Sorry, Josh, not picking on you in particular, it just seemed a good
spot to reply in this thread...
On 6/11/2013 9:16 AM, Josh Smift wrote:
DB> Whether you agree with him or not, he is showing the public at large
DB> what a idealistically motivated system administrator can do.
Maybe, but is *that* news? Do most people not realize that one of the easy
ways that data might be leaked (from any organization) is by the people
who run the computers?
I find the whole thing repugnant beyond anyone's imagining. Not because
of the data "uncovered" but because of the absolute knee-jerk belief in
each and every item that has been "disclosed" by Snowden. I'm NOT going
to go into depth about any details (not here, not offlist), but there
are several details that seem to be left out of many places.
1. The fact that these (and other) companies comply upon demand to hand
over information is not a surprise. Whether or not it's right is not the
issue. It's legal. No matter how much you (or he) may dislike it, it's
legal. The place to solve this is by voting for better congresscritters,
instead of what gets voted in now. I'd be happy to bring back literacy
tests, but I want the people *running* for office to be the ones tested.
2. (Oops. Steps off soapbox.) Just because they're calling it PRISM
rather than Echelon, doesn't mean anything new is out there. I gave $$
to support Cryptome, and the EFF (and I don't always agree with the EFF,
but I want them to be around, not to agree with me).
3. (I can't help it. I'm wordy.) Most companies have *more* information
on you that the NSA ever thought of having. You don't think so? Find a
person with access to Lexis/Nexis. *That* will keep you up nights.
4. Snowden almost certainly exaggerates his access. I would put down
money on this.
5. There is absolutely *no* proof that this was a crisis of conscience.
I'd certainly believe it was planned. I am expecting there to be a
profit motive. Stay tuned.
I also haven't been following this closely -- is the fact that he's a
sysadmin being particularly highlighted? (I didn't actually know myself
what his role was until just now, but I don't follow the details of the
news very closely. But the friends who've been talking about it, and the
few stories I have seen, didn't mention his job.)
He's been referred to as an "IT Administrator" a "Network Admin" and an
"IT Guy" among other things. He's also a high school drop out who got a
medical discharge from the Army after a year. He broke both legs. I'm
not sure why he couldn't stay in. Just noting.
Actually, after doing some quick searching, I think I'm with this guy on
some of the questions.
https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/nsa-leaker-are-there-serious-cracks-in-ed-snowdens-story/
There are a lot of questions that most people seem not to be asking.
*I* do not think he's a hero, nor a whistle blower. I find him, on the
face of it, contemptible. He took an oath. I do not believe he went in
innocent, and he broke his word. I'm taking a currently unpopular view,
and I know that. I think he belongs in Leavenworth. Even if he turns out
to be a pawn, he belongs in Leavenworth.
--
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire
off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark
near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time
...like tears in rain... Time to die.
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