Posts: 1,308
BitJam
Joined: 31 Aug 2009
#1

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/07/nsa-advice-columnist-seriously/"
linktext was:"The NSA Has An Advice Columnist. Seriously."
====================================


The NSA advice columnist said in response to a complaint by a worker about getting spied on by their boss:
Wow, that takes “intelligence collection” in a whole new – and inappropriate – direction. …. We work in an Agency of secrets, but this kind of secrecy begets more secrecy and it becomes a downward spiral that destroys teamwork. What if you put an end to all the secrecy by bringing it out in the open?
When they get just a hint of their own dog food, they do not like it at all.

There is so much crazy to this. One of the crazy things IMO is that the NSA spying on itself seems about a million times more appropriate than their wholesale spying on almost everyone in the world outside the agency including unConstitutional wholesale spying on US citizens. It's a perfect but depressing example of swallow camels and straining at gnats.
Posts: 667
jdmeaux1952
Joined: 01 Nov 2013
#2
The"Internet" started as a way for colleagues could share ideas and information. It was through this sharing that Linux was developed to the point it is now, and will be going. Some attorneys decided they wanted to get involved to make money, and claim"copyright" and"trademark" on various ideas. The courts, both in the US and in Europe have decided that YES, intellectual ideas can be copyrighted. So now we have people spying on each other to see if some new idea comes up that they can steal.

The government on the other hand has other ideas. It suddenly feels it must get all Orwellian and make sure that no one has any new ideas, and must keep track of everything. Originally intended to make sure there were no secrets of"national security" being given out and only on specific types of activity, now it has expanded into watching everything and listening to everything to see if the courts can make a case againsy anyone.

Point in case: There is a gentleman here in Louisiana who is now facing state and federal charges for"transmission of child pornography". The local sheriff's department was notified by the state authorities who were notified by a federal agency that there was transmission of child pornography from this guy's computer. The locals were able to verify this transference and charged him as such. Upon examining his computer, they found NO PORNOGRAPHY of any kind. It seems his computer was being used over the Internet to help transfer stuff around to other computers. The police had to get someone from the commputer science department at the university to examine the computer to find the program that was imbedded to do this. Charges have now been dropped on the state level. HOWEVER, because of the newspaper headlines, tv coverage, and word of mouth, this guy has (1) no job, (2) no wife, (3) no kids, and (4) has HAD charges of CHILD PORNOGRAPHY sitting against him. The court still has not cleared all the records. AND he still must be cleared on the Federal level.