Why oh why won't the Patriot Act die? As I noted, a judge has ordered Google to give up personal information requested by the FBI. The issue is that the FBI didn't issue a warrant. The bigger issue is that they don't have to.The Obama Administration can't catch a break. But this is not their fault. These laws have been in place since the Bush Administration. And the Telecommunications Act that passed 2008 didn't help either.

In short, the terrorists have won.

The Obama admin can't catch a break? What? Are you effing kidding me? I've got a target painted on my back by this admin because I'm conservative, and you're going to stand there and say "poor Obama admin can't catch a break, boo hoo."?

This "blame Bush" thing you guys have going on, this deep into your dude's second term, is absolutely fucking ridiculous.

Well, that escalated quickly. Back on topic, that's ridiculous that the FBI can request personal data without a warrant, and just get whatever privileged information they ask for. Makes one wary of doing much of anything, not for fear of getting caught, but for fear of their private lives being used against them.

it's all a big joke.

And we've let ourselves be the punchline.....?

It's beyond me why Google giving out some data is a problem nowadays. Everyone (well, everyone except me and maybe 2 other people on the planet who don't have internet) gives away every crap detail about their lives on Facebook. And if it's not Facebook, it's Twitter. The FBI needs not even ask, you do it voluntarily.

About the terrorists (I assume "terrorists" refers to the Bush administration) having won, yes... but that's just how democracy works. There's two categories of people in this world: criminals and everyone else. Alternatively, you could say unscrupulous and vicious but nevertheless smart people, and the dumb masses.

You elect a criminal for president (and due to lack of alternatives, you really don't have much of a choice) and he does evil things. No surprise.

It wasn't much different in the feudal time. Vicious, evil people have always lived on the blood and sweat of everybody else, and they've always ruled by suppression, fear, murder, and unfair laws. This is not going to change, because it's man's nature. King, Emperor, Führer, President, Leader of the People's Party, they are all only different words for the same thing.

Nothing to get upset about, really.

"FBI continues to try to force Google to give up personal data" -> Google hasn't given it up yet, as far as I know.

It's beyond me why Google giving out some data is a problem nowadays.

I'm somewhat against Google giving the information to the FBI without a warrant... but I'm really confused why we care about the government having access to the same information that big business already has. I care about the businesses and the government having the information - but I don't see why Google (and their affiliates!) should have information that the government doesn't, and be able to sell that information without informing you but refuse the government access to that same information.

I dislike all the information tracking that happens implicitly. It should all be opt-in and explicit - because then most people will actually understand what is happening, and would obviously say 'no'.

Everyone (well, everyone except me and maybe 2 other people on the planet who don't have internet) gives away every crap detail about their lives on Facebook. And if it's not Facebook, it's Twitter. The FBI needs not even ask, you do it voluntarily.

That's part of what I find so silly. People give all this information, and make it public, and then protest when the FBI wants to consolidate public information into one location.

You elect a criminal for president (and due to lack of alternatives, you really don't have much of a choice) and he does evil things. No surprise.

Whom are you talking about? I'm not much a Bush fan, but I think calling him a 'criminal' is a bit of a stretch. He made several huge mistakes, and there was alot of corruption during his administration, but making mistakes doesn't make someone a criminal, and the corruption wasn't close enough to him to indicate he was involved in it.

It wasn't much different in the feudal time. Vicious, evil people have always lived on the blood and sweat of everybody else, and they've always ruled by suppression, fear, murder, and unfair laws. This is not going to change, because it's man's nature. King, Emperor, Führer, President, Leader of the People's Party, they are all only different words for the same thing.

Who's living more off of people's sweat though - corporations or the US government? Bear in mind that when the US government spends its tax money, it has to go somewhere. And bear in mind that the US government isn't the one paying for presidential/senatorial election campaigns to influence the government.

It's beyond me why Google giving out some data is a problem nowadays. Everyone (well, everyone except me and maybe 2 other people on the planet who don't have internet) gives away every crap detail about their lives on Facebook. And if it's not Facebook, it's Twitter. The FBI needs not even ask, you do it voluntarily.

Except that I'm giving Google my information, not the FBI. If I give some information to a person with the understanding that the information is personal, I would expect another person to keep that information to themselves. It would not be my expectation that they would relate details of my personal life to strangers, without informing me and without my permission. It WOULD be my expectation, however, that such a person would be cut out of my social life at least for a little while if I caught them doing so. It's a trust thing - if I'm relating details of my personal life to you, it's because I trust you enough to tell you those details. Why should I change my expectations for corporations like Google (which by some definitions are actually "people")?

I am not opposed to compiling public data in principle (despite the fact that it's a little creepy to know that some stranger is following my life), it's the idea of people or companies giving away obviously private data that does not fly for me.

"FBI continues to try to force Google to give up personal data" -> Google hasn't given it up yet, as far as I know.

That's a relief.

I am not opposed to compiling public data in principle (despite the fact that it's a little creepy to know that some stranger is following my life), it's the idea of people or companies giving away obviously private data that does not fly for me.

Definitely this. Another important point: I try to be refined on my social media accounts. What I do on Google's sites is very, very different. To say I give out some information is not an excuse for them to try to take others.

FLeBlanc, on 02 Jun 2013 - 02:49, said:
The Obama admin can't catch a break? What? Are you effing kidding me?

No.

FLeBlanc, on 02 Jun 2013 - 02:49, said:
I've got a target painted on my back by this admin because I'm conservative

No you don’t.


Back to the topic, I don’t really see what the big deal is.
If you are 12 and lost and a big guy in a red plaid shirt, blue jeans, and a pick-up truck comes and says, “Hey little kid, where do you live? I’ll drive you home,” you would kick that guy in the nuts.
But if the same question came out of a police officer you would give away your address and get in the car and get home.

The FBI is trying to do its job, and I personally have nothing to hide. I don’t care if they know my address or the sites I visit. The worst that could come out of them knowing my personal information is that I would be ignored. The best that could come of it would be that they call me up and inform me that their super-hot special-force detective has found me irresistible and since they already know I am single (my previously mentioned marriage resulted in rejection due to failure on my part) they only need to ask if I am up for a night on the town.

Seriously? You don’t trust the FBI?
I don’t care how they treat criminals. There is nothing to associate me with that world at all and there is no way I would ever get dragged into it. I make video games in Japan. There is no level of misunderstanding in the universe that would ever garner any attention from the FBI towards me. If you have a problem with giving the FBI your information, I assume you believe they would actually care about your information, which suggests you have something to hide.

You need to remember that the Google database covers over a billion people, and the only way you would ever stand out in such a crowd is if you have a reason, and in that case—standing out over a billion people—it likely means you have a reason for standing out, and that likely means you are the classic case of a serial bomber. I would much rather have the FBI gain access to his information and get him off the streets before he kills a cute college student from China (oh and some 8-year-old).

What will happen should they get my information? They will never even look at it. It will never appear on any search they do, and with over a billion names they will only be doing filters and searches. I will never appear in any of them so it is exactly the same either way. Nothing in life will change as a result of them having my—or your—information. So get over it already.


L. Spiro