, and how they staff the park. No need to have a 1000 employees more than you need at certain hours, etc. The system could save a great deal of money in efficiencies.

Other factors also include "I washed off my inkstamp after diaper change!" and "I lost my badge/pass!"

I doubt they even considered the unintended implications of the toddler's statement in the last paragraph. BUT THEY SHOULD!

here's a finger for Disney

http://www.aaa-multimedia.com/images/gtb02984.gif

Maybe this will spark an illegal trade in fingers. Then Cory can use 'corpsemeat' again.

"Re "Don't go" -- you guys ever hear of capitalism? In a capitalist system, customers of businesses express their views on those businesses in order to influence those business's behavior."

And if the businesses are still making money from said customers, what's their incentive for changing?

"Speaking of "don't go" -- if you don't like market economies, move to a banana republic somewhere."

You're seriously using the "you don't like America, then GET OUT" argument?

Sea World San Antonio does the same thing. Annoying as hell, it is.

is there an optical window on that thing? Can everyone dip a fingertip in abrasive before going through?

Grease your finger. Layer some superglue over the grease.

""don't go" --You're seriously using the "you don't like America, then GET OUT" argument?"

No, you imbecile.

I'm using the "If you don't like what's on TV, turn it off" argument.

If you don't like porn, stay out of the adult bookstore.

If you don't like McDonalds, don't eat there.

In other words, don't go, and shut up.

there's no need to be coarse

Although I myself am often arrogant and imperious, I feel compelled to remark that I don't think that referring to another commenter as an imbecile is likely to win you any allies, let alone admirers.

#80:

The problem here is not as naive as:
"If you don't like porn, stay out of the adult bookstore."

but it really is:
"I really like porn, but I don't like this particular porn because beastiality between a goat and a car is just gross to me, yet I still like most of the store's porn collection, so I am going to the adult bookstore still, but I will write on my blog and complain about that particular bad piece of porn, and how is tainting the rest of my night."

I read about Cory's love for some of Disneyland's installations, so I would guess he doesn't hate it totally, but just that security measure.

Well, I hope you get the joke that I'm replying just because I want to write the second paragraph.

Sorry.

So, you like ... goats?

I just need to know who was on top, the goat or the car?

g'nite (I think)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxguAbtPuFE&feature=related

A Heian lullaby! But Amazon doesn't have the CD.

A drawing from an old friend: http://webs.lanset.com/vibrocount/Resources/ONeill2.jpg

No more about goats, see?

goats...see

Now I've gone and done it. :(

Now I've gone and done it.

If you could get two fingerprints into that little hole...

Hee hee hee hee.

Stop bitching omg it's not a big deal why don't you just cooperate with them!!

If you just submitted it would be over and done with and you could get on with your life, and instead you make a big scene and hold up the line for no good reason.

Besides it's just poor working people in those costumes why do you have to make their lives difficult.

There, I think I have made a good run through the different apologies for it.

Other factors also include "I washed off my inkstamp after diaper change!" and "I lost my badge/pass!"

@76 Number 4

"Re "Don't go" -- you guys ever hear of capitalism? In a capitalist system, customers of businesses express their views on those businesses in order to influence those business's behavior." And if the businesses are still making money from said customers, what's their incentive for changing?

At least voting-with-money is proportional; democracy relies on winner-take-all -- as we see with the Real ID Act. I can choose not to attend Disney World; but I cannot choose a DMV that issues less personally invasive proof that I have the skill to operate a motor vehicle.

Damn. I like reading BB but that doesn't change the fact that it's filled with tinfoil wearing socialist hippie types. To read here is to see that everyone, including Mickey Mouse, is out to get you.
Gt lf, g tsd fr whl y wk, pl frks. Th wrld s nt t t gt y.

http://gregladen.com/wordpress/wp-content/graphics/evil%20mickey%20mouse.jpg

http://fl0wer.net/files/mickey_evil.png

SHOOOSH:

If we were socialists we wouldn't be so pissy about communism.

It is NOT necessary to invade my life. Even if you're Mickey Mouse. We're libertarian types, thanks.

Get a life, go outside for a while you weak, pale freaks.

Got projection?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/RicoBlaster/TinFoilHatArea.jpg

http://media.urbandictionary.com/image/large/hippie-48540.jpg

TENN: If we were socialists we wouldn't be so pissy about communism.

If you were in charge at Disney you'd be jumping for joy. Lf nvsn s fn, s lng s t's nt yrs. Lt m gss, Hllry fn?

Do they make rainbow-anodized aluminum foil?

shoosh; let me guess; Gbbls fn?

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/rbm/rbmholo11.htm

Now somebody has to buy it, complete it and take a picture of it to use as a chaser.

I get it. To say that you love Disney theme parks would be a complete understatement. I agree, as a child, they can be awe-inspiring places that excite the imagination.

That said, a