HIV Virus - Phone Virus

Could you design a mobile phone 'virus' to identify the spread of the HIV virus?

It occurd to me you could build quite a simple text in database to do that - share numbers of those who have HIV - and as more people knew about it, it would spread like a virus.

Could you set up a 'phone virus' to tackle a real world one ??

Originally posted by e4chris
Could you design a mobile phone 'virus' to identify the spread of the HIV virus?

It occurd to me you could build quite a simple text in database to do that - share numbers of those who have HIV - and as more people knew about it, it would spread like a virus.

Could you set up a 'phone virus' to tackle a real world one ??

I don't really understand what you are saying. Are you saying that finding out who has HIV would be useful?

You could have 2 versions

A simple database where people text in the numbers of people they think they might of infected (might be popular as it gives a bit of anonimity) and the database texts them to say get a test.

or in a spy like way you could look at mobile data for a country and estimate who has HIV, that is quite possible if a bit big brother. - If everyone who had it knew it would not spread like it does so there must be room for such a system...

Originally posted by e4chris
You could have 2 versions

A simple database where people text in the numbers of people they think they might of infected (might be popular as it gives a bit of anonimity) and the database texts them to say get a test.

or in a spy like way you could look at mobile data for a country and estimate who has HIV, that is quite possible if a bit big brother. ...[text shortened]... yone who had it knew it would not spread like it does so there must be room for such a system...

I come from a country with a very high infection rate (estimates range from 30% to 50% depending on what age group you are talking about). Before there was treatment available, most people who suspected they had it, went into denial and many did not want to believe AIDS even existed. Taking a test and finding yourself to be HIV positive was a death sentence. So very few people were willing to take tests.
Nowadays however, the is treatment and those that take the treatment live much longer, so many more people are willing to take a test.
But I really don't get what the point of your idea is. You seem to be suggesting that people know which of their friends have HIV and that somehow this would be useful in stopping its spread. I don't think this is the case at all. Not only are you unlikely to know that someone has HIV unless they have taken a test already, but even if you did know, your system would be unlikely to encourage people to take tests.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I come from a country with a very high infection rate (estimates range from 30% to 50% depending on what age group you are talking about). Before there was treatment available, most people who suspected they had it, went into denial and many did not want to believe AIDS even existed. Taking a test and finding yourself to be HIV positive was a death senten ...[text shortened]... dy, but even if you did know, your system would be unlikely to encourage people to take tests.

It is also a privacy issue. If you are identified as one with HIV, you would instantly be on a list passed around by potential employers, health workers could deny you medicines and so forth.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I come from a country with a very high infection rate (estimates range from 30% to 50% depending on what age group you are talking about). Before there was treatment available, most people who suspected they had it, went into denial and many did not want to believe AIDS even existed. Taking a test and finding yourself to be HIV positive was a death senten ...[text shortened]... dy, but even if you did know, your system would be unlikely to encourage people to take tests.

maybe that is not the ideal place for such a system - i'm working on hiv being a small % of the population - the population having good mobile coverage and the likelihood of people having the numbers of those they slept with. (promiscuos people basically) such a system could work then and not just for hiv.

Originally posted by e4chris
maybe that is not the ideal place for such a system - i'm working on hiv being a small % of the population - the population having good mobile coverage and the likelihood of people having the numbers of those they slept with. (promiscuos people basically) such a system could work then and not just for hiv.

I think you are equating people you phone with people you may infect.

Might be useful as a model for something really infectious (like the common cold) but not HIV.

Originally posted by e4chris
Could you design a mobile phone 'virus' to identify the spread of the HIV virus?

It occurd to me you could build quite a simple text in database to do that - share numbers of those who have HIV - and as more people knew about it, it would spread like a virus.

Could you set up a 'phone virus' to tackle a real world one ??

One of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard

Originally posted by woodypusher
One of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard

why? because its right under your nose and quite possible??

I'd like to know why its not happening frankly, perhaps you have a very out dated view of whats possible.

http://www.google.org/flutrends/

Originally posted by e4chris
why? because its right under your nose and quite possible??

I'd like to know why its not happening frankly, perhaps you have a very out dated view of whats possible.

http://www.google.org/flutrends/

You're an idiot.

not sure if u cn spll facebook or not - donut

Originally posted by e4chris
not sure if u cn spll facebook or not - donut

Is this English?

Originally posted by Kewpie
Is this English?

OK let me educate you donuts on the science of facebook;

I know 2 'young folk' on facebook, one has 900 friends the other 700 including there complete sex lives - I asked and they confirmed it was true.

Thus you have a complete map / tree of all stds they and there partners are exposed to. Plus they have facebook on there mobile.

Here is a sony walkman - it takes casettes
http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sony-walkman.jpg
seems to be the level of science / social networking you people can comprehend.

Here is a picture of norwegian scabies (2 stds for the price of 1 / price of ignoring opportunities like facebook)
http://www.globalskinatlas.com/upload/817_1.jpg
(be warned very gross picture - but you won't find a nice one)

Originally posted by e4chris
OK let me educate you donuts on the science of facebook;

I know 2 'young folk' on facebook, one has 900 friends the other 700 including there complete sex lives - I asked and they confirmed it was true.

Thus you have a complete map / tree of all stds they and there partners are exposed to. Plus they have facebook on there mobile.

Here is a sony walk ...[text shortened]... kinatlas.com/upload/817_1.jpg
(be warned very gross picture - but you won't find a nice one)

Are you talking about possible health benefits from such a program or is it just another pogrom like giving out addresses of known sex offenders?

Originally posted by sonhouse
Are you talking about possible health benefits from such a program or is it just another pogrom like giving out addresses of known sex offenders?

its all possible with facebook and smart phones yes, people just need to wake up to it.

I think people in the phone industry don't get them yet. in the 90s we paid £2500 for a pc with a 286 processor - a smartphone is 1-2ghz already right now. In the 80s that sort of computer would be running a bank. With HIV its not that it could spot all those infected, more crunch through it in a few seconds then do hep-c. quite possible. do you want it to?