WebSite to Manipulate Tyler Durden Data

[pachacuti 154]

***** No links to the data should be posted on VJ. ******

No links to the data will be posted... Now, if you are going to censor the link to the site I put up (which, given the censorship of the video, seems likely), then you guys should be ashamed of yourselves. But before we get all hot and bothered, let's see what you think...

**** I didn't say this member cannot talk about the website; but we do not wish the data posted on VJ as it violates our TOS and we cannot verify the methods used to gather the data, whether it was legal/ some of it is private etc. ****

I don't agree with this interpretation of the TOS, but I will comply because it is admin's interpretation. Again. stay tuned.

[rjm_cmyk 75]

Being right does not protect you from the effects on your business and your pocket of serious legal action. I might do it if it was beneficial to me but would absolutely not do it for the benefit of third parties.I speak as someone who in conjunction with other parties spent nearly $2m on a case in the UK high court. We got a settlement as neither side wanted the next level of legal costs but I still had to pay my own legal bill.

As you are so sure of your facts - will you front the costs ?

I may seem argumentative about this but I can see why the mods might not want to risk it.

[pachacuti 154]

Its just WAC numbers, its the same if I went and typed in 300,000 WAC numbers I would have all the "private" data. I vote start a facebook or google group where we can discuss everything freely. Or.. Pachacuti can you add a mini-forum or just blog type comments on your website.

hahaha. Yeah I will look at doing this. Let me get the first part done

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Why don't I just take the data and start sending in random letters to withdrawl the petitions numbers involved. That would clear the backlog. You claim the datat is public and can't do harm

Edited May 12, 2013 by NigeriaorBust

[pachacuti 154]

Why don't I just take the data and start sending in random letters to withdrawl the petitions numbers involved. That would clear the backlog.

There is not enough information in the dataset for this type of manipulation. But go ahead if that will make you feel better...

As I have insinuated in other responses to you, this is information you yourself could get from USCIS website. If you can get it there and start sending random letters, then there are more serious flaws with this process that the staff at USCIS have not considered.

In any event. All potentially personal data has been removed for the website I am developing, so that strawman, at least, has been eliminated.

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

Perhaps those calling on the mods to allow for publication of this data might like to pay for a suitable legal opinion and offer a binding indemnity should USCIS or a Visa applicant initiate legal action.

My lack of knowledge of the legal status of the collection and publication of this data means it's not a risk/benefit analysis I can or would make.

I concur.

One question I have; what if any is the benefit of doing this?

[Zipline 23]

I concur.

One question I have; what if any is the benefit of doing this?

Doing something feels better than doing nothing and waiting for your fiancee.

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

Doing something feels better than doing nothing and waiting for your fiancee.

Even if the something is a fools errand?

Someone suggested planting a garden or painting a room.

[Possiblymaybe 371]

Its just WAC numbers, its the same if I went and typed in 300,000 WAC numbers I would have all the "private" data.

This isn't quite true. Entering WAC numbers into the USCIS website gives you only the last update on a case, it's current status. His data includes more information that the last USCIS update.

[pachacuti 154]

This isn't quite true. Entering WAC numbers into the USCIS website gives you only the last update on a case, it's current status. His data includes more information that the last USCIS update.

Umm. That data is extrapolated from the data on hand. So, he has some logic that tries to determine based on the WAC numbers what the other dates should be.

So, for example, if there is a last update date of 05/11/2013 and the last activity is Approval, then the WAC numbers around this particular entry are examined looking for an activity of Initial Review. I am not entirely sure of the heuristics involved, but if the algorithm is satisfied that that Initial Review data can be used for our case under analysis, then that Initial Review date is surmised as applying.

So, what I am basically saying is that it is using very refined guesswork. Something you yourself could do. So, I would assert that it is quite true that this is essentially the same dataset as that exposed by USCIS.

TylerDurden mentioned this as the way the data was being processed. That thread has likely long been censored, further increasing the FUD factor here.

PS. FUD ==> Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

[Trillian42 6]

Hi all,

So I am hard at work at getting a website up. One of the decisions I have made is to consume APIs for everything. So, I will be exposing an API.

This means other devs can make groovy stuff using my app. So, devs among you, let me know what specific desires you have that you would like me to expose via API. I will happily comply.

Mark

You mean other then having a method to return petitions given a time frame, the status of the petitions and the type of petitions?

[pachacuti 154]

You mean other then having a method to return petitions given a time frame, the status of the petitions and the type of petitions?

You tell me. Being a dev (and I know you are, and that's hot having an attractive Brazilian dev <wink> <wink>... having said that, I have to state categorically that my fiancee is an attractive Peruvian dev, so I know what I am talking about), you have some ideas about how you want to interact with the data. As an example, let's think of some stuff:

1. Petitions in a given time frame:

http://somesite/visa/petitions/

Would return all petitions (with some limiting factor, I was thinking 50 records where that is customizable... more later) Let's assume that default we sort be petition date and return the last 50.

Now we want to change stuff. I think petition type is first, before date. So...

http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129f/

Would return the last K1s... If you just call petitions, it is everything. But you can specifity form type as nex param

Now we can talk dates. Let's say star date first:

http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129f/20130101/

Would return the next 50 K1 who have a start date of 01-01-2013 and beyond

Next an end date

http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129f/20130101/20130331/

So that returns the top 50 betweeen 1/1 and 3/31

So, given that I am thinking this way, how do you want to interact with the data? You, the users, are what matter. That is how we can see if this data is useful or not....

[pachacuti 154]

Oh. And you should be able to change the set size. Default 50, but you can change that:

http://somesite/visa/petitions/20130101/20130331/75

But thinking about it, maybe set size should be before start date and end date.... what do you guys think?

[Trillian42 6]

Thanks

Next would be the status like http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129/20130101/20130331/pda for Post Decision Activity and

rfe - Request for Evidence

rferr - Request for Evidence Response Review

ir - Initial Review

dec - Decision

acc - Acceptance

What's the format of the data returned? XML? Can you give an example?

If there will be updates to the dataset it would be nice to have something like

http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129f/updates/rfe

returning the petitions who had an RFE and got an update. And

http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129f/updates/rfe/rferr

returning the petitions who had an RFE and now are on the response review step.

I think 50 is so little... I counted by hand 100 between October 24th-26th.

[pachacuti 154]

Thanks

Next would be the status like http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129/20130101/20130331/pda for Post Decision Activity and

rfe - Request for Evidence

rferr - Request for Evidence Response Review

ir - Initial Review

dec - Decision

acc - Acceptance

What's the format of the data returned? XML? Can you give an example?

If there will be updates to the dataset it would be nice to have something like

http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129f/updates/rfe

returning the petitions who had an RFE and got an update. And

http://somesite/visa/petitions/i129f/updates/rfe/rferr

returning the petitions who had an RFE and now are on the response review step.

I think 50 is so little... I counted by hand 100 between October 24th-26th.

I was thinking returning JSON, but I can return either... let's let that be the last param, and it will default to JSON

As far as updates... if we get updates I will think about this.. Right now I think we are only looking at a snapshot of data.