NSA works with Microsoft, Google, Facebook, etc. to collect all your data

[Khajit]

Assuming you sit back and wait for real attacks to do your testing.
This is why you do things like penetration testing and military simulations. Like giving yourself a vaccine with hobbled diseases instead of a real infection.

"We" always fail those. Badly. I'll look up the name of the guy that used to routinely get in trouble because he was too good at penetrating secrets.

[Cantih]

"We" always fail those. Badly. I'll look up the name of the guy that used to routinely get in trouble because he was too good at penetrating secrets.

You're probably thinking of Mitnick.

[Omniyoji]

[Stromgarde]

Most people will ignore this. The people who are currently being targeted will not, and move their communications to platforms not affected by this program. The most bizarre thing that stuck out to me is that there is virtually no one in congress making noise opposing this, to include former House speaker Nancy Pelosi who has gone on record defending the government's actions. With the recent reveal of a third document focusing on offensive cyber-warfare I'm tempted to think this entire thing was an effort to discredit the US's position ahead of the imminent US-China talks being held in California.

[Talint]

I would argue that you're being naive.

Given that, the self is responsible for all things it does, then where's the point of culpability?

What if something about me on the internet is put there without my knowledge or my consent? Am I responsible for it?
Does having a point of contact on the internet mean that everything should be available for public consumption?
Does simply having a computer hooked up mean that everything on my hard drive is now public?

Healthy skepticism, always. But to assert that you have no privacy on the internet because it doesn't exist entirely in a vacuum is credo quia absurdum.

[Cantih]

The most bizarre thing that stuck out to me is that there is virtually no one in congress making noise opposing this, to include former House speaker Nancy Pelosi who has gone on record defending the government's actions.

There's one
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/0...-exactly-true/

There's nothing I can do about Pelosi, wrong district, but I am not happy that Feinstein has made identical remarks as her. Combined with their votes on NDAA and the SOPA/PIPA stuff, I'm sure as hell not supporting Feinstein or Boxer in the primaries anymore.

[Stromgarde]

There's one
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/0...-exactly-true/

There's nothing I can do about Pelosi, wrong district, but I am not happy that Feinstein has made identical remarks as her. Combined with their votes on NDAA and the SOPA/PIPA stuff, I'm sure as hell not supporting Feinstein or Boxer in the primaries anymore.

The point I was making is that of the people who were in the know and fully briefed on this who are also those you would expect to be objecting like crazy to the entire prospect of domestic spying are in fact covering for it, suggesting that the results were of significant enough worth to convert even their staunchest opponents. On your other point, I would expect Pelosi/Feinstein to be on board for SOPA/PIPA because as California representatives* it's to be expected that they are in the entertainment lobby's pocket.

* okay one is in fact a senator

[Cantih]

On your other point, I would expect Pelosi/Feinstein to be on board for SOPA/PIPA because as California representatives* it's to be expected that they are in the entertainment lobby's pocket.

I don't have a link to the records on me, but I remember when I looked at them back when, there were enough California Ds in the House on the nay list that it was a little bit heartening.
(EDIT: Or wait, maybe it wasn't a vote, but markup, or possibly the next bill after SOPA... CISPA)

[Acevalefor]

I'm sorry, but I honestly don't believe that a single one of you would be more afraid if you found out how many actual imminent threats were prevented. I'm not talking about details, or how close it was to happening. Just a number. Do you feel more afraid when you hear that there were X muggings in your city/county/state? Or Y murders? or Z rapes? Personally, I don't, because the numbers are always fairly low, unless you live in a shithole. And I can guarantee you that there is WAY more violent crime happening all around you, all the time, than there are terrorist plots that get thwarted. Stop being so fucking irrational.

Sath - pretty sure I've stated multiple times that they don't need to release details on how someone was stopped. Whether they release the details or not doesn't change the fact that the terrorists working with the guy(s) who got caught will know they got stopped and what he was doing. Knowing a name doesn't do anything for you unless you somehow find out exactly what he was up to (like by talking to his terrorist cohorts).

Shit's getting retarded up in here, and I find it incredibly ironic that people think it's me. Use your brains, folks.

I personally know people that freak the fuck out over school shootings and tell everyone that will listen that the shootings are terrorist attacks. If there was a list of thwarted "terrorist" (and put terrorist in quotes because it's a buzz word and the masses of idiots don't have a clue what it means) attacks and/or plots I can only imagine the retarded reactions...

On the flip side of things, what if the reason there is no list is because the list would be so small that it would be too hard to justify the massive amount on money spent for such a small threat?

Paranoia! Paranoia! Everybody's coming to get me! Just say you never met me!

[hey]

Why do patents exist?

So you can disclose your stuff to the entire world and still sell it.

If you want to keep it secret, a patent is the last thing you would want.

[test123]

http://theconservativetreehouse.file...psc41d5cf6.png

[Rhinox]

Nothing cuter than a libertarian thinking Obama is a tyrant.

Assad must be Satan himself

[Blubbartron]

I personally know people that freak the fuck out over school shootings and tell everyone that will listen that the shootings are terrorist attacks. If there was a list of thwarted "terrorist" (and put terrorist in quotes because it's a buzz word and the masses of idiots don't have a clue what it means) attacks and/or plots I can only imagine the retarded reactions...

On the flip side of things, what if the reason there is no list is because the list would be so small that it would be too hard to justify the massive amount on money spent for such a small threat?

Paranoia! Paranoia! Everybody's coming to get me! Just say you never met me!

There's actually a bit of evidence to support that idea. It's hard to say what the full picture is because "secrets, for your safety." The real paranoid tin-foil hat idea is they manufactured the intense fear of terrorism to control the populace and encourage them to willingly give up their liberties.

[Talint]

http://theconservativetreehouse.file...psc41d5cf6.png

http://img.pandawhale.com/50676-Tyri...y-gif-JQqn.gif

[Drex]

The real paranoid tin-foil hat idea is they manufactured the intense fear of terrorism to control the populace and encourage them to willingly give up their liberties.

Not really tin-foil hat if you identify the actual motive: getting votes. People willingly giving up liberties is a happy side benefit of scaring them.

[Meresgi]

So people are surprised or shocked this shit has been going on? Did no one know all the shit the patriot act and shit allowed the government to do?

[archibaldcrane]

I hope we all realize that this gathered info is supposedly only mined if the government reasonably believes the target in question is not an American.

[Wulfgang]

Am I crazy for not really caring about this? Maybe I'm too laid back, but even if the NSA had a video of me naked somehow from Skype, /meh.

[ronin sparthos]

I hope we all realize that this gathered info is supposedly only mined if the government reasonably believes the target in question is not an American.

Why exactly would the government stop at citizenship when we've seen in the past that such a trivial matter is of little import to stopping attacks?

[archibaldcrane]

Why exactly would the government stop at citizenship when we've seen in the past that such a trivial matter is of little import to stopping attacks?

Because it's likely the difference between receiving congressional support and not? Congress has known about and condoned this "secret" program from the very beginning.