Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Someone stole a copy of the OPM database. That database is full of errors. The thieves might make good money with an algorithm that finds and corrects the errors.

Someone recently hacked the OPM database. I am certain that all sorts of good information about me is in that database. I’m not sure what they hackers will do with me and the several million other Americans.

Whoever hacked the database now has to deal with guessing which information in the database is correct. Yes, this may come as a surprise to two extremely naive people in Outer Mongolia, but government databases are full of errors.

Ever had trouble:

• renewing driver’s license
• getting your social security check
• fixing the taxes on your house
• getting payments on medical bills from health insureance
• and so on

I can tell a dozen stories of how mistakes in government databases caused me lots of grief. There was the time…never mind.

So, to the hackers who stole a copy of that OPM database, good luck. Now you have to determine what information is correct and what isn’t.

Perhaps you can develop an algorithm to search the world’s social media and find the errors in the OPM database. You would then send the corrections to OPM. You would do millions of us a big favor.

Then you can apply that algorithm to the rest of the error-filled government databases in the US and worldwide. Perhaps you could make some good, honest income by applying your algorithm for the world’s governments. I suppose they would pay you to help find and correct their errors. Nah, that would be to much common sense.