[telewinz]

U.S. Funds Chat Room Surveillance Study
Looking for Patterns That Could Detect Terrorist Messaging

What do you think of the chat room surveillance study?
It's a good idea 68%
It's an invasion of privacy 32%
Total Votes: 10,530

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20041011165109990008&_mpc=news%2e6&cid=842

The $157,673 grant comes from the National Science Foundation's Approaches to Combat Terrorism program. It was selected in coordination with the nation's intelligence agencies.

[Werewolf]

Arrgghhh!

He may have been 20 years early in predicting 1984 (George Orwell) but it seems that Big Brother really is watching you.

And to think that some people are actually for that! :barf: Why am I not surprised...

NOTE: Can't get into the link unless one is an :barf: AOL user.

[BeLikeTrey]

It is public speech and broadcast, so it really isn't private, when broadcast. But I do think there is some list that could be made about all of us as possible pro 2nd amandment enemies of state for future confiscation of any talked about firearms... that, I think, would be a bad issue. I think if we keep in mind this is open to the public and be responsible for what we say as we are in the public arena we'll be ok.

[pax]

Not surprising.

Depressing, infuriating, frightening.

But not surprising.

pax

The fact is that the average man's love of liberty is nine-tenths imaginary, exactly like his love of sense, justice and truth. He is not actually happy when free; he is uncomfortable, a bit alarmed, and intolerably lonely. Liberty is not a thing for the great masses of men. It is the exclusive possession of a small and disreputable minority, like knowledge, courage and honor. It takes a special sort of man to understand and enjoy liberty - and he is usually an outlaw in democratic societies. -- H.L. Mencken

[Skunkabilly]

How much does this position pay? You mean I can get paid for surfing THR if I work for the ATF?

SIGN ME UP! :D

[WT]

I gather they are going to outsource the work to India.

[Gameface]

Chat rooms are not private for the most part. If you are putting sensitive info on a chat board and expect that the info will only be used in the way that you would like then you’re up in the night. Police can sit on a street corner and “monitor” what’s going on if they’ve had reports of suspicious activity in that area. This is one area where we need to be reasonable about law enforcements ability to investigate. If an off duty cop could freely participate in a chat room, but the same officer could take no action if there was a credible indication of criminal activity posted on the same board that would be ridiculous. Now access to email accounts and PM’s between individuals are a different story.

Gameface

[BeLikeTrey]

what Gameface said.

[R.H. Lee]

I dunno. If I were involved in some nefarious terrorist conspiracy, I wouldn't use a chat room. I'd use some PGP encoded communication. How many chat rooms are on the Internets :p anyway? Must be millions.

[DRZinn]

You mean I can get paid for surfing THR if I work for the ATF?

"No sir, no subversive activity going on here, sir. Now gimme my check!":D

[geekWithA.45]

Interesting...the arguments concerning the public nature of the chat room do have some credence, but rather than the parallel of the police officer standing on the street corner listening to what's going on, I think a more apt analogy would be the systematic presence of policemen in coffee houses, which fall into that grey area of "private places of public accomodation."

[io333]

um... how can I get one of those jobs?

[R.H. Lee]

um... how can I get one of those jobs?

No chance. You have to be a highly trained government official with the ability to pick up on inconspicous nuances and references. Since you're most probably a gun toting redneck, you won't qualify :neener:

[cordex]

"No sir, no subversive activity going on here, sir. Now gimme my check!"
I'd probably go for "More research on this site is required."

[C96]

RileyMc says I need:

_____________________________________________

with the ability to pick up on inconspicous nuances
______________________________________________

I did pick up one of them once but it turned out she was under age. :(

Guess I don't have the training.

allan

[Preacherman]

I'm not sure that this is all that desirable a job... imagine having to surf all the firearms forums (I've got over 50 bookmarked, and that's by no means an exhaustive list), and on each one, scroll through threads like "Is 9mm. better than .45?", "Which is better - revolver or semi-auto?", and "What gun for bear defence?"

:evil:

[sm]

Hey Big Brother . :p

[ no - not the song by Rare Earth either]

Might as well join up and become a member - ya might learn something useful. We have had a number of folks learn about the Constitition , BoR and such ...not too late for you as well.

Hey - we could always use a new variation on a recipe, what are your thoughts on firearms for mutant zombies?
:D

< rasberries >

[RobW]

Who said the USA is a free country?

[gyp_c2]

I thought the grant was for someone to create software that isolated certain "phrases and codes", kinda' like a "profile"...?

[Standing Wolf]

Pity the federal government can't be troubled to pay half as much attention to the nation's purported "borders."

[Selfdfenz]

Standing Wolf,

Amen.

S-

[Jeff White]

Where do they think they are going to get the analysts to process all this intelligence? We can't begin to process all the SIGINT we get, imagine trying to sift through everything that is said online.

I remember being told to look at everything you do online as being as private as what you write on a postcard years before anyone ever heard of the Patriot Act....

Jeff

[Highland Ranger]

The comforting thing is it is the government . . . . remember the last scene fo Raiders of the Lost ark with the guy pushing the ark of the covenant into some huge warehouse?

That's what you can expect - they'll come to arrest you after youre dead.

[The_Antibubba]

As it turns out, Al-Qaeda sleeper cells are identified in seemingly mundane communiques as "mutant zombie bears". Every time some video-gaming, Deagle-desiring gunny wannabe brings up this topic, alarms go off at CIA headquarters. It has been reported, but not confirmed, that "9mm vs 45" is a discussion of biological vs radiological attacks, and that "da switch" is a reference not to a mechanical device but to a Manchurian Candidate-like government official who could placed in the Oval Office any week now.



:p

[io333]

Pity the federal government can't be troubled to pay half as much attention to the nation's purported "borders."




Let's say you're 50ish years old, still have a kid or two in college, body creaking a bit more every morning, etc...


You've been in law enforcement for the gov for twenty-five years. Various "wars on ...." are getting kind of "been there done that." Congress is making noises about cutting in places that might hit a little too close to home. You need to make sure funding keeps coming your agencies way.


Which sort of money do you want to see earmarked for the kind of work you'll be expected to do over the coming decade?


1. Money for you to go slogging around in New Mexico in the dust or mud (depending on the season) chasing after Chico?

--or--

2. Money for you to go surfing around the web in your cozy office in your cozy chair while sipping coffee and ensure?



Heck, I'm not even anywhere near 50, and at this point I think I'd still pick #2.

[reagansquad]

This has been going on for over 10 years. Haven't you heard of echelon? They just don't have to be covert about it any more thanks to the (non)Patriot act.

[carebear]

"Yes sir, domestic spying is kosher again."

"WHAT?!"

"PLease stay in view of the window sir."