Normal Topic Fool's Gold (Read 4839 times)
Paste Member Name in Quick Reply Box George W. Maschke
Global Moderator
*****
Offline


Make-believe science yields
make-believe security.

Posts: 6230
Joined: Sep 29th, 2000
Fool's Gold
Apr 18th, 2003 at 5:24pm
Mark & QuoteQuote Print Post  
A document at MIT includes a noteworth quote by Stephen Fienberg, who chaired the National Academy of Sciences' polygraph review committee:

"Polygraph testing has been the gold standard, but it's obviously fool's gold."

Grin
  

George W. Maschke
I am generally available in the chat room from 3 AM to 3 PM Eastern time.
Tel/SMS: 1-202-810-2105 (Please use Signal Private Messenger or WhatsApp to text or call.)
E-mail/iMessage/FaceTime: antipolygraph.org@protonmail.com
Wire: @ap_org
Threema: A4PYDD5S
Personal Statement: "Too Hot of a Potato"
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Paste Member Name in Quick Reply Box Batman
Very Senior User
****
Offline



Posts: 115
Joined: Jan 12th, 2003
Re: Fool's Gold
Reply #1 - Apr 18th, 2003 at 6:20pm
Mark & QuoteQuote Print Post  
George,

Just curious, since the NAS report was published have any Federal Agencies dropped their use of polygraph?  Have any of the agencies even cut back on their use?

Batman
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Paste Member Name in Quick Reply Box PDD-Fed
Guest


Re: Fool's Gold
Reply #2 - Apr 18th, 2003 at 7:21pm
Mark & QuoteQuote Print Post  
Batman wrote on Apr 18th, 2003 at 6:20pm:
George,

Just curious, since the NAS report was published have any Federal Agencies dropped their use of polygraph?  Have any of the agencies even cut back on their use?

Batman


Hey Batman, I can answer your last question.  The answer is NO.  Not a single government agency has cut back on the use of polygraph.  Nor do I believe they intend to.

I admit it brings me some pleasure to recall that when the NAS came out, all the regulars on this site snickered in self- congratulatory satisifaction over the imminent "death" of the polygraph profession.  To the contrary, polygraph testing in the government has increased significantly.  Heck, for the first time in history, my agency can't even get all the seats we need in the DoDPI basic course, because every class has been FULL.  This brings to mind something I posted recently on another string.  I believe it was Mark Twain who said,

"The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated."

PDD-Fed

     
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Paste Member Name in Quick Reply Box Drew Richardson
Especially Senior User
*****
Offline



Posts: 427
Joined: Sep 7th, 2001
Re: Fool's Gold
Reply #3 - Apr 18th, 2003 at 10:11pm
Mark & QuoteQuote Print Post  
Batman/PDD-Fed,

Although I no longer have any direct input from those who would know the answer to Batman's questions, I suspect that the answer to both questions would be no.  This is no particular surprise though.  Those who expect change do not see it coming from the ranks of intransigent bureaucrats from these agencies who have staked their reputations and careers on the debunked technology of days gone by.  Such change will occur as the public becomes enlightened and its representatives in Congress take the appropriate actions to bring this to be.  

PDD-Fed, although I very much appreciate the wit of Mark Twain, I believe a more apt sentiment as it relates to the predicted response from the NAS report (and even DOE's apparent misstep) comes from Winston Churchill as he described the status of things following victories in North Africa in WWII.... "This is not the beginning of the end...but perhaps the end of the beginning."  The degree of ignorance regarding polygraph screening that existed before the NAS report will never again exist and, on a day by day basis, it continually diminishes.  Another appropriate quote for those who would seek to confuscate the weaknesses of polygraph screening by turning out the lights of close inspection comes from former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Lewis..."You can run, but you can't hide."  The lights are on and this application's day is coming.  No one posting on this message board site can predict the exact timing of that day, but it is coming...  
« Last Edit: Apr 18th, 2003 at 10:47pm by Drew Richardson »  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Paste Member Name in Quick Reply Box Mark Mallah
Very Senior User
****
Offline



Posts: 131
Joined: Mar 16th, 2001
Gender: Male
Re: Fool's Gold
Reply #4 - Apr 18th, 2003 at 10:23pm
Mark & QuoteQuote Print Post  
Neither does the government intend to slash welfare benefits to the undeserving or taxes to those excessively taxed.  The government also has no serious plans to reform or eliminate social security, a system that cannot sustain itself.

All of which means that just because the government continues a particular practice, it does not mean that its continuation is justified.  Large bureacracies often have the political power to preserve and expand their influence without regard to the actual effects of that influence.  Failure is often rewarded with more money and resources.  These are the realities and shortcomings of government.

Incidentally, polygraphy is not doing so great on the political scoreboard anyway.  The EPPA severely narrowed its use to a relatively tiny fiefdom.

  
Back to top
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Paste Member Name in Quick Reply Box beech trees
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 593
Joined: Jun 22nd, 2001
Gender: Male
Re: Fool's Gold
Reply #5 - Apr 18th, 2003 at 10:50pm
Mark & QuoteQuote Print Post  
This federal government still collects a telephone tax to help pay for the Spanish-American War. I think it would be foolish to think such a leviathian would work in any speed save sluggish torpor, even in the face of such damning evidence as the NAS Report.
  

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government." ~ Thomas Paine
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Paste Member Name in Quick Reply Box orolan
Especially Senior User
*****
Offline



Posts: 363
Joined: Dec 25th, 2002
Re: Fool's Gold
Reply #6 - Apr 19th, 2003 at 12:40am
Mark & QuoteQuote Print Post  
"..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.." - Samuel Adams
  

"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." &&U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis
Back to top
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Paste Member Name in Quick Reply Box The Shadow
User
**
Offline


Who knows what evil lurks
in the hearts of men?
 The Shadow knows

Posts: 29
Joined: Feb 27th, 2003
Re: Fool's Gold
Reply #7 - Apr 19th, 2003 at 5:47am
Mark & QuoteQuote Print Post  
Code
Select All
George,

Just curious, since the NAS report was published have any Federal Agencies dropped their use of polygraph?  Have any of the agencies even cut back on their use?

Batman 


Glad to see your back posting Batman, we all missed your eloquent diatribes and profound use of vulgarities.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Fool's Gold

Please type the characters that appear in the image. The characters must be typed in the same order, and they are case-sensitive.
Open Preview Preview

You can resize the textbox by dragging the right or bottom border.
Insert Hyperlink Insert FTP Link Insert Image Insert E-mail Insert Media Insert Table Insert Table Row Insert Table Column Insert Horizontal Rule Insert Teletype Insert Code Insert Quote Edited Superscript Subscript Insert List /me - my name Insert Marquee Insert Timestamp No Parse
Bold Italicized Underline Insert Strikethrough Highlight
                       
Change Text Color
Insert Preformatted Text Left Align Centered Right Align
resize_wb
resize_hb







Max 200000 characters. Remaining characters:
Text size: pt
More Smilies
View All Smilies
Collapse additional features Collapse/Expand additional features Smiley Wink Cheesy Grin Angry Sad Shocked Cool Huh Roll Eyes Tongue Embarrassed Lips Sealed Undecided Kiss Cry
Attachments More Attachments Allowed file types: txt doc docx ics psd pdf bmp jpe jpg jpeg gif png swf zip rar tar gz 7z odt ods mp3 mp4 wav avi mov 3gp html maff pgp gpg
Maximum Attachment size: 500000 KB
Attachment 1:
X