Steve Smith: Thanks for your interest and taking the time to research and write.
Yes indeed, there's a mountain of relatively new digital tools for investigators around today. Take a careful look at what BellingCat has done and is doing: https://www.bing.com/search?FORM=ARPSEC&PC=ARPL&PTAG=1318&q=bellingcat%20toolkit <https://www.cloudhq-mkt23.us/mail_track/link/28e0b94927c6f4ce5f_1770857441480?uid=226430&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fsearch%3FFORM%3DARPSEC%26PC%3DARPL%26PTAG%3D1318%26q%3Dbellingcat%2520toolkit> And there's an ever increasing about of Open Data in our galaxy for investigators. But the Epstein Files <https://www.cloudhq-mkt23.us/mail_track/link/28e0b94927c6f4ce5f_1770857441480?uid=226430&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov%2Fepstein> present, I think, a unique set of problems for investigators and the interested public. As I mentioned earlier, it seems that there were some people knowledge about data structure and categorization at the DOJ I am trying to track down the instructions and attorneys probably issued to the hundreds of people (all lawyers????) doing the redactions. For example, what were they told to redact in terms of images? Or if there are AV documents, how many and how were they to be edited. As usual, I'm more interested in tracking the metadata and methods and process than the outcome. Tom On Wed, Feb 11, 2026 at 12:29 PM cody dooderson <[email protected]> wrote: > I am willing to donate some gpu time from my personal machine towards this > project. Maybe by running some OCR? > From what I understand, you will be setting up a "vibe" search for epstein > files? > > > _ Cody Smith _ > [email protected] > > > On Fri, Feb 6, 2026 at 10:31 PM Roger Critchlow <[email protected]> wrote: > >> There was an amusing revelation on another list of mine about PDF >> conversion. A blind user was complaining that the PDF manuals are useless >> for screen readers. another reader on the list produced an html conversion >> of the pdf in a few hours,, It was done by Claude. I was gobsmacked, >> having been thwarted by pdf documents many times before, but of course it's >> the perfect task for an LLM. >> >> -- rec -- >> >> >> On Fri, Feb 6, 2026 at 7:19 AM Tom Johnson <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Thanks, Marcus. >>> >>> So you're saying there seems to be no consistency or standardization of >>> methodology in the so-called review and release process. That is a story in >>> itself. >>> >>> Also, having to convert PDF to Text is another time suck but necessary >>> at some point. >>> >>> Another approach would be to FOIA the DOJ for directives from whoTK to >>> those assigned to do the reviews/redactions. Of course given that Trump has >>> shut down many of the offices that responded to FOIAs, it's unlikely we >>> would see those documents in our life time. >>> >>> Onward, >>> Tom >>> (TK means "to come" in journalize) >>> ======================= >>> Tom Johnson >>> Inst. for Analytic Journalism >>> Santa Fe, New Mexico >>> 505-577-6482 >>> ======================= >>> >>> On Fri, Feb 6, 2026, 1:36 AM Marcus Daniels <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> So.. The early tranches were the FBI searches of the properties. Then >>>> there were a bunch of personal photographs of Epstein and Maxwell on their >>>> travels with various famous people. Amusingly, faces some folks on this >>>> list would recognize. (Read 2and3.md if so inclined and look-up Maxwell’s >>>> recent proffer to Blanche.) >>>> >>>> The early volume was modest enough in the early sets that I could push >>>> a lot through Claude, even images. Summaries attached of that. >>>> >>>> The new documents vary a lot in size. There are examples of subpoenaed >>>> e-mail accounts that go on and on for hundreds of pages, but also singled >>>> isolated e-mails. There’s an unusually large volume on investigating >>>> Epstein’s demise in prison. Overall, it is mostly PDF format, and it >>>> often the case that text can be extracted, e.g., using pdftotext. It’s >>>> just the DOJ convention to use PDF. It doesn’t mean they are composed >>>> documents. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I’ve been focused on “Dataset 9” as that one is large, and the DOJ >>>> failed (or refused?) to make zip file that would be easy to download. This >>>> dataset gives more insight into Epstein’s contemptible personality. There >>>> are many emotionally manipulative e-mails to some of his more independent >>>> young female associates. I haven’t worked with the new data >>>> systematically yet, just spot checking the download from time to time. I >>>> feel guilty wasting GPU cycles and energy on traumatizing a perfectly good >>>> AI on this stuff. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> The file numbering has become sparse in the later datasets. In the >>>> early batches, that occurred when Donald Trump was in a picture. Just >>>> sayin. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Marcus >>>> >>>> *From: *Friam <[email protected]> on behalf of Tom Johnson < >>>> [email protected]> >>>> *Date: *Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 9:38 PM >>>> *To: *The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group < >>>> [email protected]> >>>> *Subject: *Re: [FRIAM] Gauging interest.. >>>> >>>> Marcus-- >>>> >>>> Congrats and many thanks for harvesting this whole crop and keeping it >>>> in various grain bins. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Quick questions: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> The DOJ, on multiple occasions, has talked about various numbers of >>>> pages. How many "pages" do you think you have? Are they all standard 8.5x11 >>>> pages? All PDF? If so, searchable PDF? >>>> >>>> Do the various batches released come with any kind of title page, >>>> index? Glossary? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Are the pages/documents in any chronological order or any categorical >>>> order? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Do you think we could do a word count vs. lines (each containing an >>>> words-per-line estimate) redacted? (i.e a story reporting X percent of the >>>> documents still hidden or useless). >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I'm sure I can bug you for more. >>>> >>>> Tom >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ======================= >>>> Tom Johnson >>>> Inst. for Analytic Journalism >>>> Santa Fe, New Mexico >>>> 505-577-6482 >>>> ======================= >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Thu, Feb 5, 2026, 10:37 PM Marcus Daniels <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> I’m closing-in on a full download of Dataset 9 of the Epstein >>>> Transparency Act. (I have the rest.) I’m thinking of building a vector >>>> database (e.g. pgvector for Postgres). I was thinking of wrapping a MCP >>>> server around it so LLMs can get a directory of articles and then >>>> summarize, or cross-reference sets of them. RAG is what Perplexity does, >>>> but apparently, they don’t have the content yet. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I imagine a SETI-at-home type project to reduce the data. Another >>>> analogy that comes to mind is annotations of the genome: Line all the >>>> documents up and then slowly fill in the summaries. The vector database >>>> could help inform how to combine documents for consumption within context >>>> window limits (PCA vicinity). >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I could keep my Max subscription on it and make some progress, but >>>> really such a project needs tens or hundreds of workers. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Marcus >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. >>>> / ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. >>>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >>>> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >>>> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >>>> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >>>> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >>>> archives: 5/2017 thru present >>>> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >>>> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >>>> >>>> .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. >>>> / ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. >>>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >>>> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >>>> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >>>> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >>>> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >>>> archives: 5/2017 thru present >>>> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >>>> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >>>> >>> .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. >>> / ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. >>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >>> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >>> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >>> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >>> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >>> archives: 5/2017 thru present >>> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >>> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >>> >> .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. / >> ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >> archives: 5/2017 thru present >> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >> > .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. / > ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom > https://bit.ly/virtualfriam > to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ > archives: 5/2017 thru present > https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ > 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ > -- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tom Johnson - [email protected] +1 505 577 6482 Santa Fe, New Mexico USA *New Mexico Writers <https://nmwriters.org/>*++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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