Monday, 28 May 2012

The Quest For The Incredible Facebook Breathalyzer

By Flora Vinson


Social media is always looking for bright programmers to join their ranks, and the biggest operator Facebook is no different. To prove their worth, programmers have been challenged to come up with a solution to an odd problem. The problem that they have to find the solution too is commonly called the Facebook breathalyzer challenge.

Most are aware of the possible consequences of driving while inebriated. Ignoring this, some will still log in under the influence and think it perfectly acceptable. In some ways it is a natural evolution from the drunken phone calls, in the early morning hours that everyone has been subject to at some point.

As a responsible social media site, they try to find a solution that might save relationships, and even people's livelihoods. A drunken posting might seem witty and to the point at the time, but only to some. People may say that will power is the best tool for the job, although that doesn't seem to be working too well, so something else is required.

For them to assign individuals to monitor everyone's posts would be highly impractical. They have looked at the way that people write, as it tends to degenerate the more that an individual has had to drink. Unfortunately so many people use a shorthanded version of text talk. So what looks like a meaningless jumble of letters might be the normal way that they communicate.

There are some programmers who are trying to develop puzzles that will block a user's access to a particular website. It is based on the premise that sober individuals will be able to solve the puzzle, whereas those inebriated will fail. Perhaps these puzzles, or something akin to them, can be incorporated onto social media sites.

To date you can obtain other self evaluation programs. These will inform you about your level of intoxication. You would still have to choose to act on that information. Consequently programmers around the world are seeking to come up with the facebook breathalyzer.




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