Cyberkidd writes "According to CNN, one of the NSA's main spy computers crashed for three days, and has not been completely fixed yet. No details as to the type of computer, but one can only wonder if it was a Microsoft Blue Screen..."
352 comments
whoohoo
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Anonymous Coward
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thats good news:)
Re:whoohoo
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Anonymous Coward
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Then again, they could be trying to decrypt Osama Bin Ladens email and keep him from sticking a pipe bomb up your ass.
because 1) their os is the most crash prone one i've seen to date, thus making it a likely source of a crash 2) because it's funny. we've all had to deal with windoze locking up once or twice and it's pleasurable to laugh at someone else who's suffering. 3) the idea that the NSA is using a MS product for a mission critical application is so implausible as to be laughable.
You know, there are lots of OS's that are just as crash prone. Macintosh, AmigaOS, TOS, even many early unix-clones such as Coherant and Minix. They had no memory protection, and thus any app could crash the system.
>>>because 1) their os is the most crash prone one i've seen to date, thus making it a likely source of a crash Actually, more amount of media attention towards bugs and users and software. More users, more crashes. More software, more crashes. Etc, etc. I wish the Linux community was as forgiving with Mozilla crashes and bugs as IE. Oh wait, IE is stable now. Common sense. >>>2) because it's funny. we've all had to deal with windoze locking up once or twice and it's pleasurable to laugh at someone else who's suffering. Sure, it's funny when I see someone get a kernel panic. har, har, har. >>>3) the idea that the NSA is using a MS product for a mission critical application is so implausible as to be laughable. Another attempt of Slashdot.org taking a cheapshot. How "slashy" of them. The best way of advertising your product is exploiting a competitors weakness's.
AmigaOS and TOS are hardly relevant contemporary OSes to NT. I don't know anything at all about Coherant (Coherent?) and Minix, as you say, had no memory protection but it was basically a programming tutorial by Andrew Tannenbaum to illustrate the principles of OS design. So, I think you need to pick more relevant examples.
MacOS is a buggy piece of crud but hardly the sort of thing to be used for a mission-critical server. OTOH, NT is widely promoted as THE industrial strength, all purpose, everything OS. The fact that it dies in the arse so frequently and requires a reboot everytime you twiddle the odd setting makes it a worthy target for condemnation and ritual humiliation. At least, when you compare it to relevant competition such as the modern UNIXes.
1) their os is the most crash prone one i've seen to date, thus making it a likely source of a crash
They have multiple OS's. Which one are you referring to, specifically? If it's Win95/98, then I agree. If it's WinNT, I'd 50% agree. If it's Win2k, I'd disagree completely.
2) because it's funny. we've all had to deal with windoze locking up once or twice and it's pleasurable to laugh at someone else who's suffering.
Which makes you pretty small.
3) the idea that the NSA is using a MS product for a mission critical application is so implausible as to be laughable.
I doubt NSA is using any publically available OS. They no doubt have their own OS variant whose design will never be revealed.
OTOH, NT is widely promoted as THE industrial strength, all purpose, everything OS. The fact that it dies in the arse so frequently and requires a reboot everytime you twiddle the odd setting makes it a worthy target for condemnation and ritual humiliation. At least, when you compare it to relevant competition such as the modern UNIXes.
Yet another "it bluescreens whenever I sneeze" just reprinted in different words. NT has not died on me any more than Linux has. And, whenever NT did die, it was because of a bad driver or faulty memory.
Yet another "it bluescreens whenever I sneeze" just reprinted in different words. NT has not died on me any more than Linux has. And, whenever NT did die, it was because of a bad driver or faulty memory.
Why doesn't Linux suffer from this "bad driver/faulty memory" syndrome then? Just face facts: NT is unreliable and is not suited to a mission critical environment.
... Why doesn't Linux suffer from this "bad driver/faulty memory" syndrome then?" - don't be daft. Linux sufferes bad driver and/especially/ bad memmory problems. Linux will oops all over you if it detects errors i memory. You can sometimes keep running after an oops but you'd be ill advised to too so. A hardware error will take down your linux box just as surely as it will any other OS.
ahahahahahaa... Just wait if/until Linux is expected to compete on the same level as WinXX. Once a grandmother in Iowa needs to be able to fax, scan, or print something the way she wants it, you'll hear the linux community cry about what an idiot she is for not loading the proper kernel module (or... duh.... just compile a monolithic kernel with your device support, granny). What will happen is that companies all over the world that sell gear in your local CompUSA will be writing those drivers and when that scanning app for that cheap-ass UMAX scanner FAILS, dumbass slashdot readers will contend that the "OS" crashed.
When the tables are turned, the slashdotters will find something else to whine about ("RedHat SUCKS, they are the EVIL EMPIRE, go XYZ/OS!")
Another thing too. I'd bet that a majority of folks here aren't even out in the working world just yet to deal with business systems of large corporations and have little experience with NT anyway... let alone linux! ahahahaha
yeah like nothing is supported. each time cool new hardware is introduced (think of video board, professional sound board etc...) it takes ages before a linux drivers for it comes out, if it ever comes out
Why doesn't Linux suffer from this "bad driver/faulty memory" syndrome then? Just face facts: NT is unreliable and is not suited to a mission critical environment.
I've had Linux systems fail because of faulty critical hardware. If you haven't, it simply means you've never had a critical hardware failure.
As to the rest of it, driver support on Linux can't begin to approach driver support on NT. I've never run into a buggy NT driver from Microsoft (i.e. shipped with NT), but have run into a lot of buggy drivers written by hardware companies (in most cases, the hardware isn't even supported at all on other operating systems, with the exception of Windows 9x).
At the end of the day, a buggy kernel-mode driver will crash any system. The more kernel-mode drivers there are, the more buggy kernel-mode drivers there are. With more buggy kernel-mode drivers available, it's easier to be careless when purchasing hardware (i.e. hardware with crap drivers), hence it's easier to crash your system. If you use NT only with Microsoft-supplied drivers, you'll be fine (and the same applies to Red Hat Linux).
Incidentally, this whole driver problem for NT may go away with Windows 2000's signing scheme (only certified drivers are signed, and users are warned when installing unsigned ones). Microsoft also provide some excellent tools for analysing kernel-mode drivers and weeding out bugs.
running windows? god i've never herd so much bollocks in my life, of course there not, you think that if i had a cray 2 XMP system id put windows on it? no way, there running a custom version of unix. and trust me, windows (For once) has nothing to do with this system crashing.
WHO cares, the days of microsoft will soon be over, with all the new opensource operating systems out there, expecially linux, and beos who the hell will pay to use windows? why? its expensive, buggy, and far less secure that unix, the fact remains is that no empire lasts forever, look at babylon. bill gates will not win in the long run.:)
Try this one: NT Terminal Server Stop 0x00000050 (BSOD) when 11 reminders appear simultaneously in Outlook 97/98/2k on one client box. Try to figure that into proper OS design. WTF???? 11 reminders??? Pop-up Windows crashing the OS??!!! MS Tech support admitted the bug and has distributed a fix that supposedly does not work, but we haven't crashed since. That's why NT sucks a big fat _.
So does linux. That's what's wrong with the statement.
Want it all summed up? If you don't change anything in the system, NT and Linux both run effectively forever.
As for Windows 2000 being more stable... it is. I love this OS. It's got the same bullet-proof feeling Linux has, without the hassle. I haven't rebooted my Windows 2000 box in weeks, and I do a hell of a lot more on it than on my Linux box. I've changed configurations, added and removed software, even changed the mouse. All things that used to require reboots. Without a single problem. I don't even know what a Windows 2000 BSOD looks like. Never seen one.
For the past year, you Linux zealots have all been laughing and quoting Ghandi. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Well, Microsoft has fought back. Damn effectively, too. And you guys are laughing...
-- -- The meek shall inherit the Earth. In very small plots, about 6 feet by 3.
I don't even know what a Windows 2000 BSOD looks like. Never seen one.
Well, it's not the same medium blue they've used in the past. I guess they decided to freshen the look up a bit -- make the BSOD look a bit more professional. Heh.
I also have the impression (so far) that Win2K is more stable in most respects. But I can still BSOD it at will, just like I could NT.
Something new that I've managed to do with Win2K that I don't recall doing with any of the previous versions of Windows:
You know, most people don't bash Windows because they hate it. They bash it and hate it for the same reason: it's not stable. It crashes way more often than a modern OS should. If this doesn't happen to you, well good for you. You're obviously not doing anything taxing on the system, because if you were you wouldn't be here praising it. I did not switch to Linux because I hated Windows. In fact, I was one of the biggest brainwashed Microsofties there were. But the GPFs and BSODs got so annoying, that I began looking for an alternative. Naturally, I discovered Linux and have been happy ever since. Only since then have I begun to hate MS, because I finally realize how badly I was being screwed!
Your mileage may vary, but that doesn't make ours any less valid. I believe you should use the right tool for the right job, but Windows attempts to do everything for everybody, therefore stretching itself too thin trying to be a jack-of-all-trades.
When you try to do everything, you end up being best at nothing. Linux, however, is not monolithic and can be altered depending on what is required, therefore the same OS is not exactly trying to do everything, because the configuation can be changed depending on the need. For this reason, Linux is more versatile than Windows and can be fine-tuned to a specific task far easier.
It's not best at everything, not by a long shot--but it will be, that's the point. If there are people who need it to do something, it will eventually be made to do it.
Not me, dude. I do work in a big corporation. We have mostly Solaris boxes in our data center, and a few NT boxes that do odd stuff for one department. They work well, possibly because they always run the same set of a few apps (i.e. there aren't 80 desktop mcdoodles installed). That's good practice for any server, though. The serious heavy-duty stuff runs on beefy Sun hardware, and it runs well - let's face it, having a UNIX environment means all kinds of flexibility in the scripting area ALONE that NT just doesn't have (its idea of scripting is batch files and VBScript, and most sysadmins prefer the kind of scripting that only a full UNIX shell like sh or bash can afford them). But NT is good enough to do certain things, and one or two of the apps we decided to outsource instead of developing ourselves were available on NT and not Solaris. (Yes, believe it or not, sometimes it's cheaper to outsource something than write it yourself.)
Linux does suffer from this syndrome. Last year, not counting kernel upgrades, I had to reboot Linux twice: once due to a faulty hard disk driver card, and another time when the janitor unplugged a computer to use the vacuum cleaner.
Which shows that this...whenever NT did die, it was because of a bad driver or faulty memory thing is a blatant lie. There are statistically far less hardware failures than NT reboots.
And don't believe this "win2k is more stable" stuff they are spreading around. They said that win95 would be more stable than win3.1, too. They said that win3.1 would be more stable than win3.0.
YOUR attitude is the reason why more and more people will turn their backs at Linux. Do you really think a company will let itself in with a group of whiners and yellers like you?
I guess not. I KNOW they won't. A lot of people communicate on a MATURE way with others, and make Linux look good. You and your fellow whiners do not, and burn that reputation down to the ground.
This is a geek site. A Site for computer and software lovers, and you can be a geek also when you use another OS (it's a program for ()&*$#(@&*#$@ sakes) than your OS of choice.
--
Never underestimate the relief of true separation of Religion and State.
I second that! But I think people dis MS (no matter how unrelated and pointless), because it's so.. it's so... it's sooo easy to make fun of!
Re:Why alway blame MS?
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Demonicbunny
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Because no one on slashdot would miss the opertunity to take a jab at Microsoft, no matter how unrelated and pointless.
I agree, slashdot is nothing but a bunch of
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Anonymous Coward
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.
what, you expected a answer?
Re:I agree, slashdot is nothing but a bunch of
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Anonymous Coward
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no. i expected an answer.
i also expected you to have been through 5th grade to know how to write.
While we're on the topic of Government
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Anonymous Coward
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The U.S. has released information on the availability of some interesting patents. One of them happens to be "A Quantum Key Distribution System for encryption and authentication." Worth checking out.
Re:NO.......YOU ROCK, YOU COCK!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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...but do your feet show it?
Re:doe!
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Anonymous Coward
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a deer a female deer???
Well...
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Anonymous Coward
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Pinky: What are you going to do tonight, Brain?
The Brain: Same thing we do every night the NSA's spy computer crashes. Take over the world.
There's more to this story
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Anonymous Coward
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First of all, I would like to point out that they can't prove anything in court. Yeah, that computer was my responsibility but several others had access to it... several others!
That thing was always flaky anyway. It would reboot randomly. There was always garbage characters appearing on the screen for no reason. It couldn't have possibly been doing anything useful.
Isn't the NSA supposed to have the best hardware anyway? I mean, if it can't handle mapping out natalie portman's genetic composition, then what the hell good is it gonna be for spy work?
Jesus.
I bet you my dog
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Anonymous Coward
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that someone willget their panties in a knot about this one!!!! MOO
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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They didn't. I did after I noticed that I was no longer capable of tapping your cell phone calls whilst intercepting Echelon traffic. So the NSA is forced to disclose it, all because of me.
HA HA
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Anonymous Coward
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NP has a cock... she's better hung than Katz
Re:HA HA
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Anonymous Coward
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she's better hung than Katz
not saying much, really....
Re:first post
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Anonymous Coward
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all hail to the king, Anonymous Coward!
this computer crash...
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Anonymous Coward
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Has been brought to you by the letters and numbers nk29p8c3ym9sdrgp89342rtawgp8rnlcsap89w;x3nw3saklsj 23fwef324vj66.
New ad campaign
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Anonymous Coward
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Ever seen those lame "Should have used Preparation-H" ads?
We should run one with a picture of this frozen Cray with a voiceover saying "Should have used Linux"
Re:NO.......YOU ROCK, YOU COCK!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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how about a cock so you can blow it?
Re:doe!
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Anonymous Coward
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fa: a long, long way to run
Sounds great, but..
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Anonymous Coward
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I will probably have to get a hooker for this one since I'm pretty sure my girlfriend will not go for it and she cooks and cleans.
For some reason
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Anonymous Coward
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I feel like a bowl of rabbit stew.
Re:For some reason
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Anonymous Coward
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maybe you should see a doctor
Re:Planned Tactic
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Anonymous Coward
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While I agree with what you said, politicians aren't that stupid. If they are dead set against allocating more funds for the NSA, stunts like these won't help them.
Neither have I...
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Anonymous Coward
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Never thought about that before.
Re:Neither have I...
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Anonymous Coward
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Re:Neither have I...
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Anonymous Coward
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Never played Solitaire, except back in Windows 3.1 days.
If you get a "BSOD" when you do something besides Solitaire, then you're a moron, an AOLer, a newbie, or some dipshit who got nuked because they didn't patch.
Re:NO.......YOU ROCK, YOU COCK!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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oh baby, you know where to stow it!
Re:NO.......YOU ROCK, YOU COCK!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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Now I have a rocket in my pocket.
Re:Biased reporting
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Anonymous Coward
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Very much agreed - Rob blew it on this one... Is this some sort of Slashdot mental incapacity to realize that there are machines bigger than PC's running OS's that are rarely mentioned here???
Re:SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE META MODERATING A
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Anonymous Coward
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I'm with ya bro! been doin just that for *years* now!
Fight the power! Free Huey! Open Slash! ooops, scratch the last one.
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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Anonymous Coward
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Had a team lead at IBM tell me about a problem he had with upgrading an OS/2 print server at a client site. It took them a while to find a key to the closet it was locked in. It had been running a year w/o anyone having to get to it.
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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Anonymous Coward
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Had a team lead at IBM tell me about a problem he had with upgrading an OS/2 print server at a client site. It took them a while to find a key to the closet it was locked in. It had been running a year w/o anyone having to get to it.
Re:1 question 4u..multiple choice
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FreeBSDrew
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I was masturbating the entire time, of course!
PS - The Zealot Handbook is actually now distributed on CD-ROM, which makes masturbating while reading much easier, since you can easily scan pr0n sites at the same time.
--
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Re:1 question 4u..multiple choice
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FreeBSDrew
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Thanks for providing my daily dose of humor, friend. I'm going to print that out and, ahem, "soil" it for you the next time I'm, ahem, in the mood.
--
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Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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Anonymous Coward
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Not to say that this applies to every crazy, lone individual. But I don't think the majority of them would be wanting to destroy us all if it wasn't for the actions of 'Big Brother'.
I would rather not be held accountable by a lone physcopath, or a group of them for that matter, for the actions of an agency that I am not permitted to know anything about. What I mean to say is that perhaps big brother would not be so necessary if he didn't exist in the first place.
I fear both the power they have, and the fact that they act in our collective names without our knowledge of it.
But then again, we just finished watching 'Conspiracy Theory' in the dorm lounge, so my views might be somewhat warped at the moment.
Re:Psychological evaluation ;)
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Anonymous Coward
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No kidding.
And the "BSOD" died with Windows 95. If you get a BSOD, you're a fucking moron with a seriously misconfigured system. Learn to run what you call one of the OSes that are "too userfriendly." Try not deleting half the files in c:\windows, then maybe you won't get a BSOD.
Re:NO.......YOU ROCK, YOU COCK!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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And I know just where to dock it
Re:NO.......YOU ROCK, YOU COCK!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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Yeah. Yeah! YEAH
FUCK YEAH MOTHERFSFHOSF
GIVE ME YOUR CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCOCK
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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So, I take it you want to assfuck your country?
National Security is rather important, no matter how greedy or crooked the fucks are.
Re:NO, it's not that big
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Anonymous Coward
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Hmm... why does the NSA have a website? Are they asking for it to be dafaced?
No chance in hell do they run NT
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Anonymous Coward
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The NSA is probably collectively the most intelligent agency in the government. NSA does not use NT. They build their own processors. This is a publicized fact. There's no chance in hell that they're not going to make their own OS as well.
Re:No chance in hell do they run NT
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mklinux_dude
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don't you people know this, NSA uses Solaris for most of it's cryto stuff. The Discovery channel had a show about the NSA some time ago, and I saw lots of Sun machines, and X Logos filling up the screens (presumably so you couldn't see what programs were running on them)
yeah
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Anonymous Coward
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those stupid fucking jews get easily offended, huh
Re:I heard it was ruinning
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Anonymous Coward
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This isn't IRC, dork
That would have been funny if:
* You weren't a dork. * You didn't include the gay ass "/me line. * You didn't FUCK UP in your subject line. * You didn't say "!af". * At this point, it'd be best IF YOU WEREN'T FUCKING BORN.
Faggot.
Re:NO, it's not that big
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Anonymous Coward
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If for no other reason, damn good way to keep on track of the latest exploits and script kiddies. Obviously that server is no where near anything remotely important, and nsa doesn't care much about PR, but a constant flood of useful info is most useful.
Re:NO.......YOU ROCK, YOU COCK!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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Take that thing outta your pocket... Put it in the socket...
Still Protesting?
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Anonymous Coward
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So, who's still protesting?
I know I haven't taken out my x-headers...
-- Ender, Duke_of_URL
Re:Boy, someone can't take a joke.
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Anonymous Coward
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If you say it enough times, it will be taken seriously. Perfect example is that Windows always crashes which isnt true.
They think this will clear it up too, LOL
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Anonymous Coward
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Re:They think this will clear it up too, LOL
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Anonymous Coward
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Here's the email address of the CNN Guy. delchi@dorsai.org
Re:Psychological evaluation ;)
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Anonymous Coward
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Why does Slashdot post SHIT like this? It's all bogues and cheapshot news. Hello, can I speak to morality????
New Slashdot?
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Anonymous Coward
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Well, then it's time to move to a version of/. that has an open/viewable news submission bin. There's new Slash code out, and lots of people are messing around with it, maybe some of us should move? -- Ender, Duke_of_URL
New Slashdot
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Anonymous Coward
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Well, then it's time to move to a version of/. that has an open/viewable news submission bin. There's new Slash code out, and lots of people are messing around with it, maybe some of us should move?
-- Ender, Duke_of_URL
x.com [offtopic]
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Anonymous Coward
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Have the rules changed to allow single-letter domains to be registered again, or is this another screw-up? x.com was registered on 20-Oct-1999, around the time those dash-.com problems started. It looks like IANA reserved almost every other single-letter domain on 03-Dec-1999 (except z.com apparently, which was registered on 20-Jan-2000), did they decide to let this one stay registered?
There's also a completely unrelated story about x.com here ("We have become aware that until recently anyone could open an account with the online bank X.com and perform unauthorized funds transfers from any other accounts in the banking system").
[OFFTOPIC] == I believe x.com and z.com predate the rule disallowing single-letter domains. The other screwups to which you refer were from new registrars and this is with NSI -- so, in any case, it's not part of the same problem. == The "record created" date is not necessarily the date the domain was registered - it could be that, on that date, the domain was transfered to a new owner (therefore, a new record).
========
-- <sig>Guvf vf abg n frperg zrffntr
Very funny
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Anonymous Coward
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Heh, funny link. Thx for the mirror
The new /. is here
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Anonymous Coward
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Hey, guys, I am a fellow Computer Enthusiast that just happned to be surfing on the Web! I thought I'd let you know a little secret that there is no NSA! That is just a hoax to scare away terrorists and other foreign enemies. I know because I am a high level Official in the Government of this Great Land. Please, do not tell too many friends about this, because we would really hate the secret to get out. So please, stop having discussions about this entirely fictitious Agency and get back to talking about keyboards and floppy disks and other hacker things!
Why is it okay for slashdot to post FUD but not MS? Please, someone explain this to me.
Re:FUD
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Anonymous Coward
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Why is it okay for slashdot to post FUD but not MS? Please, someone explain this to me.
It's very simple. Us/.ers are better than Windows users. We are superior because we run Linux, therefore we have the right to FUD MS as much as we want. Those inferior Windoze lusers should all just shut up and take it.
It is used in the context of the deliberate spreading of rumours (possibly lies) in order to create confusion and uncertainty about a new and untested product, platform, idea or business. This is done with the intention of preventing the uptake of said FUD target through two means:
a) The uninformed masses may regard the FUD as true. They therefore quite naturally avoid taking any risks.
b) The informed few, even though they may see through the FUD, realise that the FUD target will be unpopular and unsuccessful because of the general misinformation and hence decide to cut their losses and avoid it themselves.
Now I'm sorry to be a pedant, but FUD is clearly a tactic that only be used against a new, unproven technology or a newcomer to the market. Hence Microsoft may be able to spread FUD about Linux.
The reverse is not true. There is no way in hell that Linux Zealots could convince the world that Microsoft products are unfeasible, unpopular or unusable. Trying to use FUD tactics against microsoft is like trying to stop an elephant with a water pistol.
What Microsoft-bashing you may observe on Slashdot may be pointless abuse, but simply by definition it cannot be regarded as FUD. I dissaprove of mindless Microsoft-bashing as much as the next guy, but we should all recognise that FUD is a completely different phenomenon entirely.
No wonder their spacecraft crash into Mars.
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Anonymous Coward
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These guys are dumer then crap if they kant get the rockets to land write on Mars or keep a stupid teluskope working. My teluksope works fine and I can see all the nabors and cows. My computer is always working too, if the power is on in the house and AOL is not bizy. Them marans need some help and I am runnin down to florida to fix them real good kuz my taxes are being throwed away. I heard this is a good movie and CNN is always write.
Re:NO.......YOU ROCK, YOU COCK!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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Nope, sorry, you lose, fake-*ss meta-moderators...
Pouring stuff down Natalie Portmans pants is fun, but not good for *st posts. Enjoy the h*t gr*ts & get the fsck out. You all blow, you m*ta-moderating dingos.
Re:Boy, someone can't take a joke.
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Anonymous Coward
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no shit. pretty much anyone now that does that crap is just yelling out, "Hi. I'm an ignorant follower!"
Re:Yeesh
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Anonymous Coward
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That takes away your credibility right there.
time to uninstall my themes of yours
The OS wasn't the problem...
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Anonymous Coward
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The problem is that Clinton was getting another Blowjob from an Intern(TM), and this time he actually reached orgasm, and some of his Presidential Sticky Stuff splattered through the air slots in Mr. T's SGI workstation. (We all know that Mr. T runs the NSA, right?) So the President has called in a team of Nixon's old whores to clean the Executive Officer's Old Spice from the machine's innards using only their tongues and Hillary's toothbrush. Estimated Time of Completion: as soon as Mr. President stops buttfucking the whores long enough for them to work for fifteen minutes straight!
The reasons these details were not released to the press are as follows:
They don't want everyone to know that Clinton knows Mr. T.
They don't want everyone to know that 99% of the NSA's black budget (no pun intended) was spent on Mr. T's SGI workstation.
Lewinsky owns the patent on Blowjob from an Intern(TM), and the government has already spent enough on the Presidential Defense from Plump Young Women.
Hillary is a bitch.
For more info, suck my balls.
Re:The OS wasn't the problem...
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Anonymous Coward
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Re:His identity revealed
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Anonymous Coward
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Damn it! Alright, you have Found me out. Here is the real story. Please, I must leave now.
G4 for Super Bowl -- G4 Later Today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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For Super-Bowl Sunday, later today, a G4 laptop computer will be announced by Apple. This portable will pack the whall-op of a *supercomputer* for all you geeks out there. That's why they kept it secret. Check out the SB commercials tomorrow!!!!!
They should port the mars polar lander to linx!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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If they had written the mars polar lander on linux in the first place none of this would have happened because they could have just recompiled the kernel when they found out that the lander was not responding to them. And another thing that would benefit is that the mars polar lander could then run the seti@home and search for extreterrestrial life in its idle cycles. And while it's not doing that it can run in a beowulf cluster that is folding the human genome.
Re:Yeesh
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Anonymous Coward
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If the **NSA** for christ's sake, is using **Windows**....then I've lost what little faith I still had in government.
Hey, you're still alive aren't you? Get a life.
Re:what would they run?
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Anonymous Coward
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Actually if you look at multiprocessor OS's NT4+ is extremely good. Pretty much smokes linux kernel 2.2. Still waitin for 2.4
Re:It probably wasn't the OS.
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Anonymous Coward
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"reconstruct the entire system" is probably media talk to make it sound like somthing big. it prob just means they has to reinstall the OS, an Application, or restore a backup.
Re:Yeesh
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Anonymous Coward
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So if windows crashes it's bad but if UNIX crashes it's okay?
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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The fact that your statement is framed as a question says something.
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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So, you belong to a A Well Regulated PGP Militia?
(If so, who's doing the regulating?)
Ha!
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Anonymous Coward
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I use junkbuster and my wafer has a list of spookwords in them. And I surf a lot. Do I get a Beanie Award for Most Outstanding Actions Towards Establishing the "Get Rid of Slimy Spooks" -Agenda?
I wonder why the NSA would tell anyone what happened, unless they want people to think that they're just another bureocratic institute which suffers from the bad karma caused by clueless management and workers who don't give a damn. I say trust no-one, nothing crashed, they just want us to believe that. An intelligence agency goes around telling people "hey, our computers crashed.". I don't think so.
Re:what would they run?
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Anonymous Coward
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Lame troll, try again.
Re:Psychological evaluation ;)
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Anonymous Coward
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So, when I get a 80x50 Blue Screen referring to NTFS.SYS, I must be really running 9X? I never knew.
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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Anonymous Coward
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Nice story. Now tell me how you "upgrade" an OS/2 box without having physical access to it.
Little known fact: OS/2 had the same 49 day problem fall-over problem Windows 9x did. They fixed it before MS did, but not until it was in the wild for about 8 years.
Re:Decode this!
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Anonymous Coward
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There's a difference between quirky and sick. You are the latter.
Ah, yes, CNN....
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Anonymous Coward
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...the cheapest whore of the news reporting media (started by a billboard salesman no less!).
I guess CNN has to pay it's dues for all that exotic satellite time they get from birds that don't normally sell their time on the open market. (hey, baby, anything to help manage the media war effort, right?)
And what they didn't tell you is that the NSA's gold-plated secondary system kicked in and soaked up the load just find (no need to even prep the teritary subsystems).
If CNN is what it "reports" that would make./ a...?
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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the nsa probably knows more about the us congressmen and women than the us congressmen and women know about themselves. the nsa still exists, doesn't it?
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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As to the $0 funding, yeah, I'd love the NSA to shut down so terrorists can set bombs in our country and so our military would be at a disadvantage during a war
Oh, really? Poor united-staters (not americans, please -- every from Chile to Canada is american). Why don't you invade a central-american country?
The right to keep and bear arms
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Anonymous Coward
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A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
It's implicit in the wording that the people only have the right to keep and bear arms if belonging to a well regulated Militia. So, what should you say when a police officer inquires you about the AK-47 you are carrying on one arm and the M-16 you have on the other?
Sure, officer. Here's my KKK badge, and here's my Aryan Nation ID.
Re:The right to keep and bear arms
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Anonymous Coward
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Here's the definition of miltia as found in the United States Code (10 USC Section 311):
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are -
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.
Re:The right to keep and bear arms
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Anonymous Coward
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Therefore, according to 10 USC Section 311, only those people have the right to keep and bear arms. So why is it that anyone can buy military assault rifles through the internet?
Re:The right to keep and bear arms
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Anonymous Coward
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You look like such a fucking moron when you say "first post" but get 15th.
What the fuck did you do pal? Type out a message, go fuck your dad then hit Submit and you thought it'd still be first?
Where do these stupid fucks come from?
Re:Biased reporting
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Anonymous Coward
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Hmm. No one cares about the corporation necessarily, but rather your intelligence. Which is pretty low.
Re:I just have one thing to say about this...
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Anonymous Coward
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It doesn't pick up web signals.
Re:Boy, someone can't take a joke.
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Anonymous Coward
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If Windows crashes for you, then you're a moron.
Learn to operate your fucking OS.
Re:Yeesh
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Anonymous Coward
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That's Slashdot logic.
Welcome to the wonderful world of single digit IQs.
Re:Psychological evaluation ;)
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Anonymous Coward
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Hmm, no.
You're dumb. Very dumb.
If you can't understand what he said, then reread it. He was talking about how most people, when referring to a Blue Screen of Death, are running Windows 9x. That is, they feel Windows is unstable as a desktop environment, not a server (NT).
Typical Linux moron.
HAHAHAHA
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Anonymous Coward
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Who are the spies *NOW*? Hypocryt Yankee morons!!! Low-tech spy systems...what else did you expect?
The word "gay" is used in a derogatary sense with disturbing frequency on Slashdot. Now, I know that some of this is a result of the relatively low average age of posters here, but surely this level of intolerance can't be representative of the online community as a whole - so, why is it that Slashdot seems to attract this sort of undesirable trash so often?
Oops, I forgot to point out that I was referring to the amount of latent homophobia on display, not blatant trolling. To me, the former is much more worrying than the latter.
It's not homophobia. The word "gay" has simply become another meaningless insult. It can be used as an exact synonym for "lame." For example, take the following sentence:
"Victorinox must have some pretty lame engineers to design a knife that doesn't lock."
Just as using the word "lame" in the above senetence doesn't indicate the speaker is prejudiced against those who cannot walk, the word gay does not mean the speaker is prejudiced against homosexuals. Also, the word "lame" might be avoided in front of a person who cannot walk just as the word "gay" might be avoided in front of a homosexual. The same applies to the word "dumb" which describes a person who cannot speak.
People who use the word gay as a general purpose insult are not necessarily prejudiced against gay people. Remember, if we though you were an effeminate little pansy we would have called you that instead.:-)
BTW, I think I'll post this anonymously so I don't receive any gay flame mail.
Oh yeah, why don't you just substitute "nigger" for gay. nigger this nigger that Nigger. Yeah I thought not. The use of "gay" as a catchall derogatory is about as benign as calling your mother and her peers bitches to their faces. Your father would slap you down and he'd be right to do it. Or telling the black man you work with to "hurry it up, nigger" within the hearing of everyone else in the office. You and he would have an interview right there. What is amazing is how little awareness many straight people have about their own degree of bias and discrimination. Y'all take the power relationship of majority v. minority so much for granted, you're not even aware of what you're doing or saying. Don't tell me that you can use "gay" day in day out as blanket insult to strangers, with the rest of the world listening in, and there's no harm or nothing meant by it. I'll be the judge of whether there's harm done.
You're right on one thing though. You better post that shit anonymously, and rude email ain't the reason why.
You haven't heard the word "gay" used outside of homosexual context? Sure you have, I know I hear it all the time. The word "gay" is being separated from its homosexual denotation.
The same thing is happening to the word "nigger." Every now and then I hear white kids using the word "nigger" as a synonym for "friend" or "brother." Mostly this is due to the increasing popularity of hip hop.
There was nothing at all innovative or evolved in the way the word was being used. It was used the old-fashioned way, same as ever, as a put-down. IOW: you are in a powerless minority, and your opinion is wrong just as your flawed nature segregates you from society; my opinion is correct, and both it and me are the face of the majority, with the power of life and death over you (this is conveyed by the blunt, loud, and repetitive nature of a public insult --it assumes you cannot fight back, and assures you and everyone around that that's really where you're at). There is nothing "endearing" or "friendly" about that.
As to white kids using the N-word between themselves as terms of endearment, well that's really cute. How do you think the people on whom the word is still used with its original force and meaning feel about that? I've overheard the same, and I always wish that instead of me walking around the corner, they met up with a gang of real street niggers. One day if they're lucky that will happen and they'll get an education on identity and language that day unlike any they've had in their life. Can you imagine them on the spot trying to explain that "y'no bro', language e-volves 'n shit"? Oh yeah. After that they will know a little more about who they are and who they're not. And that's a gift for confused people. I'm not saying they'll automatically get laid out, but I can tell you they're going to be asked What do you mean? with consequences. They better not answer in Ebonics. In the black communities that I have been a part of, the N-word is still a powerful insult between black speakers and has an opposite meaning only in special circumstances. It continues on in its original traditions untroubled that maybe a third of time it's being used only in play. It can afford to relax, everybody still knows what it means around there, even white suburban kids don't get it. They never did, even though they benefit today just like yesterday from all the hard work the N-word has done for them.
If you can't see why using "gay" as a blanket pejorative and argument ending putdown is wrong and dangerous, please keep thinking on it. Better yet ask a gay kid who's been beaten by a gang of straights about his experience. Don't ask about what they did, ask about what they said. You'll hear every term of endearment that you say is OK to use in public and not really attached to his homosexuality spat back at you. Where do you think it comes from?
Some things are known...
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Anonymous Coward
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About that agency..especially if you live in the area. First, Ft. Meade is more underground than above. It has 4 standby generators - running General Electric Turbofans. They need all that power for something. They do neat things. Most of the people who work for them are normal people - I know more than a few. But they are also dangerous as anything that big, that secret, can be... But I do beleive this is begging for more money - and the key here is that Congress is still really Pissed that the NRO built a whole frigging campus for untold billions of dollars without Congress knowing it. So DOD has a short leash on it for black funding. And since the overall DOD budget has been headed downward, they have had fewer places to "hide" projects - and developing these supercomputers is not cheap. Cause they have to start from scratch - off the shelf does not work for thier mission - which is to try to stay one step ahead of the "enemy".
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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Oh, really? And how many of these countries have America in the name of their country? Um, it's one isn't it?
Re:Planned Tactic
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Anonymous Coward
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I second your guess as to the reason for the release of this story. On the topic guessing / deducing what they can do, there were some interesting posts by RProcess the creator of JBN (windows client for theremailers) and others. They are in alt.privacy.anon-server. You can see them doing a power search on Deja.com. Doing lots of tests (some evidence provided) he has come to believe that :
1) 1k bit RSA is breakable to the NSA and (randomly) some larger keys are weak 2) IDEA is breakable to the NSA but DES3 is not
the subject of these posts were Traffic Analysis Capabilities or Selective DOS links:
A quote from the middle link: "...Cryptographically strong keys and reply-block features have a higher likelihood of disappearance. I get the feeling I'm dealing with a system, and I've been able to predict its behavior in some very specific respects. (For example, when I first tested Encrypt-3DES, zero of the messages got through for several days, although Encrypt-Key messages sent in parallel did. Then suddenly they started trickling feebly. The lost ones never did show up. I had anticipated exactly this response to an unexpected strong format. - blackout followed by limited transmission after the system was adjusted. What was really startling is that the 3DES was inside of IDEA, which made it appear that IDEA is vulnerable, something which I had already suspected because of other behavior. The system still punishes Encrypt-3DES disproportionately.)..."
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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I live in America, so I am american. You live in the United States *OF* America, so you are a united-stater or something else.
Re:what would they run?
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Anonymous Coward
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Actually if you look at multiprocessor OS's NT4+ is extremely good. Pretty much smokes linux kernel 2.2. Still waitin for 2.4 Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2128] (C) Copyright 1985-1999 Microsoft Corp. C:\>DOS C:\>DOS CRASH C:\>CRASH DOS CRASH
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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Anonymous Coward
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No, I meant to say '.02c' to show just how valuable my thoughts are.
-- auntfloyd
foreign signals intelligence!!
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Anonymous Coward
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Has anyone here ever read the nsa's mission statement? http://www.nsa.gov:8080/about_nsa/mission.html It says "foreign signals intelligence" which means they don't spy on Americans. You people are the most paranoid freaks I have ever seen. Sheesh!
Re:foreign signals intelligence!!
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Anonymous Coward
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I've got news for you. Santa Claus doesn't exist. Don't believe everything you're told.
You are WAY too paranoid
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Anonymous Coward
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I thought the NSA was similar to the CIA in the fact that they are banned from operating within the shores of the USA. They can go tap Iraq's phone lines but they have no permission to do it to an American citizen... the FBI could do that with a warrant but that's about it.
Re:You are WAY too paranoid
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Anonymous Coward
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Uh, but if your communications bounce through a server outside the country first, they have every right to monitor it. Is a satellite considered outside the country?
Re:You are WAY too paranoid
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Stonehand
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*raises an eyebrow*
Pacific? For the most part, perhaps, but... there are still
a) foreign intelligence services operating in the US and elsewhere, whose interests do not coincide -- and "allies" generally do spy on each other. Witness the recent reports over France spying on British commercial interests, most likely passing on the industrial espionage to its own companies, for instance. Admittedly, those two have fought a number of wars, but they're *nominally* friendly now.
b) extremist groups of all types here -- from small-time groups like radical eco-terrorists who'll likely do no more than arson, B&E, trespass and the occasional attempted murder; to "religious" fundies who ignore prohibits about bloodshed, and decide to express their viewpoints through home-made bombs; and so forth. There are quite a few people with violent tendencies and a serious grudge against the Gov't, heretics, or whatever other group you care to name.
c) Some of their monitoring probably deals with overseas investigations -- people over here connected with folks over there. If, say, a drug kingpin in Miami went looking to obtain Russian surplus military hardware from a underpaid, rather disgruntled general, the NSA could be handy. Or if somebody realized he could be making quite a lot of money selling US-made automatic rifles over to the British underground...
-- Only the dead have seen the end of war.
Re:You are WAY too paranoid
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e_lehman
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The problem is that both NSA and FBI have a history of monitoring domestic communications illegally, without warrants, and without notifying Congress. The illegal FBI wiretap on Martin Luther King is only the most famous.
The country is pretty pacific these days-- no cold war, no red scare, no Vietnam, no civil rights movement-- so there may not be domestic monitoring at the moment. (None of these outfits break the law just for fun or because your life is so damn interesting that they just gotta know what you're up to; they do it to advance their bureaucratic interests.) But you can be sure that with the next nationally divisive issue or paranoid chief executive, there will again be a behind-the-scenes push for illegal, domestic monitoring.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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Anonymous Coward
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I am more worried about "lone individuals" who work for the NSA.
What is there to stop someone who takes some of that juicy information the NSA accumulates and decides to freelance?
What happens to your privacy and freedom then? Who protects you then?
Because this is slashdot.
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Anonymous Coward
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The most tripe filled "news source", filled with the most single minded lemmings you've ever seen.
NSA's OS.....? It wouldn't be freaking windoze!!!!
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Anonymous Coward
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Think about it.... this is the elite hardcore spook world of the richest (?) nation on earth. Do you think they would choose windows? or OS/2? why, so they could have compatibility with all the windows machines in the area?
phbbbt.
If they're even running a publicly available OS, it's probably some obscure variant of UNIX, or VAX or something; More likely they've got a custom built supercomputer runnning a custom OS, to squeeze every last cycle into effiency when running huuuuuge decrypts and other spookish stuff.
My guess it there's a cadre of programmers living next to the beast, coding and analyzing, 24/7. The fastes solution to a huge problem is neither a roomful of geniuses nor a huge supercomputer; It's a room with both, well fitted to each other.
maybe it was an MS bluescreen phbbbt. More likely someone accidentally peed in a power supply than they're running windoze (yes, even nt) on their big iron.
because they fck up everything they touch? :)
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Anonymous Coward
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besides, many (if not most) of the readers here are tired of seeing a less than stellar (at best) company running the computing world to suit their ends, just because they are the richest.
people here, want to see a system operational, not an OS GUI that's easy to use but totally pathetic for the purpose it was created and sold (ie providing a reliable interface from apps to physical machine)
Why do stupid people wonder why MS gets bashed on open source/linux devoted sites? Its called retribution for decades of FUD dished up by every MS and MS afilliated media!!!!! fool.
Re:because they fck up everything they touch? :)
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Anonymous Coward
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Dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Don't you people ever THINK about these things? Speaking as a professional sysadmin with plenty of experience, NT is better than UNIX - any variant - for some jobs. UNIX is better than NT for others. The mark of a good sysadmin is not knowing UNIX versus NT, or NT versus UNIX, but rather recognizing that both are merely tools to accomplish jobs, that either tool can do most jobs, and that no tool can do all jobs equally well. Open source? Screw it. It's advantages are only useful to those willing to tweak their boxes all day every day - and no PROFESSIONAL admin has the time. Then again, I don't expect anyone affiliated with Slashdot to know the word "professional" anymore.
Re:because they fck up everything they touch? :)
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Anonymous Coward
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poeple DO want something that it easy to use
Oooh, yer right, misconfigured
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Anonymous Coward
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I'm sitting at a fresh install of 98, and it rarely crashes; it has AOL and Unreal Tournament on it. (its not my comp;)
Even so, it crashes infrequently, and always has an error or two after exiting unreal.
So I guess all us linux heads are wrong:) Win9x is perfect, its beautiful... I'd muuuch rather spend time configging my system just to WORK WITHOUT CRASHING than for optimum performance, secure in the knowledge that it'll take something waaay out of left field to muck it up in the first place.
WIN BIGOT!
all veiws expressed herein are completely phcked, and should not be read by anyone.
Re:Oooh, yer right, misconfigured
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Anonymous Coward
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Unless your an idiot, you can secure a Linux box very quickly. No O/S is ever TOTALLY secure and still useable. To make it even easier, why not install OpenBSD? It's secure out of the box. Now that's a good one. A *nix system secure out of the box? Get real. As for software, why not start coding one yourself, joining others working on a project, or help out Wine? Because we're not all programmers. We don't like to code. Coding sucks to me. Networking on the other hand is MUCH cooler to me.
Re:Oooh, yer right, misconfigured
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SpaceCadet
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As opposed to a Linux Bigot such as yourself? I'd rather spend approximately 1 hour building a Windows 2000 Professioanl system, and have it be rock solid and secure out of the box, than spend hours and days building a linux box that STILL doesn't have comparable productivity apps. Then applying all the thousands of fixes and patches, instead of one service pack. Oh, and let's not forget the constant maintenance and tweaking to keep that Linux box at "top performance." I've done both. I regularly do both. If I wanted to spend all my time getting "top performance" rather than getting work done, Linux would definitely be the way to go for everything.
Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blaspheme in the holy halls of Slashdot.
-- -- The meek shall inherit the Earth. In very small plots, about 6 feet by 3.
Re:Oooh, yer right, misconfigured
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EmilyColier
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Unless your an idiot, you can secure a Linux box very quickly. Plus, if you have several machines you can just copy the config files.
To make it even easier, why not install OpenBSD? It's secure out of the box.
As for software, why not start coding one yourself, joining others working on a project, or help out Wine?
Re:The right to keep and bear arms - Learn English
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Anonymous Coward
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You knob. Please look up the meaning of a parenthetical phrase. Then read the sentence, and notice that the non-parenthetical portion of the sentence has no qualifiers. Fucking non-English speaking chimps.. Go pick some tics off your mate or something.
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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"Sources said the problem occurred because the computer system was overloaded and badly stressed."
The way things work here, this is an essential step to getting MORE money. Pretty clumsy treatment, however. I suppose that's because the NSA is not yet used to working in the daylight. Institutionalized theft is difficult to spin properly, but NSA's refining their story better and better as the years go by.
So what if they read honest citizenz mail?? ?!?
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Anonymous Coward
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"So what if they read my mail, I'm not doing anything illegal".
The so-what is, once freedom starts to (and continues to) fall apart he way it is and has, is that it STOPS MATTERING whether or not you committed a crime, because if you are part of a LAWFUL, but non-government-friendly organization (sic survivalists, militias, corruption investigation) then they can (and maybe will) bend you over, on terms of nat'l security (or some obscure law).
*********
From:me@localhost
to:you@remotehost
Hey Pat, can't wait for the big meeting tomorrow, where we'll discuss our impending "Make America Aware" campaign across the nation to raise awareness of corruption in government and abuses of power under national security by groups like hte FBI, CIA and even the NSA.
PS don't worry, even if I didn't encrypt this email, its legal to say the things I said, and for us to assemble for discussion and to broadcast our views lawfully to our fellow citizens.
signed, me
**************
The above email is an example of something the NSA might decide is a sign of massive revolutionary potential, whose leaders are by definition cold blooded anti-America psychos, and proceed to round up the lot of them for detainment (or worse).
And If you think I'm being facetious, go stick your head back in the sand, so you won't see who's f*cking you in the ass every day of your life, you blind pink.
Re:So what if they read honest citizenz mail?? ?!?
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Demonicbunny
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Why is it that people must degrade in to personal attacks. Its quite juvenile.
Re:Biased reporting
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Anonymous Coward
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and youre supposed to be smarter ?
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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The NSA does not have the ability to talk directly to the FBI, and I'm positive they'd rather see another Timothy McVeigh than admit to Echelon. They don't give a shit about you, or, if they do, they can't do anything to help you.
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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Anonymous Coward
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Even more FUD on MS. Get a clue, standing taller when you're on someone else's back doesn't make you any better.
Re:It is right here on the web, stupid!
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Anonymous Coward
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Shut up, Dan Quayle!
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Anonymous Coward
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Go read law and learn what a preamble is and what it means in a law.
No no no no no, jeez
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Anonymous Coward
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I (for some unknown reason) believe that the NSA is working more for the good of our country than for the bad. Althought I believe it would be nice if they would release more information about what they have and have not done I understand why the haven't (and probably wont in the future). I think some people are going off the deep end with conspiracy theorys. So where is your proof that they are reading YOUR e-mail and intercepting YOUR phone calls. Its all just speculation, and I dont put any stake in speculation.
Try reading the documents at http://www.wired.com/news/pol itics/0,1283,33891,00.html. (if that url didn't come out correctly go to wired and search for nsa and read the first article that comes up with proof about echelon) The documents that they guy found support that the echelon isn't as widespread or as bad (for us citizens) as people believe.
Re:No no no no no, jeez
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Anonymous Coward
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The intent of the NSA's charter is not in question (whatever it may be, it's a secret, right?). But many great evils have grown out of the best intentions.
Re:Biased reporting
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Anonymous Coward
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Seeing as they are supposed to be running sweeps for certain 'Key phrases' in communication. How can they not be connected to anything. They need to get there data from somewhere.
Re:Psychological evaluation ;)
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Anonymous Coward
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Windows 3.1/95/98 can have a "Blue Screen" without crashing the machine (for example if you remove a CD-ROM at the wrong time). Therefore it is incorrect to call these "Blue Screens Of Death", because it might just be a "Blue Screen of A Not Very Serious Nature". The real serious problems will either lock Win 9x solid, or spontanously reboot the machine.
On NT, a Blue Screen Of Death means just that -- kernel panic, game over. The "BSOD" term originated from NT users -- DOS/Win users used to use "GPF" until the NT term migrated over.
Re:doe!
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Anonymous Coward
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so: a needle pulling thread
Re:$1.5 million
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Anonymous Coward
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> I mean, how do you spend $1.5 million on repairs within 72 hours?
Installing new survialance systems, and then clainming it was a system crash.
Question Authority.
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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Anonymous Coward
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er... actually we do. Just thought I'd mention that, and I like blue!
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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(b) National Security Agency, whose responsibilities shall include: (1) Establishment and operation of an effective unified organization for signals intelligence activities, except for the delegation of operational control over certain operations that are conducted through other elements of the Intelligence Community. No other department or agency may engage in signals intelligence activities except pursuant to a delegation by the Secretary of Defense; (2) Control of signals intelligence collection and processing activities, including assignment of resources to an appropriate agent for such periods and tasks as required for the direct support of military commanders; (3) Collection of signals intelligence information for national foreign intelligence purposes in accordance with guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence; (4) Processing of signals intelligence data for national foreign intelligence purposes in accordance with guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence; (5) Dissemination of signals intelligence information for national foreign intelligence purposes to authorized elements of the Government, including the military services, in accordance with guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence; (6) Collection, processing and dissemination of signals intelligence information for counterintelligence purposes; (7) Provision of signals intelligence support for the conduct of military operations in accordance with tasking, priorities, and standards of timeliness assigned by the Secretary of Defense. If provision of such support requires use of national collection systems, these systems will be tasked within existing guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence; (8) Executing the responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense as executive agent for the communications security of the United States Government; (9) Conduct of research and development to meet the needs of the United States for signals intelligence and communications security; (10) Protection of the security of its installations, activities, property, information, and employees by appropriate means, including such investigations of applicants, employees, contractors, and other persons with similar associations with the NSA as are necessary; (11) Prescribing, within its field of authorized operations, security regulations covering operating practices, including the transmission, handling and distribution of signals intelligence and communications security material within and among the elements under control of the Director of the NSA, and exercising the necessary supervisory control to ensure compliance with the regulations; (12) Conduct of foreign cryptologic liaison relationships, with liaison for intelligence purposes conducted in accordance with policies formulated by the Director of Central Intelligence; and (13) Conduct of such administrative and technical support activities within and outside the United States as are necessary to perform the functions described in sections (1) through (12) above, including procurement. Right from the CIA home page! -AC
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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It's funny how much information there is available if people would only take the time to look. http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/eo12333.html -AC
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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Anonymous Coward
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The reference to Windows was a joke! Get over it.
Re:NSA hackers vs. Us
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Anonymous Coward
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Would not like to be their disaster recovery manager or in 'business recovery' section, as butts will be kicked. Most managers tick the under 24 hours box. 3 days means the BR procedures were wrong/incomplete and need on the fly fixing, compounded by the fact that someone want to collect and process information - and not loose anything while this fixing is going on (have cake and eat it too syndrome). This interference= bigger delay. My bet is that their change system sucks, and the short cutting costs are now being realised. My bet is also that the wheeled in something bigger and better (massive upgrade), an dthe technical planners cocked up, because they wernt really that technical. Jitterbug is the solution. Usual mode is to panic, and get it working - without documentation - so expect more crashes too.
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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Anonymous Coward
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Duh. The problem with upgrading was that they couldn't get to the machine because nobody could find the key!
Maybe a 2-29-1900 lookahead Y2K bug?
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Anonymous Coward
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We do know that the Keyhole spy satellite system had Y2K problems beginning at midnight GMT 1-1-00.
I would speculate that this other system, ECHELON stores its datestamps as efficiently as possible, given the immense volume of intercepted data!
I read that it wasn't the capturing system which crashed - it was more the analysis & presentation part of it which was down for the count.
Maybe something was looking forward 31 days to 2-29-1900 ?
We be jammin!
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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Sorry to say, the world is a different place to what it was 200 years ago. These days, a single lunatic could level a city if he got his hands on a nuclear bomb. Whether you like it or not, intrusive prevention is necessary to prevent that sort of thing happening.
Americans ARE spied on.
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Anonymous Coward
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Although you are technically correct - the NSA itself does not intentionally spy on Americans while they are in America (this is the FBI's job), it nonetheless does take place, on NSA premises, using NSA resources.
The NSA's network is shared by all UKUSA countries, including Canada, Britain, Australia, etc. These foreign countries CAN AND DO use their cooperative access to the NSA's facilities to spy on Americans in America. Further, the FBI has a relationship with British data collection analysts permanently stationed at Fort Meade, and the FBI routinely submits requests for domestic surveillance to these foreign specialists.
In this way, Americans get spied on using NSA's hardware, and technically speaking, no laws are broken in the process.
This intelligence information is also passed to certain commercial interests, to give them an edge in otherwise competitive bidding processes, etc.
[Source: Nicky Hager's book, _Secret Power_]
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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Anonymous Coward
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Lee Harvey Oswald and the like may have had a large social impact, but it has been governments in the last century who have murdered over 170 million people via genocide (which is not including deaths in warfare, BTW.)
I'm much more fearful of a standing army run by a government which has forgotten that the Constitution is a limit to their power, than I am that some nut case is going shoot up the grocherie story the next time I stop to pick up a gallon of milk.
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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Mmmmm. Anal Love.
I've tried homosexuality, of course, but it wasn't my bag.
Kristian C. How wonders how he went from insightful to 'Troll'. Admittedly, his comments are a little incinderary, but not a troll, per se.
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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Sorry to say, the world is a different place to what it was 200 years ago. These days, a single lunatic could level a city if he got his hands on a nuclear bomb. Whether you like it or not, intrusive prevention is necessary to prevent that sort of thing happening.
Fine. Yes, the world is a different place. Lets wipe our asses with the bill of rights and the constitution and be done with it then. We have to face it, in the cycles of human government the periods of democracy only last so long. Maybe it's at an end? Maybe it's ended and we just haven't opened our eyes yet.
Let's hope not...
Kristian C.
Re:How do we know this?
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Anonymous Coward
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Neither the NSA nor the CIA may legally conduct intelligence gathering with the US. Echelon is an attempt to use a loophole to circumvent this, and while it *is* scary, it does have its failings. I am troubled by the thought of government agencies out of voter control (as Bush Sr. and company attempted to do with the CIA and the contras) but uninformed crazies like the poster to whom I am responding are downright scary and far too likely to shoot me by mistake.
Re:sympathy? No, maybe a high-tech DRAFT
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Anonymous Coward
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There are more possible reasons for a three day outage than the customized hardware failures or lack of skilled people that the above poster cited. The first thing that comes to my mind is significant corruption of a very large database that had overgrown some unknown limit. I've been in those situations (manufacturing, not intelligence) and it's pretty appalling to stand there with bosses measuring downtime at US $1,000/minute and no idea what broke. The first thing you do is use the database utilities. They might or might not be useful. Then you waste hours doing a restore and a rebuild to bring in the journaled data from the last backup until present time. When this doesn't work, you get the pleasure of telling your bosses that it's going to take a wee bit longer than you'd previously told them to get the DB back up. (For a lot of systems, the OS is trivial, the DB *IS* the system.) Given that range of downtime, I'd suspect they had some custom software that broke and scrambled to hack together a solution once the problem was isolated. I bet the immediate solution was trivial and preventing it from reoccurring will require a lot of elegant programming.
I dislike spooks, but I don't envy the admins who had to get that system back.
Re:Boy, someone can't take a joke.
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Anonymous Coward
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That is so true.
They should have used OS/2!
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Anonymous Coward
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With it's advanced Crash Protection(tm), their applications would never drag down the OS!
It's the most stable and user-friendly OS there is, and point me to a GUI more powerful and extensible than the WPS!
And builtin scripting! REXX roxx!
Go blue: Go OS/2! Warpin' baby!
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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SpaceCadet
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Actually, I've had that happen with NT systems. Get it running doing what you want, don't overload it, and it'll be fine for as long as needed.
-- -- The meek shall inherit the Earth. In very small plots, about 6 feet by 3.
Re:They should have used OS/2!
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jmp100
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I can. There are apps like PCAnywhere and VNM (the latter being free) which enables remote use of the computer.
BTW, why do we have to have Windows bashing in the article SUMMARIES on the FRONT PAGE? Don't journalists honor the values of letting the READERS make their OWN judgments anymore? Grow the fsck up. Linux is an O/S, not a lifestyle. (emacs, on the other hand, does appear to be a lifestyle.)
Seriously, proposing that Windows is somehow to blame for a supercomputer crashing is childish. Guess what, folks: NO ONE CARES WHETHER YOU HATE BILL GATES. It ranks right up there with pepole who make homepages that say "HI !!! I AM 8 AND I HAVE A HAMSTER AND MY FAVORITE COLOR IS ORANGE".
I heard it was ruinning
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Anonymous Coward
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MOBILE LINUX!
/me ducks at the flames hurling towards his head.
!af
Crashes
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Anonymous Coward
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my computer crashed because i poured a bowl of hot grits onto it. then i poured a bowl of hot grits down my pants. thank you.
Re:what would they run?
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Anonymous Coward
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Maybe someone could help me out here, but it seems to me that the NSA would be able to run whatever they wanted, probably something with support for multiple processors, and I wasn't aware of windows being able to support multiple processors well.
They run a mix -- depending on the application. Best tool for the job type thing.
They do have some proprietary stuff -- software obviously, but also hardware designed and built from the ground up (starting from raw silicon or germanium, or whatever they use).
Biased reporting
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Anonymous Coward
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A rather important computer system crashes and is down for three days, and Slashdot responds with a trite poke at Microsoft.
Who knows what the system was running? If it was that central and critical a system, isn't it much more likely it was a mainframe, or even a Solaris or IRIX system, than Windows? Was this Slashdot article posted as nothing more than another excuse to belabor the obvious and gripe about Microsoft?
I'm posting this anonymously to prevent having my karma sunk into a black hole by daring to say something negative about Slashdot, but it had to be said.
Stop picking on Microsoft! Stop being mean to Bill and Steve. Stop being so mean to that poor 500 billion dollar corporation! WHAAAAAAAAAA Bwhaaaaaaaaaa (girgle) Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaaaaa (sniff) WAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
-- Linux is only free if your time has no value.
Windows is only free if you threaten to use Linux.
Rob didn't say it, Cyberkidd did (notice the quotes...), and emmett posted it. Rob may have some responsibility because he started Slashdot up and coded a lot of the code behind it, but lets not get too crazy.
The "jab" at Microsoft was supposed to be funny. You are supposed to say, "Ha ha, like their using Microsoft on a super computer!" It's a joke!
Oh and yes, I'm sure Rob knows that there are bigger computers out there than PCs.
Amen! I actually clicked on the link just to write this exact same comment, only to see it's already comment. I understand if comments are biassed and naive, but I would expect that at least the stories here would be objective and fair!
UNICOS is a unix like system running on crays. i suspect that the NSAs cray hardware runs it. anyway, the NSA/military basically leave air gaps on their secure hardware. you cant make electrons jump free space and you sure as hell cant hack into a facility with armed guards and 6 foot thick concrete walls with no connection to any public systems.
Just curious, but how do you know? For the NSA, and for something of this magnitude, I wouldn't even expect them to use Unix. I'd think of something more mainframe-like, and more paranoidally secure. (No, I'm not claiming Unix is very insecure, but there is always a tradeoff between security and usability, and in this case I'd suspect NSA wants to be closer to the "security" end of the spectrum than Unix can normally be.)
Surely they can think....
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Anonymous Coward
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...of better stunts than this to get funding. Then again, perhaps it's harder to get Congresss' collective ear and purse strings when there has been a marked decrease in the amount of juicy tid-bids they can throw to congress-critters. Maybe it's time to privatize the NSA? (that's a thinly vailed good'ol boyz joke among those who know).
Re:It is right here on the web, stupid!
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Alan
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Ok, I clicked here and was greeted with a huge picture of don knotts.... is this some sort of secret NSA OS project? KnottOs or something?:) Scary. Don't do that without warning us ok?
Re:NSA's OS.....? It wouldn't be freaking windoze!
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Stephan+Schulz
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More likely they've got a custom built supercomputer runnning a custom OS, to squeeze every last cycle into effiency when running huuuuuge decrypts and other spookish stuff.
Only if they are stupid. Today is usually is much cheaper to throw additional hardware at a problem than to try to optimize the operating system. For compute-intensive tasks like data analysis and code cracking, I seriously doubt that the operating system even accounts for 5% overhead. Squeezing those 5% out of the code is prohibitively expensive, particularly for one-shot installations.
If they are dead set against allocating more funds for the NSA, stunts like these won't help them.
Who said they are dead set? The general theme as it appears to me is that the NSA is looking invincible and more powerful than any other agency in the entire US Government. Remember, we're talking about guys who used attorney-client priveledge against the senate as a stonewalling measure!
This is to make them seem weaker, less invincible, more fallible...not to anyone overseas, who still can't assume the NSA won't be able to crack something, but locally, so that the won't ever not be able to crack something.
That's the idea, at least.
Yours Truly,
Dan Kaminsky DoxPara Research http://www.doxpara.com
The NSA is all about controlled image. Most government agencies are--I've heard some rather interesting stories of military coverups--but the NSA is particularly secretive.
You don't get referred to as No Such Agency for no reason;-)
If the NSA is making this announcement, it's because A) They're making a statement about the difficult situation that export regulations are going to put them in(remember--they're the ones who get the flack when they're given an uncrackable signal) and B) They want more money, or at least their existing funds not to go away. As long as their situation is inadequate, all those "one time upgrade" budget justifications can survive. As soon as they appear in full working order, it's cool to take a few points off the top from them.
Ah, the machinations of government...
Yours Truly,
Dan Kaminsky DoxPara Research http://www.doxpara.com
Sounds as though they need an upgrade. This article was linked to at the bottom of the page. It seems they are having the same problems as, I'm sure, many companies are. Too much information. A quote from the story, "The largest U.S. spy agency -- the National Security Agency -- is in crisis, overwhelmed by too many targets, too much information and the challenges created by increasingly sophisticated technologies." Somewhat surprising that they would see something like this coming and not take steps to remedy the problem. Or is it?
----------------
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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substrate
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What about groups of individuals, or at least people who think they're individuals? There are religious and militia 'leaders' who feed these peoples fears that the government is trying to exert too much control on peoples lives. So these people who already have a pretty tenuous grasp on reality get brainwashed into believing: that federal agents in black helicopters are going to heard everybody and execute them; that all of societies ills are the fault of the Jewish|African|Insert-your-prejiduice-here and so on.
I'm not so worried about the lone nut, I'm worried about the congregation of nuts and the sociopath that controls them.
Giving up some freedoms is essential, though...
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Skim123
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"Those who wish to give up their freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve either."
But everyone gives up some freedoms to protect others... I believe my high school government teacher referred to it as a "social contract," although it's been several years...
For example, you surrender your right to purchase chemical weapons so that others (in theory) will not purchase chemical weapons, therefore greatly lessening the threat to your life from chemical weapons (a choppy example, sorry).
Anyway, giving up some basic freedoms is essential, in order to protect others. While I don't like the prospect of a government "listening in" on me, if I have to give up that freedom to protect my life, it's worth it. Now, we're not to the point today, I doubt, that if the NSA went away, terrorists would begin terrorizing US cities, killing innocent citizens, but, perhaps one day this will be the case, if it's not already...
--
I could not justify my existence if I were a turkey farmer. Would I terminate myself? Undoubtably, yes.
Re:Giving up some freedoms is essential, though...
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look
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The great flaw in your argument, and indeed, everyone in this thread who believes the NSA is "ok", is the amount of damage a lone individual can do versus that a government can do. As paulbd noted, it is small groups of individuals who change the world -- but small groups who control or have access to huge amounts of power and resources.
The issue here is, can a secretive group of individuals create biological weapons? I don't think so (unless they stole them -- from the government(s)). To create weapons of mass destruction requires millions of dollars of resources and, more than that: scientists. Scientists who, unless they are starving, aren't going to be very likely to agree with your warped ideology. (That, of course, is another issue, but it isn't solved by listening in on people -- it's solved by giving scientists real jobs)
I agrue that it would be impossible to create, maintain, and use weapons of mass destruction in secret -- and if you did, it'd be a one time use because the second one would be full-blown war. Furthermore, I will agrue that the cost of allowing small groups to _possibly_ conduct terrorism is _much_ lower than the cost of loosing all our privacy.
The social contract is bullshit, and no modern theorist believes it exists. The state isn't brought together by mutual agreement, it's brought together by POWER. If you disagree, answer me this: when did YOU sign the social contract, or even agree to it? Never. And moreso, even if you agree with, what about me? Why do I have to? What option do I have if I don't? That's right: none.
But with encryption, the balance of power changes -- away from the state, and towards me and you. Now, we can have secrets. And thank god, because we live in a police state (Seattle, anyone?). Power is the root cause of violence, because without power over another, you cannot harm another. Power is most dangerous when concentrated behind one will. Therefore, by diluting power, we duliute the threat to ourselves.
If the NSA went away, I would have more freedom, and that is all.
Re:Are they looking for sympathy?
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Nessak
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I don't think they have a choice. Sure, almost Everyone at the NSA has some sort of security clearance, but it would be impossible to keep this locked up. If there was such a huge network failure as CNN seems to think, a lot of people simply have nothing to do at work. They go home. Why is everyone going home someone might ask?
The NSA is good at keeping things secure, but I drought they would keep something this big "lock up". Besides the state of the system is unimportant. What's important is what it is used for. You don't see them talking about that to CNN.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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Jacobian
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You should read something by Solzheneetsen.
I think you might change your mind about what kind of crazy stuff these governmental nutjobs can do and get people to go along with. (read Stalin, and the Russian people).
Re:NSA Computer Operating System
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Syberghost
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They have larger Sun boxes as well.
NSA Computer Operating System
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Detritus
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No details as to the type of computer, but one can only wonder if it was a Microsoft Blue Screen...
Highly unlikely.
From unclassified information in the press, the NSA has large numbers of Sun workstations (Solaris) and Cray/SGI supercomputers (Unicos).
Consider that "crazy, lone individuals" are usually open about their motivations and directly state what their actions might be. Lone crazies are pretty transparent. Consider that a secretive organization like the NSA isn't transparent. It doesn't state its motivations and its behaviour is difficult to predict and it even lies about its motivation and specifically cultivates public relations to encourage an unrealistic public opinion about its motivations and actions.
We should also be worried about the secretiveness of coporations. If you want to look for the "bad boys" in governement, turn your eyes towards the Department of Energy too.
Re:NSA greater of evils?
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Stonehand
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The willingness to be vocal only matters if somebody's listening.
There are, for instance, plenty of folks who don't like the Gov't. These range widely, however. There are folks who run militias that even *cooperate* with the Feds in manhunts, because they aren't interested in starting a civil war, but who train for partisan warfare if the need arises; there are loners who keep quiet, and then stash away fertilizer and detonaters in their home, and read and re-read the latest pamphlets on the New World Order.
For every Weatherman or Black Panther (ok, so these examples aren't contemporary...) who may be vocal in promoting civil warfare and insurgency, there may be many other voices who are just as strident, if not more -- but who really wouldn't *do* anything. So how do you tell 'em apart, without listening and occasionally investigating?
-- Only the dead have seen the end of war.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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JamesKPolk
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Note that
Hitler Stalin Napoleon
Were all working under the auspices of modern government, and
Marx
advocated revolt, and replacement of current government with the new one. I'm surprised you didn't mention Mao, because Mao's early stuff pretty much followed Marx.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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JamesKPolk
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Which is less fearsome? The power of the individual, or the power of a group?
I think that history has shown that governments have the power to do far greater harm, than lone nuts.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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Sloppy
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The bigger the group, the harder it is for them to maintain a conspiracy.
I don't like the way NSA seems to be able to operate without accountability, and I would be shocked and amazed if a large portion of their budget wasn't embezzled. And I would also be shocked and amazed if they weren't doing illegal things against US citizens. However, if they were up to something too hideous, I think it would have leaked. They're so big!
Dr. Evil's team, on the other hand, is small enough that the people within it can keep a secret. So perhaps there's value in having NSA's electric eye turn toward them, whenever NSA people feel like taking a break from playing Peeping Tom with our day-to-day lives.
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-- As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
Dawkins figured all this stuff out.
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Sloppy
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While I'm no psychologist, I think that on an 'instinctive' level it's the species that counts. Humans truly are social animals, and often enough the herd mentality shows through. Even in simple ways, such as procreation. Why are people so obsessed with sex? Preserves the species.
No. We're strongly motivated to procreate because genes that encouraged that behavior are the ones that become more numerous.
But on an intellectual level, people seem more concerned with themselves. Would you be willing to die to save people you've never met before? And certainly the drive of possesiveness seems to stem form self-preservation.
Same explanation as above.
Perhaps it is this mixture of species- and self-preservation that explains why humans as a group are so fscked up.
Gene selection theory explains it all without any problems, unlike the ones that crop up in species selection and individual selection.
This might also be the origin of our notions of courage and honor: putting your people above yourself.
Those notions are taught by cultures, and don't otherwise occur naturally. They're memes.
---
-- As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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Tim+C
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(It is in big brother's best interest to perpetuate the species)
True; however, it is not in Big Brother's interest to perpetuate the individual, (ie any one person), especially if said individual is a public opponent.
There is a saying to the effect that "it is better to die on your feet, than live on your knees" (or whatever; the meaning is clear enough).
Me, I'm not so sure about the "better dead than slave" bit ("where there's life, there's hope," and all that), but while I am free, I certainly intend to do my best to see that I remain free.
from the activity log of Special Agent Armageddon, 30 January 2000:
read slashdot postings re "crash". note - slashdot user KristianC. dangerously unstable. good probable cause. keeping an eye on this one. sent cc's to senator hatch and vice president gore. thinks we're assfucking the country. wait'll he feels a *real* assfucking...
signing off
It probably wasn't the OS.
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Mr.+Piccolo
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The article states that they "had to reconstruct the entire system" after the crash. That means it probably was a hardware problem rather than a software problem.
Of course this raises the question of why they weren't using fault-tolerant systems [*cough* VMS cluster or equivalent *cough*] here, unless they ignored some failure signs earlier, and too many parts failed...
-- Glückwünsche, haben Sie Slashdot ermordet, indem Sie zum korporativen Druck beugten und Subskriptionen einlei
Re:It probably wasn't the OS.
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auntfloyd
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The article states that they "had to reconstruct the entire system" after the crash. That means it probably was a hardware problem rather than a software problem.
The truth is is that there is no harware. There is no software. This whole computer crash thing is just to distract us from the real problem: YETIS IN AMERICA!
Just why do you think this story came out when it did? Because the NSA bribed emmett in a timely fashion. After all, they don't want YETI@Home to develop a follwing, or the truth about Sasquatch (who was the result of failed government testing to develop a 'Super Soldier' during WWII) to be known. So how do they manage this? Simple: Distract people from the true crisises.
So what should we do, fair/. readers? It's simple: boycott the NSA, install YETI@Home on your difference engine, and FIND THOSE YETIS!
Remember: The truth is out there(tm)
~~~~~~~~~ auntfloyd
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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auntfloyd
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No, but single people can certainly incite others to commit horrific deeds which they might not otherwise do, such as Hitler.
Don't underestimate the individual: it's all you are.
~~~~~~~~~ auntfloyd
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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auntfloyd
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(The question I should have asked in the beginning: Which is more important. Survival as a species, or survival as a species of individuals, assuming they are mutually exclusive)
While I'm no psychologist, I think that on an 'instinctive' level it's the species that counts. Humans truly are social animals, and often enough the herd mentality shows through. Even in simple ways, such as procreation. Why are people so obsessed with sex? Preserves the species. This might also be the origin of our notions of courage and honor: putting your people above yourself.
But on an intellectual level, people seem more concerned with themselves. Would you be willing to die to save people you've never met before? And certainly the drive of possesiveness seems to stem form self-preservation.
Perhaps it is this mixture of species- and self-preservation that explains why humans as a group are so fscked up.
Just my.02c
~~~~~~~~~ auntfloyd
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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QuMa
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> Don't underestimate the individual: it's all you are.
Yes, but I I have just one of em, organisations have lots!
I figure it was just someones netscape that went wild.:)
But netscape doesn't usually take machines down with it... but they could have been playing with the latest build of Mozilla!
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
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rizzo
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I think that history has shown that governments have the power to do far greater harm, than lone nuts.
While this is true, it is the governments' interest to keep the general public around, like an earlier post stated about the NSA. Lone nuts, however, are concerned for no one, not even themselves. That is why I worry about the nuts more than the government.
--
"More organs means more human." - Zim
I think it's a part of the Department of Defense
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webster
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Just a bit of fluff that got stuck in my brain sometime in the past. Wouldn't surprise me all that much if I were wrong, but what the hell, I'll go on record and say I think it's so: NSA is part of the DoD.
Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation
The poke at Microsoft was a joke! Nobody seriously thinks that the NSA uses Microsoft products to perform mission critical communication and/or cryptanalysis(sp?) work. And we ALL know that the crash of a Microsoft OS is not a newsworthy event.
Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation
-- Information is not Knowledge
Re:Boy, someone can't take a joke.
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dieMSdie
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· Score: 1
Rob, we need to start a "Window's Whiners" section on Slashdot. Like YRO and AskSlashdot, this would be a separate forum just for the following types of posts:
Windows' Worshippers who loathe and detest Linux/*BSD/etc
A place to post whines and flames about how the Evil Open Source Empire is picking on poor defenseless Microsoft
A place where all the Microsofties with no essential sense of humor (seems to be most of them, if the posts below are any indication) can whine and console each other
would also be a good place where they can whine how topic X is NOT "News for Nerds/Stuff That Matters", instead of leaving Slashdot to find a more Windows-friendly forum
last but not least, they can pat each other on the back and tell each other this whole "Open Source thing" is just a flash in the pan, which will be over soon
-- Don't throw your computer out the window, throw the Windows out of your computer!
I know I shouldn't have....
by
plunge
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· Score: 1
I knew I shouldn't have USEnet cross-posted that long dissertation about how to kill the president. Or used so many swear words in it...
Re:Of course this means. :)
by
plunge
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· Score: 1
in my country, we call that a parody, not a troll. my regrets go to your lack of sense of humor.
Re:Boy, someone can't take a joke.
by
Frac
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· Score: 2
haha, hoohoo, hoe boy, what you said just as funny. Somebody help me stop laughing!!!!!
On a slightly more serious note, I can't believe people still find unoriginal cheap jabs at Microsoft funny anymore. "Hey that guys mentioned something about blue screens! micro$uck$!! hahahaha!!! windo$w$!! n0tice the dollar $ign$!! I'm a comedian too!"
Sorry to find out that you don't like the sense of humor of the Earthlings! tee hee!
And give us back our Mars Polar Lander, biatch!
You'd think that Slashdot posts were a little off-
by
extrasolar
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· Score: 5
...and the moon isn't full. But I beleive that the CNN article was a clearly direct attempt to stir up another Slashdot post. Then once the story hit Slashdot, the operatives under cover in foreign lands beep back *using Slashdot* for their medium of communication using some mind-boggling form code-encryption that appears to us as First Posts and random references to Natalie Portman.
NSA, CIA, and mere mortals, I'M ON TO YOU!!!
Muah hah hahahahahah!
Re:The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
by
0xdeadbeef
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· Score: 2
Great quotes!
I imagine many slashdot readers and most people who consider themselves libertarians would agree with those quotes.
So consider this: if you concede that ultimate responsiblity always ends with the individual, then how does one hold people accountable for their actions when encryption technology makes it impossible to determine who is responsible for them?
We detest the secrecy and lack of accountability of the NSA, but at the same time trumpet the idea that the solution to their tyranny is to emulate them. How do you reconcile that?
Monday's crash affected "the processing of intelligence, but not the collection of intelligence," according to the spokeswoman.
Thank you for calling the NSA. All operators are busy, but we value your call and hope you'll stay on the line and we'll get back to you in the order your call was received. Your call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes.
Sources said the problem occurred because the computer system was overloaded and badly stressed.
Basically, they forgot to feed the hamsters and the wheels just stopped a-turnin'. It's really sad that the US claims to be the last-remaining and still reigning superpower but can't afford to slap another couple nodes on the NSA's infrastructure. But as we all know, monopolies breed complacency....
--
"If one is really a superior person, the fact is likely to leak out without too much assistance" -- John Andrew Holmes
The Truth (Might Be) Out There
by
rjh
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· Score: 5
Just a few thoughts on the subject. Feel free to moderate me as (+1, -1, +2, -pi, Moderation As Rambling As The Content Is).
1. For the last two or three months the NSA has been playing "woe is me". Check out the press they've received recently; most egregiously was a Newsweek article which was very possibly written by the NSA. The NSA knows that the best PR is no PR -- the more people who watch the NSA, the harder it is for them to do their job. If people must watch the NSA, best if they point, laugh and make rude noises to mock them... after all, if the NSA is a laughingstock, nobody will take them seriously, which makes it easier for them to do their job.
2. Never believe anything the NSA tells you without independent confirmation. If the NSA feels it's in the national security of the United States to lie to you, they'll do so with a straight face and a clear conscience. The NSA says that some computers went down? Great -- big deal, computers go down all the time. "No," the NSA says, "these were important computers." Great -- that happens all the time, too. What, don't you guys have backup systems? A budget larger than every other intelligence agency combined and you can't afford redundant, independent computers for your mission-critical tasks?
Something in there just doesn't sound right to me.
3. The ability to process information is now more important than the ability to collect it. The article says that an NSA official downplayed the incident, saying that data was still collected -- it just wasn't processed and it'll have to be looked at later. Sounds like it wasn't too bad after all, right?
No. It means the NSA was blind, deaf and dumb, and not only that, they will likely forever be blind, deaf and dumb to events that happened during those few days.
NASA still has data from the Apollo Program which they haven't had the time or resources to look through and catalog yet. The NSA collects orders of magnitude more data than NASA, and unless they've got some incredibly advanced form of storage technology, they simply cannot store data for very long. They do not have the manpower or the resources to look through their backlog; with the scope and prevalence of digital communications today, they're drowning -- they must be drowning -- in a tidal wave of noise searching for the life-preserver of signal. It's a Herculean task.
... Add all of the above together and what do you get? I don't know. If I knew, I'd be Bruce Schneier.
They were trying to crack Kevin's HDD
by
GMontag
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· Score: 2
It was obviously a failed attempt to crack and read the Gig of encycephered files on Kevin Mitnick's computers before the appeals court forces their rightful return to Kevin;->
How is it that 90-odd percent of the comments here _haven't_ been moderated down for irrelevance? I click on a story to read what I assume will be intelligent comments regarding NSA's computer failure and get.. what? a whole lot of people bitching at each other about OS's?? because of an innocuous, mildly amusing, yet obviously ill-advised comment in the story-excerpt.
grow up, guys.
-- -eqx
sympathy? No, maybe a high-tech DRAFT
by
redelm
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· Score: 1
The three days is _very_ odd. There are only two reasons for crashes that long: broken customized hardware, and lack of skilled technical people. Customized hardware should have spares on the shelf.
A shortage of skilled techs is very likely. The private sector offers much higher pay, and govt job security is only worth so much. So how is the US govt going to fix this?
Surely not by paying more. They might re-introduce the DRAFT (aka Selective Service) for a "War on Drugs" or a "War on Poverty" or "War on Pollution" or whatever. But they'd take all the technically proficient draftees and use them to service govt departments. Not sensitive areas like the NSA which would be filled by transfering long-term govt employees, but backfilling for them.
Perhaps a bit paranoid, but the price of freedom is vigilance.
-- Robert
Are they looking for sympathy?
by
redelm
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· Score: 3
This is very odd--Why would the NSA let us know their machines are down, and they can't get them up? Are they trying to lull us into complacency? Disinformation is an important tactic of spyies.
Now, I recognize the importance of National Security, and the role the NSA plays in it. But frankly, with ECHELON etc, they haven't convinced me that their actions are solely devoted to defending against foreign threats. That is the law, and I think they bend or break it.
Yeah, I've dug myself into a hole on that point. Touche. That wouldn't be a bad idea though. But the word Militia has taken on a rather nasty connotation in the last 5 or so years, so we'd have to call it something else.
If you're not breaking any laws, and not suspected of such, why should they be reading your email? It's search and seizure of your intellectual posessions without just cause.
National Security is rather important, no matter how greedy or crooked the fucks are.
The NSA randomly monitors all voice and data transmissions, even those of people who have not and never will commit a crime. Like grandmothers. And scoutmasters. And Natalie Portman (moderators, please don't moderate this down because of mentioning her, it's just an example!). Yes, national security is important, and a lot of groups have agents inside this country for less than honorable reasons, but they now treat everyone like a criminal.
Our Rights (which we really haven't had in 30 years)
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, [I consider my communications to be my property -- kc] against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Where's the warrant stating my crimes? Why has the NSA intercepted and stored my communications as evidence?
Amendment II
A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
Since the federal government classifies my copy of PGP as a munition (even with the recent relaxation of export regulations) it is therefore 'Arms' (a synonym of 'munitions') and any attempt to break my encrypted communications is therefore an infringement of my rights given to me by our founding fathers. Sure, Thomas Jefferson et al could not foresee the future, but they laid down the Bill of Rights in plain language to insure the rights of every American citizen for as long as this great country stands.
I propose the NSA turns it's voice and data scanning to a truly criminal group inside this country.
Facts about this relatively (less than 600 total) group as of mid-1999.
29 members of this group have been accused of spousal abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud.
19 have been accused of writing bad checks.
3 have been arrested for assault.
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges.
8 have been arrested for shoplifting.
84 were stopped for drunk driving, but released after they claimed immunity.
This group, ladies and gentlemen, is The United States Congress. source: www.firecongress.com.
It doesn't matter how crooked our watchdogs are? Bullshit! It matters very much. Most of us born after 1970 have never been able to communicate electronically without a chance of interception. We are one of the most carefully watched societies on the planet, and I don't see that changing. Do you believe that you're best protected when the government treats everyone like a criminal? I don't. And I don't like living in a prison, which is all this country will amount to the farther we travel down this path.
And no, this is not assfucking our country and you so eloquently put it. Our country is asking us to bend over which is not their right because their power devolves from the people, not the other way around. Put into your vernacular the can only assfuck you if you've given permission, which you seem more than willing to do.
Kristian C. Note to the NSA's computers if you read this: Fuck off.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
grmoc
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· Score: 1
Never before in history has a single person been able to create something that cna (by itself) wipe out entire cities or more.
I'm referring to chemical (and worse) biological agents.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
grmoc
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· Score: 1
Oh I agree completely!
If the world were a simpler place, we could have our cake and eat it too..
But, even if hitler won (yech. blech. yuck), the chances that his regime would let him kill everyone would be slimmer than what a standard nutjob ould do today with modern science.
Governments act to preserve their own power! They cannot do that if they have noone to support them.
(The question I should have asked in the beginning: Which is more important. Survival as a species, or survival as a species of individuals, assuming they are mutually exclusive)
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
grmoc
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· Score: 1
Here Here!
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
grmoc
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· Score: 1
And yea I meant to (mis)spell it that way =)
NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
grmoc
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· Score: 3
I'm of two minds about the NSA and related branches.
One one hand, I'm afraid of the power they wield. On the other hand,I'm afriad of the power that can be wielded by crazy, lone individuals.
The sad fact is that it is becoming easier and easier to create weapons of mass destruction, and easier and easier to deliver them.
This is very scary, because some of these things (biological) have the capacity to wipe us out.
I'm for the perpetuation of our species first and foremost, and as a result I'd rather have big brother than not exist. (It is in big brother's best interest to perpetuate the species)
So is this good, or is it bad?
What are you more afraid of? Losing your individual rights, or fearful for our species?
I, personally, am torn.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
BlueCalx-
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· Score: 1
On the contrary, individuals can do far greater harm, in my opinion.
The following people instantly come to mind:
- Hitler - Stalin - Marx (indirectly) - Napoleon - Genghis Khan
-- -- BlueCalx | http://nickd.org/
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
Stonehand
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· Score: 1
*shrug*
I'm not sure about the latter two -- unlike the first two, they didn't have a penchant for genocide or other mass extermination -- and didn't leave behind a doctrine that altered the world, as did Marx. I'd rather put Lenin down, than Marx, for it was Lenin who first implemented it with the extreme degree of ruthlessness and cynicism that became hallmarks of nominally Communist dictatorships.
Folks like Lee Harvey Oswald, Timothy McVeigh, and the two Columbine shoooters come to mind -- they DIDN'T have the direct support of huge governments or even particularly large movements; they operated either alone or in small cells; they didn't need all that much resources; and their effects were disproportionately large.
Even the last two, who may strike you as odd choices for that list, had a national impact -- the HCI demagogues and their allies took political advantage of the incident to try to push their agenda, and the firearms industry is a regular punching bag for folks like Mr. Rather. To shock a nation can have repercussions well beyond that of the actual incident. When you figure that a small cell has a much lower chance of detection before an attempt, and is easier to motivate and mobilize rapidly -- then we run into problems.
-- Only the dead have seen the end of war.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
paulbd
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· Score: 2
I think it was Margaret Mead who said:
Never let it be said that small numbers of people cannot change the world. Indeed, they are the the only thing that ever has.
So, I don't know whether "the government" or "lone nuts" are more powerful or not.
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
xee
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· Score: 1
You REALLY REALLY REALLY mean to say $.02! 'Cause.02c is two hundreths of a cent, not two hundreths of a dollar!
-- Oh shit! I forgot to click "Post Anonymously"...
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
xee
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· Score: 2
"Those who wish to give up their freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve either." -Ben Franklin
(if it's verbatim, then my memory's better than I thought!)
-- Oh shit! I forgot to click "Post Anonymously"...
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
tidepool
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· Score: 1
First, this is sorta a rant; and sorta on topic.
Although one must look at the past to see what _lone_ people have done. Think of the Uni-Bomber(s), and the rest of the _lone_ people that get away with devistating actions. Where, _get away_ doesn't mean they go unpunished, but they had still carried out their acts well enough to satisfy themselves.
Organizations are bigger targets. Being a bigger target, gets you noticed by more people, and more people jump on the "The NSA is evil" bandwagon.
In my little opinion, I believe _any_ type of this spying on the residents is wrong; No matter if it is done by the NSA or James Bond himself. It's just the fact that James Bond tends to go un-noticed (He's a sly guy, afterall).
Ben Brewer brewer@nullified.org
Re:NSA lesser of evils? Or the worse?
by
tye45
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· Score: 1
The sad fact is that you fear, do to lack of understanding. You are torn by what? Fear? It is not easy to make nuclear bombs, no matter what the fear mongers on T.V. are telling you. They are tring to keep you in line with FEAR! What weapons of mass distruction are you talking about any way? Have you thought about the heat production of your car? Your little "American way" of life is killing all of us faster then hitler ever could have. Yet you cry let's all beat up the loner! How easy for you pack animals. Continue to Pack around your cars and watch florida sink. Heat production.....when you cause combustion, heat is produced,,,that heat goes where? that's right it is shared evenly though out the earth only leaveing though dispersion into space, at a rate of? Yes at a rate slower then we are currently produceing it. Stick that on your heat sink and eat it. www.paradisebay.net/one.html
The way they make it sound....
by
gothic
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· Score: 2
The way CNN makes it sound is like a HD went down or something, or perhaps a race-condition of some sort or another. Someone did raise a good question, why would the NSA admit to something like this? From the article it appears they didn't loose anything, so good for them, but I wonder how 'back-logged' they became. I honestly can't think of a reason for them to tell, but if they did, maybe they'll release more info. Something saucy like "Don't use IDE on your servers, SCSI is your friend..".. =]
OT: I am not an AMERICAN!!!!
by
daala
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· Score: 1
NSA's mission statement..HAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Oh so I as an Australian should feel comfortable with an Organisation that can spy, catalogue and pidgeonhole me for analysis (I am not implying that they have any interest in me, ANT that I am)Why should I respect the NSA, of course Americans are the most important people on Earth, without you we would perish, falling plague to dictator after dictator, blood in the sky, a fiery cross!!!
Am I paranoid really?? -Why is it that an area the size of one of your states in the US has been ceded to you for intelligence gathering purposes it's called MARALINGA in our very Northern Territory. Should this make me feel happy, that a foreign power is occupying our land protecting me from God know's or who know's what. Or that our own government are sheep that follow you to every war, help you with ECHELON etc... Should I be happy that we get roped into fighting every stupid war you help create by supplying arms to dictator's who use them on their own population, then on YOU or your allies. There would be no IRAQ or IRAN today without your WEAPONS sales... (now I am ranting)
But reading the MISSION STATEMENT, I don't know didn't read as well as any Aesop's Fable I have read. I think rather they should have employed a better writer something from Marquis De Sade would be more appropriate and probably hold more truth.
The NSA must be secure in the knowledge that there are Americans like you......
Personally they can go fuck themselves, and fuck off from MY COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-- "The way she used to say Rimmer as if it rhymed with scum" Red Dwarf
If you were to look at the NSA website, you would see that the NSA is a division of the CIA, with a specific purpose: It handles signals interception and processing. You can conjecture all you'd like about the real things that go on at the NSA, but officially they are for only communications intelligence.
The rest of the CIA is responsible for many traditional spy activities, eg. sattelite surveillance and inside infiltration. If you need to hear what somebody says on their cellphone, the NSA can hook you up. It'll also give you a printout of all of their e-mail traffic. If you wanted to bug their house, you'd talk to a different department.
Don't underestimate the wide-ranging knowledge that they intercept, but they're not the whole spy effort.
Re:NO, it's not that big
by
Demonicbunny
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· Score: 1
I would hate to be the guy that tries to bring down that site. Im sure they would have the FBI knocking on there door in not time. Would you pick a fight with some one who knows everything about you. You know the fraise "I know where you live."?
Scratch the subdivision of the CIA
by
Brecker
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· Score: 1
The rest is still valid, though. Just rechecked that little bit; it's indeed independent.
MS's os's ARE slowly getting better
by
UnknownSoldier
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· Score: 1
>1. And don't believe this "win2k is more stable" stuff they are spreading around.
NT 5 does seem to be more stable then NT 4. I've been using it for the last year.
> 2. They said that win95 would be more stable than win3.1, too.
I remember win3.1 GPF all over the place, so Win95 is more stable.
> 3. They said that win3.1 would be more stable than win3.0.
I remember crashing 3.0 more then 3.1
Of course my Linux box has only crashed twice in the past years. Pretty darn impressive.
Cheers
Now if us game developers could just convince management to do a Linux and BeOS port, we'd be in heaven.
You do know that the CPUSA *was* used both for funneling money and recruiting agents, in addition to the regular "legal" networks operating under diplomatic cover, and the various fronts used by illegals? That it directly aided the recruitment of agents in the Manhattan Project, various high-level jobs (asst. sec. of the Treasury, a Presidential aide, and so forth), and so forth?
FWIW, the CIA with the help of a GRU colonel helped screw over the USSR during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Go figure, eh?
Erm. Somehow, I think there are a LOT of damn-well-qualified mathematicians, electrical engineers, computer scientists, and so forth that don't have time for this board because they're busy doing research. And the NSA isn't all "hackers"... they do more than try to keep a high uptime and work on security glitches. There's a heck of a lot of theory going on there.
In addition, once word gets out that a Gov't agency has hidden something, they'll *never* hear the end of it. Ever.
Nixon tried to help cover for a burglary by his CRP bozos, and the whole ugly mess unravelled.
AG Reno revealed that pyrotechnic tear gas canisters HAD been fired at Waco, and it revived the whole Davidian case -- combined with footage that's strongly suggestive of Federal gunfire, and with shell casings found at a building used by ATF forces... and they also made the mistake of initially denying the presence of US Army Special Forces personnel...
Pres. Clinton denied the whole darned Lewinsky mess, in court no less. Oops; looked like he had learned that he could get away with it, after the Flowers affair, and his strange denial of marijuana inhalation.
And so forth. Generally, it's much, MUCH better for a public official or agency to provide full and immediate disclosure if a) it can be leaked, b) it looks bad, and c) leaking it won't hurt nat'l security.
Shady NSA-type: "Here are the logs of encrypted material we can't decrypt (lawfully). We hope you British intelligence types can benefit from our wiretapping."
Shady British Intelligence-type: "Why, thank you! For no connected reason, here is a copy of our wiretapping data. If you find anything, let us know, k?"
Shady NSA-type: "No problem. Friends are as friends do. Aww, you look like you need a good back scratch turn around.. When I'm done, scratch my back."
Shady British Intelligence-type: "Sure. I love these Echelon backscratchers."
All the governments of the world are starting to work together to stop real privacy.. Sigh
---
-- -- Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
I don't want to hear any of that anti-MS flaming! Why? The NSA probably doesn't use MS for something as mission critical as intelligence processing. If Joey S. Hacker can tell that MS products aren't good enough, don't you think the professional hacks at the NSA know it too? Second, something that is expected to handle real-time amounts of sigint That's the realm of IRIX, MCOS, etc, NOT MS. Microsoft gets enough bad press on it's own merits.
Hmm, emmett, evidently the smiley you thought was obviously implied wasn't...
Psychological evaluation ;)
by
Zagato-sama
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· Score: 1
Wow, another snippy comment about Microsoft. One might wonder if the Slashdot editorial crew has some unresolved freudian windows-envy. Why would the NSA tell CNN of a system crash? More bogus news for the sake of a microsoft quip. Get real.
Actually, I had a good laugh the other day as a co-worker's Win2k box blue-screened as I was giving one of my diatribes about why we should switch most of our network services to linux boxes. Basically, it's a darker blue, and there was only one line of white text at the top of the screen.
Just a thought, but wouldn't it be amazing to see the combined powers of/. secure a box. I'm sure there would be a huge amount of argument about what's to be done, but that's why I love slashdot.
It would also provide a larger analogy for the security of linux if we could show exactly how the box was secured and then challenge people to break in. I know that I would benefit hugely from seeing how it would be done and it would give a lot of people a chance to flex their skills.
-- "Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality."
-- Dalai Lama
Thanks. As a EE I would love to see the kind of labs and setups they have there. Oh well, too bad I didn't get that internship there. The price of being a white male applying for a minority internship;)
Maybe someone could help me out here, but it seems to me that the NSA would be able to run whatever they wanted, probably something with support for multiple processors, and I wasn't aware of windows being able to support multiple processors well. I just thought the NSA would be able to at least come up with some native OS that only they would use since they are so secretive, and they have so many bright people.
Ok, this is prolly flamebait, but oh well. No government agency would use Win NT on anything secretive anyway, it's not C2 certified unless the system doesn't have a NIC in it. Yes, I know that C2 is an overall system evaluation, but if a system that meet all the criteria has Win NT on it with a NIC, it will fail. So, it's stupid to even think the NSA would use NT anyway.
-- kc8apf
This preponderance on technology
by
threaded
·
· Score: 2
At Bletchley Park they used to have this wonderful card index system. The only problem was that the table legs used to give out on account of the weight.
I could understand if it were the computer the made the universe work, but this strikes me as not news worthy.
It was more likely reported to win the bet that all of the major news networks have with one another about who can stretch Y2K reporting as late in the year as possible.
I submitted a great article about the genetic engineering of foods, and it gets rejected, and then they pick a story about a BSOD.
It's a joke (getting old, but we were all thinking it).
Somehow I doubt Windows scales to crays.
- Tom 7
Re:Boy, someone can't take a joke.
by
Bwerf
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· Score: 1
You're right windows doesn't alway crash, it does n't crash more than 1/day for me(this is an average, some days I don't use windows and some days it crashes lots of times)
--
-- If noone rtfa, then what's the slashdot effect?
Whenever articles about the big, bad NSA pop up on./ everyone suddenly becomes a HERO OF DEMOCRACY. Yeah. Everyone here realizes that the same constitution that they so happily enjoy quoting also allows them to get off their fat asses and run for office to change things "for the better." If people here are so right and all of the people , like me for instance, in the world are wrong then why don't you do something useful about it instead of bitch and complain about such useless shit as "echelon." With more and more nuclear capable countries coming up in this new millenium do you really think the NSA or CIA or whoever really gives a half ass shit about anybody on./? No. And for your information the FBI is the one who works with militia groups, not the NSA. The NSA is military, not civilian and they do not carry out domestic duties unless there is a military reason to do so. And all of this FUD about the NSA, as so many people enjoy calling it, is simply humorous to read. And, no, the NSA does not hire people from this group to work there. Get a fucking clue people. I am senior in Mathematics and I applied to work at the NSA spring 99 semester. They are very serious. They don't give a fuck about people like you. I was asked POINT BLANK under a lie detector whether I ever had anti-government thoughts or tendencies or if I was ever part of a militia or militant group. And of course I said NO. I am an American and I believe in what my country stands for and what it does to protect itself from enemies foreign and domestic. Some of the people on this website should make any American sick to his stomach. You don't like it, vote.
Does anyone see the irony of this?
by
Saxifrage
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· Score: 1
The FBI, who obviously must have been running a generally useless Microsoft product, has been spying on those of us that are considered `subversive;' and in this day and age, I would imagine that anyone that is active in the Linux community has the potential to be subversive. Because the modern economy seems to have this thing for the merger of government and business, Microsoft even in the throes of a DoJ crisis has a lot of sympathetic ears in the govt.
And now their computer crashes. Maybe instead of protesting Echelon, which no one can prove actually exists, we should simply flood their computer and the Internet at large with the news of the FBI's machine going down.
Wouldn't that prove the usefulness of/.? To show the US government that we're far more valuable to them, with our overall hacker mentality, than Microsoft with its billions of dollars is?
Disclaimer: A lot of this is mildly sarcastic; I don't REALLY think the FBI would take us seriously. But the irony really heavy, so that works...
"I may disagree vehemently with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it."
-- "On that train all graphite and glitter, undersea by rail.
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris..." -Donald Fagen, IGY
Re:Does anyone see the irony of this?
by
Saxifrage
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· Score: 1
Err... Oops. Follow-up: It's the NSA, not the FBI. I misread the piece. Sorry guys. No flames!
"I may disagree vehemently with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it."
-- "On that train all graphite and glitter, undersea by rail.
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris..." -Donald Fagen, IGY
Hmm.. Can't find any pics of BSOD in the wild. Any links?
Okay, I'll start up a page with pics of BSOD and other computer errors that are found out in the real world, or even something that they are obviously not supposed to be doing (e.g. I once saw a "vanilla" win95 screen on a huge projector at a car display, I think that it must have rebooted but the display program hadn't started properly.)
Okay, so far I've got zero... hhmmm Anyone want to help? Full credits for images etc.. I'm keeping my eyes (and camera) on the lookout from now on:)
Anyway, my email is dmarsh at iname dot com; send some if you want, or don't:)
Now we officially know for sure that their is actually a partnership between Microsoft and the NSA. I think we've all suspected it for a while now, but now we have proof.
I'm frankly surprised we heard about this at all, considering how tight-lipped the NSA is. An admission that a depended-on computer has crashed -- and even more surprising, an admission for how long it's been down!
On the other hand, this admission tells me that they think that the glitch is internal. That is, they are not worried about providing confirmation that an outside attack has worked. (Or, conversely, there -was- an attack, and they think they know how to trap whoever did it and so want to goad them into trying again) Isn't it fun analyzing press releases?
Re:officially, no one knows what they offically do
by
spauldo
·
· Score: 1
Well, I can't say as for all they do, but I can verify that they do indeed handle commincations security (crypto, etc.) for the DOD. They're the people responsible for keeping our comminications secure.
Can't say I've ever dealt with them myself, but my career field in the military does - all of our crypto keys come from the NSA (handed down through a couple mid-level organizations). This is a HUGE job... there's WAY more encrypted systems than people realize, and they have to supply all of it to the military. So I'd guess that crypto systems is the major part of what they do.
'course, I'm just an E-2, and I learned all this from my training manuals and OJT, so there could be facets of the organization that I'm missing. But I would say that crypto is most likely their forte'.
-- Those who can't do, teach.
Those who can't teach either, do tech support.
The NSA isn't a rogue agency...they must disclose everything they do to Congress (more specifically where they are spending money). There are members of Congress that do know what goes on, but it's kept to a few members because of the security hazards. As to the $0 funding, yeah, I'd love the NSA to shut down so terrorists can set bombs in our country and so our military would be at a disadvantage during a war:P
You can call yourself whatever you want, but I wouldn't call myself an American if it weren't for the fact that's the NAME of our country! The United States portion of the name is irrelevant, I think Mexico's official name is the United States of Mexico or something to that effect, but I don't refer them as "United-Stater's", that doesn't make any sense, that's a description of the government and is not the country's actual name. If a central american country had named themselves America then they would be Americans but they didn't, so shut the hell up!
You seem to believe that the intelligence bureaucracies are out there fighting to save us all and will be most effective if we just let them alone.
A priori there is no reason to suppose that secretive agencies like CIA and NSA are more capable of carrying out their mission or more responsible in doing so than other, lackluster government bureaucracies like the EPA or INS. In fact, since they lack broad Congressional and public accountability, one should expect quite the opposite.
Sure enough, the available evidence suggests that the intelligence bureaucracies are frequently more interested in self-preservation than in national security. And, in fact, that primary instinct for self-preservation is often AT ODDS with US national security and protecting citizens.
Let's run right down the line of agencies:
FBI: For years, J. Egdar Hoover grossly exaggerated the power of the dilapidated American Communist Party and denied the very existence of organized crime. Reason? Counterintelligence work brought more power to himself and the agency than fighting crime. Winner: FBI bureaucrats Loser: US public. (I'll pass over the illegal wiretaps on Martin Luther King, extensive dossiers on congressmen, etc.)
CIA: After "successes" in Iran and Guatamala CIA sees overthrowing third-world governments that don't toady to US interests as the key to a new, expanded role for the agency. A gross ignorance of public sentiment in Cuba results in the humiliating Bay of Pigs invasion. The consequent tension escalates ultimately to the Cuban Missle Crisis. A report on the whole mess is highly classified for 30 years-- not because it reveals secrets, but because it makes the CIA look like a bunch of morons. Winner: CIA Loser: US public (I'll skip CIA's practice of censoring books that expose flaws in the agency, it's mistreatment of female agents, etc.)
NSA: Could win influence with the Nixon White House by providing intercepted communications between domestic political groups. Winner: NSA Loser: US public
In short, when "the fucks" are "greedy or crooked", they do not serve "National Security", but rather they serve themselves at the expense of national interests. This is why I think CIA, NSA, FBI need to be kept on a tight leash. The moment they try to stiff-arm the Congress, drastic measures are very much in order.
Re:How do we know this?
by
Demonicbunny
·
· Score: 1
Im sure the government does somethings that are benifical, but Id rather not know about. Ignorince is bliss. Im not saying screw personal libertys, but if they can read my email, then go ahead, Im not breaking any laws.
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
by
mangu
·
· Score: 2
"Prof., as I see, there are no circumstances under which State is justified in placing its welfare ahead of mine."
"May I ask this ? Under which circumstances is it moral for a group to do that which is not moral for a member of that group to do alone ?"
"But I believe in capital punishment under some circumstances... with this difference. I would not ask a court; I would try, condemn, execute sentence myself, and accept full responsibility."
"A rational anarchist believes that concepts such as 'state' and 'society' and 'government' have no existence save as physically exemplified in the acts of self-responsible individuals. He believes that it is impossible to shift blame, share blame, distribute blame... as blame, guilt and responsibility are matters taking place inside human beings and nowhere else."
"My point is that some person is responsible. Always. If H-bombs exist - and they do - some person controls them. In terms of morals there is no such thing as 'state'. Just men. Individuals. Each responsible for his own acts."
"But I will accept any rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; If I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am responsible for everything I do."
"What I fear most are affirmative actions of sober and well intentioned men, granting the government power to do something that appears to need doing."
"The power to tax, once conceded, has no limits; it contains until it destroys."
Robert A. Heinlein
NSA faking the systems crash?
by
ActiveSex
·
· Score: 2
Isn't is possible that the NSA is using the media to spread a false rumour about a crashed system to lure hackers into attempting attacks on other NSA systems?
They might be hoping that hackers will think that because one system went down, the rest are weakened as a result, and it should be easy for them to be taken down.
While a bunch of hackers are trying to attack a computer system that is really fully operational, the NSA is monitoring the types of attacks that are being mounted, and where they are originating from. This way they get useful data to make their computers even more secure, and as a bonus, they also get leads on a few more elite hackers. (That's assuming that only the elite would get far enough as to attacking an NSA computer:)
-Markus
Rainy days and automatic weapons always get me down.
I just have one thing to say about this...
by
CleverNickName
·
· Score: 1
Dear NSA:
FBI CIA NSA IRS ATF BATF DOD WACO RUBY RIDGE OKC OKLAHOMA CITY MILITIA GUN HANDGUN MILGOV ASSAULT RIFLE TERRORISM BOMB DRUG HORIUCHI KORESH DAVIDIAN KAHL POSSE COMITATUS RANDY WEAVER VICKIE WEAVER SPECIAL FORCES LINDA THOMPSON SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUP SOG SOF DELTA FORCE CONSTITUTION BILL OF RIGHTS WHITEWATER POM PARK ON METER ARKANSIDE IRAN CONTRAS OLIVER NORTH VINCE FOSTER PROMIS MOSSAD NASA MI5 ONI CID AK47 M16 C4 MALCOLM X REVOLUTION CHEROKEE HILLARY BILL CLINTON GORE GEORGE BUSH WACKENHUT TERRORIST TASK FORCE 160 SPECIAL OPS 12TH GROUP 5TH GROUP SF
According to a Reuters story in the New York Times the system was down approximately 72 hours. But in order to fix it, they spent thousands of man hours and $1.5 million! That's quite a problem... not simply reinstalling the OS on some workstation somewhere, I mean, how do you spend $1.5 million on repairs within 72 hours? Did they have to buy themselves a new Cray?
They said the system was badly overloaded. I remember a little while ago the NSA was complaining that the internet was growing too fast for them to check it all and intercept everything they want to intercept and crack all the encryption they want to crack. Just wait until the standard makers work out universal encryption. I'd like to see the looks on their faces when they finish brute-forcing all the traffic coming from a well-visited site only to discover that it's just a picture of Natalie Portman, naked and petrified.
Re:maybe NSA was running windows? (slightly OT)
by
BSDave
·
· Score: 1
I was the Houston Museum of Natural History on the MLK weekend last month at the oil refining exhibit. At each phase in oil refining exhibit they had a separate terminal to describe the processes. To the left of the cat cracker screen was the classic NT "blue screen of death"... out there for the public to see! I let the viewers around me know eaxactly what operating system produced this screen.
Umm...Might be going out on a limb here, but aren't WE the "professional" hackers that the NSA recruits from and such? I mean, wouldn't it make sense that anyone nerdy enough to get hired on as an NSA nerd/hacker would HAVE TO be nerdy enough to be registered here at/.???!!!??? Just a thought.
Sources said the problem occurred because the computer system was overloaded and badly stressed.
In order to deal with the incress of information that needs to analysed in order to maintian national security, the NSA has announced the advent of NSA@home. This screensaver will analize everything from ariel photographs of Bagdad to the habits of interns in DC.
Use of this client will count as government service for the purposes of everything but taxes and the draft.
--Cam
-- All jocks think about is sports. All nerds think about is sex.
I don't know if anyone has asked this yet, but I don't have the time to check through 200 messages to check for that.
What exactly were the damages and mishaps? I can understand the gov't wanting to conceal this information. But why hold some information to the general publics face and then snatch it away before we can see or understand anymore?
officially, no one knows what they offically do
by
elegant7x
·
· Score: 1
The NSA's charter is top secret, there are few people in the contry who have enough clearance to even know what they do. They say they do sigint. This probably pretty close to the truth. But there is no 'offical' word at all.
Amber Yuan (--ell7)
--
"and dear god does this website suck now." -- CmdrTaco
That single perl script they are running to parse all the world's email for words like "BOMB" and "ENCRYPTION" must of finally choked from our Echelon protest last month;)
Re:Of course this means. :)
by
Demonicbunny
·
· Score: 1
I figure it was just someones netscape that went wild.:)
Re:I think it's a part of the Department of Defens
by
JovianMoon
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· Score: 1
This belief is fueled by the fact that the head of the agency is a Navy Admiral. That being said I believe they are independant from the DOD and merely support many of the DODs interests.
maybe NSA was running windows? (slightly OT)
by
FreeBSDrew
·
· Score: 1
Heh heh, speaking of computers crashing...
I saw one of the funniest things I've seen in a while at a local mall (White Flint, for those of you in the DC area). As you walk in the door, some videos are on the side of a marble column. I don't know what is usually on them ; mall informtion, perhaps, and I think for a short while they had some of those ISP sample terminals hooked up to it. But, as I was leaving Borders (after looking at computer books and having coffee, like usual), I noticed that every monitor now displayed...
I'm sure many UNIX and Linux users have seen the BSOD xscreensaver. Is it time to update it with a pic of the crash screen from NSA-OS?
It probably looks something like this:
This crash sceen does not exist. You never saw it. NSA OS runs flawlessly and anyone who says less is a Communist and Enemy of the State. Back away from the terminal and alert your supervisor!
Whuddya think?
--
***
Re:You'd think that Slashdot posts were a little o
by
_Natalie+Portman_
·
· Score: 1
First Post! This sig contains no secret information. A82jfd82ks81ks91la,v191hjdlwuthqrps;lh
Slashdot Mirror
thats good news :)
Why do you always blame MS? It is just a company, like every other.
.
what, you expected a answer?
The U.S. has released information on the availability of some interesting patents. One of them happens to be "A Quantum Key Distribution System for encryption and authentication." Worth checking out.
...but do your feet show it?
a deer a female deer???
Pinky: What are you going to do tonight, Brain?
The Brain: Same thing we do every night the NSA's spy computer crashes. Take over the world.
First of all, I would like to point out that they can't prove anything in court. Yeah, that computer was my responsibility but several others had access to it... several others!
That thing was always flaky anyway. It would reboot randomly. There was always garbage characters appearing on the screen for no reason. It couldn't have possibly been doing anything useful.
Isn't the NSA supposed to have the best hardware anyway? I mean, if it can't handle mapping out natalie portman's genetic composition, then what the hell good is it gonna be for spy work?
Jesus.
that someone willget their panties in a knot about this one!!!!
MOO
They didn't. I did after I noticed that I was no longer capable of tapping your cell phone calls whilst intercepting Echelon traffic. So the NSA is forced to disclose it, all because of me.
NP has a cock...
she's better hung than Katz
all hail to the king, Anonymous Coward!
Has been brought to you by the letters and numbers nk29p8c3ym9sdrgp89342rtawgp8rnlcsap89w;x3nw3saklsj 23fwef324vj66.
Ever seen those lame "Should have used Preparation-H" ads?
We should run one with a picture of this frozen Cray with a voiceover saying "Should have used Linux"
There, there... it'll be okay. ask cowboyneal for a hug.
rae: a golden sun..
Yet another reason why the NSA should be open-sourced.
rae: a drop of golden sun.
CNN story
imagine a beowulf cluster of these!
They run unix based systems. P.S. it's a lie, it's called a trap.
me: a name I call myself
NEVER had an MS blue screen on Win98.
Moron.
how about a cock so you can blow it?
fa: a long, long way to run
I will probably have to get a hooker for this one since I'm pretty sure my girlfriend will not go for it and she cooks and cleans.
I feel like a bowl of rabbit stew.
While I agree with what you said, politicians aren't that stupid. If they are dead set against allocating more funds for the NSA, stunts like these won't help them.
Never thought about that before.
oh baby, you know where to stow it!
Now I have a rocket in my pocket.
Very much agreed - Rob blew it on this one...
Is this some sort of Slashdot mental incapacity
to realize that there are machines bigger than
PC's running OS's that are rarely mentioned
here???
I'm with ya bro!
been doin just that for *years* now!
Fight the power! Free Huey! Open Slash!
ooops, scratch the last one.
Can't see that with a Windows based system.
So did you masturbate:
1. Right there at the store
2. While you told people about it
3. Later in private, while reading the zealot handbook
4. All of the above.
I would rather not be held accountable by a lone physcopath, or a group of them for that matter, for the actions of an agency that I am not permitted to know anything about. What I mean to say is that perhaps big brother would not be so necessary if he didn't exist in the first place.
I fear both the power they have, and the fact that they act in our collective names without our knowledge of it.
But then again, we just finished watching 'Conspiracy Theory' in the dorm lounge, so my views might be somewhat warped at the moment.
No kidding.
And the "BSOD" died with Windows 95.
If you get a BSOD, you're a fucking moron with a seriously misconfigured system. Learn to run what you call one of the OSes that are "too userfriendly." Try not deleting half the files in c:\windows, then maybe you won't get a BSOD.
And I know just where to dock it
Yeah. Yeah! YEAH
FUCK YEAH MOTHERFSFHOSF
GIVE ME YOUR CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCOCK
So, I take it you want to assfuck your country?
National Security is rather important, no matter how greedy or crooked the fucks are.
Hmm... why does the NSA have a website? Are they asking for it to be dafaced?
The NSA is probably collectively the most intelligent agency in the government. NSA does not use NT. They build their own processors. This is a publicized fact. There's no chance in hell that they're not going to make their own OS as well.
those stupid fucking jews get easily offended, huh
This isn't IRC, dork
That would have been funny if:
* You weren't a dork.
* You didn't include the gay ass "/me line.
* You didn't FUCK UP in your subject line.
* You didn't say "!af".
* At this point, it'd be best IF YOU WEREN'T FUCKING BORN.
Faggot.
If for no other reason, damn good way to keep on track of the latest exploits and script kiddies. Obviously that server is no where near anything remotely important, and nsa doesn't care much about PR, but a constant flood of useful info is most useful.
Take that thing outta your pocket...
Put it in the socket...
So, who's still protesting?
I know I haven't taken out my x-headers...
-- Ender, Duke_of_URL
If you say it enough times, it will be taken seriously. Perfect example is that Windows always crashes which isnt true.
CNN Entertainment News
Why does Slashdot post SHIT like this? It's all bogues and cheapshot news. Hello, can I speak to morality????
Well, then it's time to move to a version of /. that has an open/viewable news submission bin. There's new Slash code out, and lots of people are messing around with it, maybe some of us should move? -- Ender, Duke_of_URL
Well, then it's time to move to a version of /. that has an open/viewable news submission bin. There's new Slash code out, and lots of people are messing around with it, maybe some of us should move?
-- Ender, Duke_of_URL
There's also a completely unrelated story about x.com here ("We have become aware that until recently anyone could open an account with the online bank X.com and perform unauthorized funds transfers from any other accounts in the banking system").
Heh, funny link. Thx for the mirror
Don Knot
red22_keycode=789174591274398275986719808205971689 75872628750_stop;
Why is it okay for slashdot to post FUD but not MS? Please, someone explain this to me.
These guys are dumer then crap if they kant get the rockets to land write on Mars or keep a stupid teluskope working. My teluksope works fine and I can see all the nabors and cows. My computer is always working too, if the power is on in the house and AOL is not bizy. Them marans need some help and I am runnin down to florida to fix them real good kuz my taxes are being throwed away. I heard this is a good movie and CNN is always write.
Nope, sorry, you lose, fake-*ss meta-moderators...
Pouring stuff down Natalie Portmans pants is fun, but not good for *st posts. Enjoy the h*t gr*ts & get the fsck out. You all blow, you m*ta-moderating dingos.
no shit. pretty much anyone now that does that crap is just yelling out, "Hi. I'm an ignorant follower!"
That takes away your credibility right there.
time to uninstall my themes of yours
The reasons these details were not released to the press are as follows:
- They don't want everyone to know that Clinton knows Mr. T.
- They don't want everyone to know that 99% of the NSA's black budget (no pun intended) was spent on Mr. T's SGI workstation.
- Lewinsky owns the patent on Blowjob from an Intern(TM), and the government has already spent enough on the Presidential Defense from Plump Young Women.
- Hillary is a bitch.
For more info, suck my balls.Your copy of Windows 2000 is beta, most likely.
And most people are talking about 9X when they refer to a BSOD.
High Official
For Super-Bowl Sunday, later today, a G4 laptop computer will be announced by Apple. This portable will pack the whall-op of a *supercomputer* for all you geeks out there. That's why they kept it secret. Check out the SB commercials tomorrow!!!!!
If they had written the mars polar lander on linux in the first place none of this would have happened because they could have just recompiled the kernel when they found out that the lander was not responding to them. And another thing that would benefit is that the mars polar lander could then run the seti@home and search for extreterrestrial life in its idle cycles. And while it's not doing that it can run in a beowulf cluster that is folding the human genome.
Hey, you're still alive aren't you? Get a life.
Actually if you look at multiprocessor OS's NT4+ is extremely good. Pretty much smokes linux kernel 2.2. Still waitin for 2.4
"reconstruct the entire system" is probably media talk to make it sound like somthing big. it prob just means they has to reinstall the OS, an Application, or restore a backup.
So if windows crashes it's bad but if UNIX crashes it's okay?
The fact that your statement is framed as a question says something.
So, you belong to a A Well Regulated PGP Militia?
(If so, who's doing the regulating?)
I use junkbuster and my wafer has a list of spookwords in them. And I surf a lot. Do I get a Beanie Award for Most Outstanding Actions Towards Establishing the "Get Rid of Slimy Spooks" -Agenda?
I wonder why the NSA would tell anyone what happened, unless they want people to think that they're just another bureocratic institute which suffers from the bad karma caused by clueless management and workers who don't give a damn. I say trust no-one, nothing crashed, they just want us to believe that. An intelligence agency goes around telling people "hey, our computers crashed.". I don't think so.
Lame troll, try again.
So, when I get a 80x50 Blue Screen referring to NTFS.SYS, I must be really running 9X? I never knew.
Nice story. Now tell me how you "upgrade" an OS/2 box without having physical access to it.
Little known fact: OS/2 had the same 49 day problem fall-over problem Windows 9x did. They fixed it before MS did, but not until it was in the wild for about 8 years.
There's a difference between quirky and sick. You are the latter.
...the cheapest whore of the news reporting media (started by a billboard salesman no less!).
./ a ...?
I guess CNN has to pay it's dues for all that exotic satellite time they get from birds that
don't normally sell their time on the open market. (hey, baby, anything to help manage the media war effort, right?)
And what they didn't tell you is that the NSA's gold-plated secondary system kicked in and soaked up the load just find (no need to even prep the teritary subsystems).
If CNN is what it "reports" that would make
the nsa probably knows more about the us congressmen and women than the us congressmen and women know about themselves. the nsa still exists, doesn't it?
As to the $0 funding, yeah, I'd love the NSA to shut down so terrorists can set bombs in our country and so our military would be at a disadvantage during a war
Oh, really? Poor united-staters (not americans, please -- every from Chile to Canada is american). Why don't you invade a central-american country?
It's implicit in the wording that the people only have the right to keep and bear arms if belonging to a well regulated Militia. So, what should you say when a police officer inquires you about the AK-47 you are carrying on one arm and the M-16 you have on the other?
Sure, officer. Here's my KKK badge, and here's my Aryan Nation ID.
This is getting old.
Can you grow up now?
You look like such a fucking moron when you say "first post" but get 15th.
What the fuck did you do pal? Type out a message, go fuck your dad then hit Submit and you thought it'd still be first?
Where do these stupid fucks come from?
Hmm. No one cares about the corporation necessarily, but rather your intelligence. Which is pretty low.
It doesn't pick up web signals.
If Windows crashes for you, then you're a moron.
Learn to operate your fucking OS.
That's Slashdot logic.
Welcome to the wonderful world of single digit IQs.
Hmm, no.
You're dumb.
Very dumb.
If you can't understand what he said, then reread it. He was talking about how most people, when referring to a Blue Screen of Death, are running Windows 9x. That is, they feel Windows is unstable as a desktop environment, not a server (NT).
Typical Linux moron.
Who are the spies *NOW*? Hypocryt Yankee morons!!! Low-tech spy systems...what else did you expect?
The word "gay" is used in a derogatary sense with disturbing frequency on Slashdot. Now, I know that some of this is a result of the relatively low average age of posters here, but surely this level of intolerance can't be representative of the online community as a whole - so, why is it that Slashdot seems to attract this sort of undesirable trash so often?
About that agency..especially if you live in the area. First, Ft. Meade is more underground than above. It has 4 standby generators - running General Electric Turbofans. They need all that power for something. They do neat things. Most of the people who work for them are normal people - I know more than a few. But they are also dangerous as anything that big, that secret, can be... But I do beleive this is begging for more money - and the key here is that Congress is still really Pissed that the NRO built a whole frigging campus for untold billions of dollars without Congress knowing it. So DOD has a short leash on it for black funding. And since the overall DOD budget has been headed downward, they have had fewer places to "hide" projects - and developing these supercomputers is not cheap. Cause they have to start from scratch - off the shelf does not work for thier mission - which is to try to stay one step ahead of the "enemy".
Oh, really? And how many of these countries have America in the name of their country? Um, it's one isn't it?
I second your guess as to the reason for the release of this story.
1 549&CONTEXT=948766143.1213595713&hitnum=
9 499.1&CONTEXT=948766483.1384316966&hitnu
7 982&CONTEXT=948766483.1384316966&hitnum=
On the topic guessing / deducing what they can do, there were some interesting posts by RProcess the creator of JBN (windows client for theremailers) and others.
They are in alt.privacy.anon-server. You can see them doing a power search on Deja.com. Doing lots of tests
(some evidence provided) he has come to believe that :
1) 1k bit RSA is breakable to the NSA and (randomly) some larger keys are weak
2) IDEA is breakable to the NSA but DES3 is not
the subject of these posts were Traffic Analysis Capabilities or Selective DOS
links:
http://x28.deja.com/[ST_rn=ps]/getdoc.xp?AN=52908
197
http://x24.deja.com/[ST_rn=ps]/getdoc.xp?AN=55343
m=24
http://x24.deja.com/[ST_rn=ps]/getdoc.xp?AN=55248
36
A quote from the middle link:
"...Cryptographically strong keys and reply-block features have a higher likelihood of disappearance. I get the feeling I'm dealing with a system, and I've been able to predict its behavior in some very specific respects. (For example, when I first tested Encrypt-3DES, zero of the messages got through for several days, although Encrypt-Key messages sent in parallel did. Then suddenly they started trickling
feebly. The lost ones never did show up. I had anticipated exactly this response to an unexpected
strong format. - blackout followed by limited transmission after the system was adjusted. What was
really startling is that the 3DES was inside of IDEA, which made it appear that IDEA is vulnerable,
something which I had already suspected because of other behavior. The system still punishes
Encrypt-3DES disproportionately.)..."
I live in America, so I am american. You live in the United States *OF* America, so you are a united-stater or something else.
Actually if you look at multiprocessor OS's NT4+ is extremely good. Pretty much smokes linux kernel 2.2. Still waitin for 2.4 Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2128] (C) Copyright 1985-1999 Microsoft Corp. C:\>DOS C:\>DOS CRASH C:\>CRASH DOS CRASH
No, I meant to say '.02c' to show just how valuable my thoughts are.
-- auntfloyd
Has anyone here ever read the nsa's mission statement? http://www.nsa.gov:8080/about_nsa/mission.html It says "foreign signals intelligence" which means they don't spy on Americans. You people are the most paranoid freaks I have ever seen. Sheesh!
I thought the NSA was similar to the CIA in the fact that they are banned from operating within the shores of the USA. They can go tap Iraq's phone lines but they have no permission to do it to an American citizen... the FBI could do that with a warrant but that's about it.
What is there to stop someone who takes some of that juicy information the NSA accumulates and decides to freelance?
What happens to your privacy and freedom then? Who protects you then?
The most tripe filled "news source", filled with the most single minded lemmings you've ever seen.
phbbbt.
If they're even running a publicly available OS, it's probably some obscure variant of UNIX, or VAX or something; More likely they've got a custom built supercomputer runnning a custom OS, to squeeze every last cycle into effiency when running huuuuuge decrypts and other spookish stuff.
My guess it there's a cadre of programmers living next to the beast, coding and analyzing, 24/7. The fastes solution to a huge problem is neither a roomful of geniuses nor a huge supercomputer; It's a room with both, well fitted to each other.
maybe it was an MS bluescreen phbbbt. More likely someone accidentally peed in a power supply than they're running windoze (yes, even nt) on their big iron.
people here, want to see a system operational, not an OS GUI that's easy to use but totally pathetic for the purpose it was created and sold (ie providing a reliable interface from apps to physical machine)
Why do stupid people wonder why MS gets bashed on open source/linux devoted sites? Its called retribution for decades of FUD dished up by every MS and MS afilliated media!!!!! fool.
Even so, it crashes infrequently, and always has an error or two after exiting unreal.
So I guess all us linux heads are wrong :) Win9x is perfect, its beautiful... I'd muuuch rather spend time configging my system just to WORK WITHOUT CRASHING than for optimum performance, secure in the knowledge that it'll take something waaay out of left field to muck it up in the first place.
WIN BIGOT!
all veiws expressed herein are completely phcked, and should not be read by anyone.
You knob. Please look up the meaning of a parenthetical phrase. Then read the sentence, and notice that the non-parenthetical portion of the sentence has no qualifiers. Fucking non-English speaking chimps.. Go pick some tics off your mate or something.
"Sources said the problem occurred because the computer system was overloaded and badly stressed."
The way things work here, this is an essential step to getting MORE money. Pretty clumsy treatment, however. I suppose that's because the NSA is not yet used to working in the daylight. Institutionalized theft is difficult to spin properly, but NSA's refining their story better and better as the years go by.
The so-what is, once freedom starts to (and continues to) fall apart he way it is and has, is that it STOPS MATTERING whether or not you committed a crime, because if you are part of a LAWFUL, but non-government-friendly organization (sic survivalists, militias, corruption investigation) then they can (and maybe will) bend you over, on terms of nat'l security (or some obscure law).
*********
From:me@localhost
to:you@remotehost
Hey Pat, can't wait for the big meeting tomorrow, where we'll discuss our impending "Make America Aware" campaign across the nation to raise awareness of corruption in government and abuses of power under national security by groups like hte FBI, CIA and even the NSA.
PS don't worry, even if I didn't encrypt this email, its legal to say the things I said, and for us to assemble for discussion and to broadcast our views lawfully to our fellow citizens.
signed, me
**************
The above email is an example of something the NSA might decide is a sign of massive revolutionary potential, whose leaders are by definition cold blooded anti-America psychos, and proceed to round up the lot of them for detainment (or worse).
And If you think I'm being facetious, go stick your head back in the sand, so you won't see who's f*cking you in the ass every day of your life, you blind pink.
and youre supposed to be smarter ?
The NSA does not have the ability to talk directly to the FBI, and I'm positive they'd rather see another Timothy McVeigh than admit to Echelon. They don't give a shit about you, or, if they do, they can't do anything to help you.
Even more FUD on MS. Get a clue, standing taller when you're on someone else's back doesn't make you any better.
Still right here KnottOS
Go read law and learn what a preamble is and what it means in a law.
I (for some unknown reason) believe that the NSA is working more for the good of our country than for the bad. Althought I believe it would be nice if they would release more information about what they have and have not done I understand why the haven't (and probably wont in the future).
I think some people are going off the deep end with conspiracy theorys. So where is your proof that they are reading YOUR e-mail and intercepting YOUR phone calls. Its all just speculation, and I dont put any stake in speculation.
Try reading the documents at http://www.wired.com/news/pol itics/0,1283,33891,00.html.
(if that url didn't come out correctly go to wired and search for nsa and read the first article that comes up with proof about echelon)
The documents that they guy found support that the echelon isn't as widespread or as bad (for us citizens) as people believe.
enmasse.penguinpowered.com
Seeing as they are supposed to be running sweeps for certain 'Key phrases' in communication. How can they not be connected to anything. They need to get there data from somewhere.
Windows 3.1/95/98 can have a "Blue Screen" without crashing the machine (for example if you remove a CD-ROM at the wrong time). Therefore it is incorrect to call these "Blue Screens Of Death", because it might just be a "Blue Screen of A Not Very Serious Nature". The real serious problems will either lock Win 9x solid, or spontanously reboot the machine.
On NT, a Blue Screen Of Death means just that -- kernel panic, game over. The "BSOD" term originated from NT users -- DOS/Win users used to use "GPF" until the NT term migrated over.
so: a needle pulling thread
> I mean, how do you spend $1.5 million on repairs within 72 hours?
Installing new survialance systems, and then clainming it was a system crash.
Question Authority.
er ... actually we do. Just thought I'd mention that, and I like blue!
(b) National Security Agency, whose responsibilities shall include: (1) Establishment and operation of an effective unified organization for signals intelligence activities, except for the delegation of operational control over certain operations that are conducted through other elements of the Intelligence Community. No other department or agency may engage in signals intelligence activities except pursuant to a delegation by the Secretary of Defense; (2) Control of signals intelligence collection and processing activities, including assignment of resources to an appropriate agent for such periods and tasks as required for the direct support of military commanders; (3) Collection of signals intelligence information for national foreign intelligence purposes in accordance with guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence; (4) Processing of signals intelligence data for national foreign intelligence purposes in accordance with guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence; (5) Dissemination of signals intelligence information for national foreign intelligence purposes to authorized elements of the Government, including the military services, in accordance with guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence; (6) Collection, processing and dissemination of signals intelligence information for counterintelligence purposes; (7) Provision of signals intelligence support for the conduct of military operations in accordance with tasking, priorities, and standards of timeliness assigned by the Secretary of Defense. If provision of such support requires use of national collection systems, these systems will be tasked within existing guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence; (8) Executing the responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense as executive agent for the communications security of the United States Government; (9) Conduct of research and development to meet the needs of the United States for signals intelligence and communications security; (10) Protection of the security of its installations, activities, property, information, and employees by appropriate means, including such investigations of applicants, employees, contractors, and other persons with similar associations with the NSA as are necessary; (11) Prescribing, within its field of authorized operations, security regulations covering operating practices, including the transmission, handling and distribution of signals intelligence and communications security material within and among the elements under control of the Director of the NSA, and exercising the necessary supervisory control to ensure compliance with the regulations; (12) Conduct of foreign cryptologic liaison relationships, with liaison for intelligence purposes conducted in accordance with policies formulated by the Director of Central Intelligence; and (13) Conduct of such administrative and technical support activities within and outside the United States as are necessary to perform the functions described in sections (1) through (12) above, including procurement. Right from the CIA home page! -AC
It's funny how much information there is available if people would only take the time to look. http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/eo12333.html -AC
The reference to Windows was a joke! Get over it.
Would not like to be their disaster recovery manager or in 'business recovery' section, as butts will be kicked. Most managers tick the under 24 hours box. 3 days means the BR procedures were wrong/incomplete and need on the fly fixing, compounded by the fact that someone want to collect and process information - and not loose anything while this fixing is going on (have cake and eat it too syndrome). This interference= bigger delay. My bet is that their change system sucks, and the short cutting costs are now being realised. My bet is also that the wheeled in something bigger and better (massive upgrade), an dthe technical planners cocked up, because they wernt really that technical. Jitterbug is the solution. Usual mode is to panic, and get it working - without documentation - so expect more crashes too.
Duh. The problem with upgrading was that they couldn't get to the machine because nobody could find the key!
We do know that the Keyhole spy satellite system had Y2K problems beginning at midnight GMT 1-1-00.
I would speculate that this other system, ECHELON stores its datestamps as efficiently as possible, given the immense volume of intercepted data!
I read that it wasn't the capturing system which crashed - it was more the analysis & presentation part of it which was down for the count.
Maybe something was looking forward 31 days to 2-29-1900 ?
We be jammin!
Sorry to say, the world is a different place to what it was 200 years ago. These days, a single lunatic could level a city if he got his hands on a nuclear bomb. Whether you like it or not, intrusive prevention is necessary to prevent that sort of thing happening.
Although you are technically correct - the NSA itself does not intentionally spy on Americans while they are in America (this is the FBI's job), it nonetheless does take place, on NSA premises, using NSA resources.
The NSA's network is shared by all UKUSA countries, including Canada, Britain, Australia, etc. These foreign countries CAN AND DO use their cooperative access to the NSA's facilities to spy on Americans in America. Further, the FBI has a relationship with British data collection analysts permanently stationed at Fort Meade, and the FBI routinely submits requests for domestic surveillance to these foreign specialists.
In this way, Americans get spied on using NSA's hardware, and technically speaking, no laws are broken in the process.
This intelligence information is also passed to certain commercial interests, to give them an edge in otherwise competitive bidding processes, etc.
[Source: Nicky Hager's book, _Secret Power_]
I'm much more fearful of a standing army run by a government which has forgotten that the Constitution is a limit to their power, than I am that some nut case is going shoot up the grocherie story the next time I stop to pick up a gallon of milk.
I've tried homosexuality, of course, but it wasn't my bag.
Kristian C.
How wonders how he went from insightful to 'Troll'. Admittedly, his comments are a little incinderary, but not a troll, per se.
Fine. Yes, the world is a different place. Lets wipe our asses with the bill of rights and the constitution and be done with it then. We have to face it, in the cycles of human government the periods of democracy only last so long. Maybe it's at an end? Maybe it's ended and we just haven't opened our eyes yet.
Let's hope not...
Kristian C.
Neither the NSA nor the CIA may legally conduct intelligence gathering with the US. Echelon is an attempt to use a loophole to circumvent this, and while it *is* scary, it does have its failings. I am troubled by the thought of government agencies out of voter control (as Bush Sr. and company attempted to do with the CIA and the contras) but uninformed crazies like the poster to whom I am responding are downright scary and far too likely to shoot me by mistake.
I dislike spooks, but I don't envy the admins who had to get that system back.
That is so true.
With it's advanced Crash Protection(tm), their applications would never drag down the OS!
It's the most stable and user-friendly OS there is, and point me to a GUI more powerful and extensible than the WPS!
And builtin scripting! REXX roxx!
Go blue: Go OS/2!
Warpin' baby!
MOBILE LINUX!
/me ducks at the flames hurling towards his head.
!af
my computer crashed because i poured a bowl of hot grits onto it. then i poured a bowl of hot grits down my pants. thank you.
Maybe someone could help me out here, but it seems to me that the NSA would be able to run whatever they wanted, probably something with support for multiple processors, and I wasn't aware of windows being able to support multiple processors well.
They run a mix -- depending on the application. Best tool for the job type thing.
They do have some proprietary stuff -- software obviously, but also hardware designed and built from the ground up (starting from raw silicon or germanium, or whatever they use).
A rather important computer system crashes and is down for three days, and Slashdot responds with a trite poke at Microsoft.
Who knows what the system was running? If it was that central and critical a system, isn't it much more likely it was a mainframe, or even a Solaris or IRIX system, than Windows? Was this Slashdot article posted as nothing more than another excuse to belabor the obvious and gripe about Microsoft?
I'm posting this anonymously to prevent having my karma sunk into a black hole by daring to say something negative about Slashdot, but it had to be said.
...of better stunts than this to get funding. Then again, perhaps it's harder to get Congresss' collective ear and purse strings when there has been a marked decrease in the amount of juicy tid-bids they can throw to congress-critters. Maybe it's time to privatize the NSA? (that's a thinly vailed good'ol boyz joke among those who know).
Ok, I clicked here and was greeted with a huge picture of don knotts.... is this some sort of secret NSA OS project? KnottOs or something? :) Scary. Don't do that without warning us ok?
Only if they are stupid. Today is usually is much cheaper to throw additional hardware at a problem than to try to optimize the operating system. For compute-intensive tasks like data analysis and code cracking, I seriously doubt that the operating system even accounts for 5% overhead. Squeezing those 5% out of the code is prohibitively expensive, particularly for one-shot installations.
Stephan
If they are dead set against allocating more funds for the NSA, stunts like these won't help them.
Who said they are dead set? The general theme as it appears to me is that the NSA is looking invincible and more powerful than any other agency in the entire US Government. Remember, we're talking about guys who used attorney-client priveledge against the senate as a stonewalling measure!
This is to make them seem weaker, less invincible, more fallible...not to anyone overseas, who still can't assume the NSA won't be able to crack something, but locally, so that the won't ever not be able to crack something.
That's the idea, at least.
Yours Truly,
Dan Kaminsky
DoxPara Research
http://www.doxpara.com
The NSA is all about controlled image. Most government agencies are--I've heard some rather interesting stories of military coverups--but the NSA is particularly secretive.
;-)
You don't get referred to as No Such Agency for no reason
If the NSA is making this announcement, it's because A) They're making a statement about the difficult situation that export regulations are going to put them in(remember--they're the ones who get the flack when they're given an uncrackable signal) and B) They want more money, or at least their existing funds not to go away. As long as their situation is inadequate, all those "one time upgrade" budget justifications can survive. As soon as they appear in full working order, it's cool to take a few points off the top from them.
Ah, the machinations of government...
Yours Truly,
Dan Kaminsky
DoxPara Research
http://www.doxpara.com
Sounds as though they need an upgrade. This article was linked to at the bottom of the page. It seems they are having the same problems as, I'm sure, many companies are. Too much information. A quote from the story, "The largest U.S. spy agency -- the National Security Agency -- is in crisis, overwhelmed by too many targets, too much information and the challenges created by increasingly sophisticated technologies." Somewhat surprising that they would see something like this coming and not take steps to remedy the problem. Or is it?
----------------
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
Co-founder and designer at Music Nearby: http://musicnearby.com
What about groups of individuals, or at least people who think they're individuals? There are religious and militia 'leaders' who feed these peoples fears that the government is trying to exert too much control on peoples lives. So these people who already have a pretty tenuous grasp on reality get brainwashed into believing: that federal agents in black helicopters are going to heard everybody and execute them; that all of societies ills are the fault of the Jewish|African|Insert-your-prejiduice-here and so on.
I'm not so worried about the lone nut, I'm worried about the congregation of nuts and the sociopath that controls them.
But everyone gives up some freedoms to protect others... I believe my high school government teacher referred to it as a "social contract," although it's been several years...
For example, you surrender your right to purchase chemical weapons so that others (in theory) will not purchase chemical weapons, therefore greatly lessening the threat to your life from chemical weapons (a choppy example, sorry).
Anyway, giving up some basic freedoms is essential, in order to protect others. While I don't like the prospect of a government "listening in" on me, if I have to give up that freedom to protect my life, it's worth it. Now, we're not to the point today, I doubt, that if the NSA went away, terrorists would begin terrorizing US cities, killing innocent citizens, but, perhaps one day this will be the case, if it's not already...
I could not justify my existence if I were a turkey farmer. Would I terminate myself? Undoubtably, yes.
The NSA is good at keeping things secure, but I drought they would keep something this big "lock up". Besides the state of the system is unimportant. What's important is what it is used for. You don't see them talking about that to CNN.
You should read something by Solzheneetsen.
I think you might change your mind about what kind of crazy stuff these governmental nutjobs can do and get people to go along with. (read Stalin, and the Russian people).
They have larger Sun boxes as well.
Highly unlikely.
From unclassified information in the press, the NSA has large numbers of Sun workstations (Solaris) and Cray/SGI supercomputers (Unicos).
Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
We should also be worried about the secretiveness of coporations. If you want to look for the "bad boys" in governement, turn your eyes towards the Department of Energy too.
Note that
Hitler
Stalin
Napoleon
Were all working under the auspices of modern government, and
Marx
advocated revolt, and replacement of current government with the new one. I'm surprised you didn't mention Mao, because Mao's early stuff pretty much followed Marx.
Which is less fearsome? The power of the individual, or the power of a group?
I think that history has shown that governments have the power to do far greater harm, than lone nuts.
The bigger the group, the harder it is for them to maintain a conspiracy.
I don't like the way NSA seems to be able to operate without accountability, and I would be shocked and amazed if a large portion of their budget wasn't embezzled. And I would also be shocked and amazed if they weren't doing illegal things against US citizens. However, if they were up to something too hideous, I think it would have leaked. They're so big!
Dr. Evil's team, on the other hand, is small enough that the people within it can keep a secret. So perhaps there's value in having NSA's electric eye turn toward them, whenever NSA people feel like taking a break from playing Peeping Tom with our day-to-day lives.
---
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
No. We're strongly motivated to procreate because genes that encouraged that behavior are the ones that become more numerous.
Same explanation as above.
Gene selection theory explains it all without any problems, unlike the ones that crop up in species selection and individual selection.
Those notions are taught by cultures, and don't otherwise occur naturally. They're memes.
---
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
(It is in big brother's best interest to perpetuate the species)
True; however, it is not in Big Brother's interest to perpetuate the individual, (ie any one person), especially if said individual is a public opponent.
There is a saying to the effect that "it is better to die on your feet, than live on your knees" (or whatever; the meaning is clear enough).
Me, I'm not so sure about the "better dead than slave" bit ("where there's life, there's hope," and all that), but while I am free, I certainly intend to do my best to see that I remain free.
Tim
It's official. Most of you are morons.
If the **NSA** for christ's sake, is using **Windows**....then I've lost what little faith I still had in government.
Bowie J. Poag
Project Manager, PROPAGANDA For Linux (http://propaganda.themes.org)
Bowie J. Poag
read slashdot postings re "crash". note - slashdot user KristianC. dangerously unstable. good probable cause. keeping an eye on this one. sent cc's to senator hatch and vice president gore. thinks we're assfucking the country. wait'll he feels a *real* assfucking...
signing off
The article states that they "had to reconstruct the entire system" after the crash. That means it probably was a hardware problem rather than a software problem.
Of course this raises the question of why they weren't using fault-tolerant systems [*cough* VMS cluster or equivalent *cough*] here, unless they ignored some failure signs earlier, and too many parts failed...
Glückwünsche, haben Sie Slashdot ermordet, indem Sie zum korporativen Druck beugten und Subskriptionen einlei
No, but single people can certainly incite others to commit horrific deeds which they might not otherwise do, such as Hitler.
Don't underestimate the individual: it's all you are.
~~~~~~~~~
auntfloyd
(The question I should have asked in the beginning: Which is more important. Survival as a species, or survival as a species of individuals, assuming they are mutually exclusive)
.02c
While I'm no psychologist, I think that on an 'instinctive' level it's the species that counts. Humans truly are social animals, and often enough the herd mentality shows through. Even in simple ways, such as procreation. Why are people so obsessed with sex? Preserves the species. This might also be the origin of our notions of courage and honor: putting your people above yourself.
But on an intellectual level, people seem more concerned with themselves. Would you be willing to die to save people you've never met before? And certainly the drive of possesiveness seems to stem form self-preservation.
Perhaps it is this mixture of species- and self-preservation that explains why humans as a group are so fscked up.
Just my
~~~~~~~~~
auntfloyd
> Don't underestimate the individual: it's all you are.
Yes, but I I have just one of em, organisations have lots!
cult of the dead cow right?
========
<sig>Guvf vf abg n frperg zrffntr
I figure it was just someones netscape that went wild. :)
But netscape doesn't usually take machines down with it... but they could have been playing with the latest build of Mozilla!
While this is true, it is the governments' interest to keep the general public around, like an earlier post stated about the NSA. Lone nuts, however, are concerned for no one, not even themselves. That is why I worry about the nuts more than the government.
"More organs means more human." - Zim
Just a bit of fluff that got stuck in my brain sometime in the past. Wouldn't surprise me all that much if I were wrong, but what the hell, I'll go on record and say I think it's so: NSA is part of the DoD.
Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation
Information is not Knowledge
The poke at Microsoft was a joke! Nobody seriously thinks that the NSA uses Microsoft products to perform mission critical communication and/or cryptanalysis(sp?) work. And we ALL know that the crash of a Microsoft OS is not a newsworthy event.
Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation
Information is not Knowledge
Don't throw your computer out the window, throw the Windows out of your computer!
I knew I shouldn't have USEnet cross-posted that long dissertation about how to kill the president. Or used so many swear words in it...
they probably didn't even use mod_perl
:)
in my country, we call that a parody, not a troll. my regrets go to your lack of sense of humor.
On a slightly more serious note, I can't believe people still find unoriginal cheap jabs at Microsoft funny anymore. "Hey that guys mentioned something about blue screens! micro$uck$!! hahahaha!!! windo$w$!! n0tice the dollar $ign$!! I'm a comedian too!"
Sorry to find out that you don't like the sense of humor of the Earthlings! tee hee!
And give us back our Mars Polar Lander, biatch!
...and the moon isn't full. But I beleive that the CNN article was a clearly direct attempt to stir up another Slashdot post. Then once the story hit Slashdot, the operatives under cover in foreign lands beep back *using Slashdot* for their medium of communication using some mind-boggling form code-encryption that appears to us as First Posts and random references to Natalie Portman.
NSA, CIA, and mere mortals, I'M ON TO YOU!!!
Muah hah hahahahahah!
Great quotes!
I imagine many slashdot readers and most people who consider themselves libertarians would agree with those quotes.
So consider this: if you concede that ultimate responsiblity always ends with the individual, then how does one hold people accountable for their actions when encryption technology makes it impossible to determine who is responsible for them?
We detest the secrecy and lack of accountability of the NSA, but at the same time trumpet the idea that the solution to their tyranny is to emulate them. How do you reconcile that?
--
You're absolutely right. If you don't try to run any programs on Windows, then it probably won't crash.
Your post deserves to be a full story on slashdot.
Even the NSA needs to do public relations. You checked their site, didn't you?
Do you even know what so-called "national security" IS?
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
Oh wow, you're such a rhetorical genius.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
Monday's crash affected "the processing of intelligence, but not the collection of intelligence," according to the spokeswoman.
Thank you for calling the NSA. All operators are busy, but we value your call and hope you'll stay on the line and we'll get back to you in the order your call was received. Your call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes.
Sources said the problem occurred because the computer system was overloaded and badly stressed.
Basically, they forgot to feed the hamsters and the wheels just stopped a-turnin'. It's really sad that the US claims to be the last-remaining and still reigning superpower but can't afford to slap another couple nodes on the NSA's infrastructure. But as we all know, monopolies breed complacency....
"If one is really a superior person, the fact is likely to leak out without too much assistance" -- John Andrew Holmes
Did someone smurf the Echelon?
Just a few thoughts on the subject. Feel free to moderate me as (+1, -1, +2, -pi, Moderation As Rambling As The Content Is).
1. For the last two or three months the NSA has been playing "woe is me". Check out the press they've received recently; most egregiously was a Newsweek article which was very possibly written by the NSA. The NSA knows that the best PR is no PR -- the more people who watch the NSA, the harder it is for them to do their job. If people must watch the NSA, best if they point, laugh and make rude noises to mock them... after all, if the NSA is a laughingstock, nobody will take them seriously, which makes it easier for them to do their job.
2. Never believe anything the NSA tells you without independent confirmation. If the NSA feels it's in the national security of the United States to lie to you, they'll do so with a straight face and a clear conscience. The NSA says that some computers went down? Great -- big deal, computers go down all the time. "No," the NSA says, "these were important computers." Great -- that happens all the time, too. What, don't you guys have backup systems? A budget larger than every other intelligence agency combined and you can't afford redundant, independent computers for your mission-critical tasks?
Something in there just doesn't sound right to me.
3. The ability to process information is now more important than the ability to collect it. The article says that an NSA official downplayed the incident, saying that data was still collected -- it just wasn't processed and it'll have to be looked at later. Sounds like it wasn't too bad after all, right?
No. It means the NSA was blind, deaf and dumb, and not only that, they will likely forever be blind, deaf and dumb to events that happened during those few days.
NASA still has data from the Apollo Program which they haven't had the time or resources to look through and catalog yet. The NSA collects orders of magnitude more data than NASA, and unless they've got some incredibly advanced form of storage technology, they simply cannot store data for very long. They do not have the manpower or the resources to look through their backlog; with the scope and prevalence of digital communications today, they're drowning -- they must be drowning -- in a tidal wave of noise searching for the life-preserver of signal. It's a Herculean task.
... Add all of the above together and what do you get? I don't know. If I knew, I'd be Bruce Schneier.
It was obviously a failed attempt to crack and read the Gig of encycephered files on Kevin Mitnick's computers before the appeals court forces their rightful return to Kevin ;->
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
How is it that 90-odd percent of the comments here _haven't_ been moderated down for irrelevance? I click on a story to read what I assume will be intelligent comments regarding NSA's computer failure and get.. what? a whole lot of people bitching at each other about OS's?? because of an innocuous, mildly amusing, yet obviously ill-advised comment in the story-excerpt.
grow up, guys.
-eqx
The three days is _very_ odd. There are only two reasons for crashes that long: broken customized hardware, and lack of skilled technical people. Customized hardware should have spares on the shelf.
A shortage of skilled techs is very likely. The private sector offers much higher pay, and govt job security is only worth so much. So how is the US govt going to fix this?
Surely not by paying more. They might re-introduce the DRAFT (aka Selective Service) for a "War on Drugs" or a "War on Poverty" or "War on Pollution" or whatever. But they'd take all the technically proficient draftees and use them to service govt departments. Not sensitive areas like the NSA which would be filled by transfering long-term govt employees, but backfilling for them.
Perhaps a bit paranoid, but the price of freedom is vigilance.
-- Robert
This is very odd--Why would the NSA let us know their machines are down, and they can't get them up? Are they trying to lull us into complacency? Disinformation is an important tactic of spyies.
Now, I recognize the importance of National Security, and the role the NSA plays in it. But frankly, with ECHELON etc, they haven't convinced me that their actions are solely devoted to defending against foreign threats. That is the law, and I think they bend or break it.
-- Robert
Kristian C.
Kristian C.
The NSA randomly monitors all voice and data transmissions, even those of people who have not and never will commit a crime. Like grandmothers. And scoutmasters. And Natalie Portman (moderators, please don't moderate this down because of mentioning her, it's just an example!). Yes, national security is important, and a lot of groups have agents inside this country for less than honorable reasons, but they now treat everyone like a criminal.
- Our Rights (which we really haven't had in 30 years)
- Amendment IV
- The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, [I consider my communications to be my property -- kc] against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
- Where's the warrant stating my crimes? Why has the NSA intercepted and stored my communications as evidence?
- Amendment II
- A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
- Since the federal government classifies my copy of PGP as a munition (even with the recent relaxation of export regulations) it is therefore 'Arms' (a synonym of 'munitions') and any attempt to break my encrypted communications is therefore an infringement of my rights given to me by our founding fathers. Sure, Thomas Jefferson et al could not foresee the future, but they laid down the Bill of Rights in plain language to insure the rights of every American citizen for as long as this great country stands.
I propose the NSA turns it's voice and data scanning to a truly criminal group inside this country.- Facts about this relatively (less than 600 total) group as of mid-1999.
- 29 members of this group have been accused of spousal abuse
- 7 have been arrested for fraud.
- 19 have been accused of writing bad checks.
- 3 have been arrested for assault.
- 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges.
- 8 have been arrested for shoplifting.
- 84 were stopped for drunk driving, but released after they claimed immunity.
- This group, ladies and gentlemen, is The United States Congress. source: www.firecongress.com.
It doesn't matter how crooked our watchdogs are? Bullshit! It matters very much. Most of us born after 1970 have never been able to communicate electronically without a chance of interception. We are one of the most carefully watched societies on the planet, and I don't see that changing. Do you believe that you're best protected when the government treats everyone like a criminal? I don't. And I don't like living in a prison, which is all this country will amount to the farther we travel down this path.And no, this is not assfucking our country and you so eloquently put it. Our country is asking us to bend over which is not their right because their power devolves from the people, not the other way around. Put into your vernacular the can only assfuck you if you've given permission, which you seem more than willing to do.
Kristian C.
Note to the NSA's computers if you read this: Fuck off.
Never before in history has a single person been able to create something that cna (by itself) wipe out entire cities or more.
I'm referring to chemical (and worse) biological agents.
Oh I agree completely!
If the world were a simpler place, we could have our cake and eat it too..
But, even if hitler won (yech. blech. yuck), the chances that his regime would let him kill everyone would be slimmer than what a standard nutjob ould do today with modern science.
Governments act to preserve their own power! They cannot do that if they have noone to support them.
(The question I should have asked in the beginning: Which is more important. Survival as a species, or survival as a species of individuals, assuming they are mutually exclusive)
Here Here!
And yea I meant to (mis)spell it that way =)
I'm of two minds about the NSA and related branches.
One one hand, I'm afraid of the power they wield.
On the other hand,I'm afriad of the power that can be wielded by crazy, lone individuals.
The sad fact is that it is becoming easier and easier to create weapons of mass destruction, and easier and easier to deliver them.
This is very scary, because some of these things (biological) have the capacity to wipe us out.
I'm for the perpetuation of our species first and foremost, and as a result I'd rather have big brother than not exist. (It is in big brother's best interest to perpetuate the species)
So is this good, or is it bad?
What are you more afraid of? Losing your individual rights, or fearful for our species?
I, personally, am torn.
The way CNN makes it sound is like a HD went down or something, or perhaps a race-condition of some sort or another. .. =]
Someone did raise a good question, why would the NSA admit to something like this? From the article it appears they didn't loose anything, so good for them, but I wonder how 'back-logged' they became.
I honestly can't think of a reason for them to tell, but if they did, maybe they'll release more info. Something saucy like "Don't use IDE on your servers, SCSI is your friend.."
NSA's mission statement..HAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Oh so I as an Australian should feel comfortable with an Organisation that can spy, catalogue and pidgeonhole me for analysis (I am not implying that they have any interest in me, ANT that I am)Why should I respect the NSA, of course Americans are the most important people on Earth, without you we would perish, falling plague to dictator after dictator, blood in the sky, a fiery cross!!!
Am I paranoid really?? -Why is it that an area the size of one of your states in the US has been ceded to you for intelligence gathering purposes it's called MARALINGA in our very Northern Territory. Should this make me feel happy, that a foreign power is occupying our land protecting me from God know's or who know's what. Or that our own government are sheep that follow you to every war, help you with ECHELON etc... Should I be happy that we get roped into fighting every stupid war you help create by supplying arms to dictator's who use them on their own population, then on YOU or your allies. There would be no IRAQ or IRAN today without your WEAPONS sales... (now I am ranting)
But reading the MISSION STATEMENT, I don't know didn't read as well as any Aesop's Fable I have read. I think rather they should have employed a better writer something from Marquis De Sade would be more appropriate and probably hold more truth.
The NSA must be secure in the knowledge that there are Americans like you......
Personally they can go fuck themselves, and fuck off from MY COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"The way she used to say Rimmer as if it rhymed with scum" Red Dwarf
If you were to look at the NSA website, you would see that the NSA is a division of the CIA, with a specific purpose: It handles signals interception and processing. You can conjecture all you'd like about the real things that go on at the NSA, but officially they are for only communications intelligence.
The rest of the CIA is responsible for many traditional spy activities, eg. sattelite surveillance and inside infiltration. If you need to hear what somebody says on their cellphone, the NSA can hook you up. It'll also give you a printout of all of their e-mail traffic. If you wanted to bug their house, you'd talk to a different department.
Don't underestimate the wide-ranging knowledge that they intercept, but they're not the whole spy effort.
The rest is still valid, though. Just rechecked that little bit; it's indeed independent.
>1. And don't believe this "win2k is more stable" stuff they are spreading around.
NT 5 does seem to be more stable then NT 4. I've been using it for the last year.
> 2. They said that win95 would be more stable than win3.1, too.
I remember win3.1 GPF all over the place, so Win95 is more stable.
> 3. They said that win3.1 would be more stable than win3.0.
I remember crashing 3.0 more then 3.1
Of course my Linux box has only crashed twice in the past years. Pretty darn impressive.
Cheers
Now if us game developers could just convince management to do a Linux and BeOS port, we'd be in heaven.
You do know that the CPUSA *was* used both for funneling money and recruiting agents, in addition to the regular "legal" networks operating under diplomatic cover, and the various fronts used by illegals? That it directly aided the recruitment of agents in the Manhattan Project, various high-level jobs (asst. sec. of the Treasury, a Presidential aide, and so forth), and so forth?
FWIW, the CIA with the help of a GRU colonel helped screw over the USSR during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Go figure, eh?
Only the dead have seen the end of war.
Erm. Somehow, I think there are a LOT of damn-well-qualified mathematicians, electrical engineers, computer scientists, and so forth that don't have time for this board because they're busy doing research. And the NSA isn't all "hackers"... they do more than try to keep a high uptime and work on security glitches. There's a heck of a lot of theory going on there.
Only the dead have seen the end of war.
It's hard to hide something this significant.
In addition, once word gets out that a Gov't agency has hidden something, they'll *never* hear the end of it. Ever.
Nixon tried to help cover for a burglary by his CRP bozos, and the whole ugly mess unravelled.
AG Reno revealed that pyrotechnic tear gas canisters HAD been fired at Waco, and it revived the whole Davidian case -- combined with footage that's strongly suggestive of Federal gunfire, and with shell casings found at a building used by ATF forces... and they also made the mistake of initially denying the presence of US Army Special Forces personnel...
Pres. Clinton denied the whole darned Lewinsky mess, in court no less. Oops; looked like he had learned that he could get away with it, after the Flowers affair, and his strange denial of marijuana inhalation.
And so forth. Generally, it's much, MUCH better for a public official or agency to provide full and immediate disclosure if a) it can be leaked, b) it looks bad, and c) leaking it won't hurt nat'l security.
Only the dead have seen the end of war.
How can they do this?
Shady NSA-type: "Here are the logs of encrypted material we can't decrypt (lawfully). We hope you British intelligence types can benefit from our wiretapping."
Shady British Intelligence-type: "Why, thank you! For no connected reason, here is a copy of our wiretapping data. If you find anything, let us know, k?"
Shady NSA-type: "No problem. Friends are as friends do. Aww, you look like you need a good back scratch turn around.. When I'm done, scratch my back."
Shady British Intelligence-type: "Sure. I love these Echelon backscratchers."
All the governments of the world are starting to work together to stop real privacy.. Sigh
---
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
I don't want to hear any of that anti-MS flaming! Why? The NSA probably doesn't use MS for something as mission critical as intelligence processing. If Joey S. Hacker can tell that MS products aren't good enough, don't you think the professional hacks at the NSA know it too? Second, something that is expected to handle real-time amounts of sigint That's the realm of IRIX, MCOS, etc, NOT MS. Microsoft gets enough bad press on it's own merits.
.sig: Now legally binding!
Wow, another snippy comment about Microsoft. One might wonder if the Slashdot editorial crew has some unresolved freudian windows-envy. Why would the NSA tell CNN of a system crash? More bogus news for the sake of a microsoft quip. Get real.
Just a thought, but wouldn't it be amazing to see the combined powers of /. secure a box. I'm sure there would be a huge amount of argument about what's to be done, but that's why I love slashdot.
It would also provide a larger analogy for the security of linux if we could show exactly how the box was secured and then challenge people to break in. I know that I would benefit hugely from seeing how it would be done and it would give a lot of people a chance to flex their skills.
"Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality." -- Dalai Lama
So far nobody has made any suggestion that the NSA write a d.net client for... oh forget it.
When I'm singing a ballad and a pair of underwear lands on my head, I hate that. It really kills the mood.
-Tom Jones
Thanks. As a EE I would love to see the kind of labs and setups they have there. Oh well, too bad I didn't get that internship there. The price of being a white male applying for a minority internship ;)
Maybe someone could help me out here, but it seems to me that the NSA would be able to run whatever they wanted, probably something with support for multiple processors, and I wasn't aware of windows being able to support multiple processors well. I just thought the NSA would be able to at least come up with some native OS that only they would use since they are so secretive, and they have so many bright people.
Looks like our man Kev had some NASTY shit in his f1lez then...
Ok, this is prolly flamebait, but oh well. No government agency would use Win NT on anything secretive anyway, it's not C2 certified unless the system doesn't have a NIC in it. Yes, I know that C2 is an overall system evaluation, but if a system that meet all the criteria has Win NT on it with a NIC, it will fail. So, it's stupid to even think the NSA would use NT anyway.
kc8apf
At Bletchley Park they used to have this wonderful card index system. The only problem was that the table legs used to give out on account of the weight.
threadeds blog
Umm... please learn how to fucking use apostrophes.
I'll call it Micro$loth Windblows in a DELICIOUS TWIST of IRONY
What they don't tell you is that they were trying to hack Mitnick's encryption at the time.
Pablo Nevares, "the freshmaker".
Pablo Nevares, "the freshmaker".
I could understand if it were the computer the made the universe work, but this strikes me as not news worthy.
It was more likely reported to win the bet that all of the major news networks have with one another about who can stretch Y2K reporting as late in the year as possible.
I submitted a great article about the genetic engineering of foods, and it gets rejected, and then they pick a story about a BSOD.
Oh god my head hurts.
Ignore Alien Orders
It's a joke (getting old, but we were all thinking it).
Somehow I doubt Windows scales to crays.
- Tom 7
You're right windows doesn't alway crash, it does n't crash more than 1/day for me(this is an average, some days I don't use windows and some days it crashes lots of times)
--
If noone rtfa, then what's the slashdot effect?
Whenever articles about the big, bad NSA pop up on ./ everyone suddenly becomes a HERO OF DEMOCRACY. Yeah. Everyone here realizes that the same constitution that they so happily enjoy quoting also allows them to get off their fat asses and run for office to change things "for the better." If people here are so right and all of the people , like me for instance, in the world are wrong then why don't you do something useful about it instead of bitch and complain about such useless shit as "echelon." With more and more nuclear capable countries coming up in this new millenium do you really think the NSA or CIA or whoever really gives a half ass shit about anybody on ./? No. And for your information the FBI is the one who works with militia groups, not the NSA. The NSA is military, not civilian and they do not carry out domestic duties unless there is a military reason to do so. And all of this FUD about the NSA, as so many people enjoy calling it, is simply humorous to read. And, no, the NSA does not hire people from this group to work there. Get a fucking clue people. I am senior in Mathematics and I applied to work at the NSA spring 99 semester. They are very serious. They don't give a fuck about people like you. I was asked POINT BLANK under a lie detector whether I ever had anti-government thoughts or tendencies or if I was ever part of a militia or militant group. And of course I said NO. I am an American and I believe in what my country stands for and what it does to protect itself from enemies foreign and domestic. Some of the people on this website should make any American sick to his stomach. You don't like it, vote.
And now their computer crashes. Maybe instead of protesting Echelon, which no one can prove actually exists, we should simply flood their computer and the Internet at large with the news of the FBI's machine going down.
Wouldn't that prove the usefulness of /.? To show the US government that we're far more valuable to them, with our overall hacker mentality, than Microsoft with its billions of dollars is?
Disclaimer: A lot of this is mildly sarcastic; I don't REALLY think the FBI would take us seriously. But the irony really heavy, so that works...
"I may disagree vehemently with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it."
"On that train all graphite and glitter, undersea by rail. Ninety minutes from New York to Paris..." -Donald Fagen, IGY
Okay, I'll start up a page with pics of BSOD and other computer errors that are found out in the real world, or even something that they are obviously not supposed to be doing (e.g. I once saw a "vanilla" win95 screen on a huge projector at a car display, I think that it must have rebooted but the display program hadn't started properly.)
Okay, so far I've got zero... hhmmm Anyone want to help? Full credits for images etc.. I'm keeping my eyes (and camera) on the lookout from now on
Anyway, my email is dmarsh at iname dot com; send some if you want, or don't
Now we officially know for sure that their is actually a partnership between Microsoft and the NSA. I think we've all suspected it for a while now, but now we have proof.
I'm surprised that they let something like this out... I mean, why the heck would the government TELL us that an intelligence computer crashed?
Brilliant PR strategy, guys.
-- Dr. Eldarion --
On the other hand, this admission tells me that they think that the glitch is internal. That is, they are not worried about providing confirmation that an outside attack has worked. (Or, conversely, there -was- an attack, and they think they know how to trap whoever did it and so want to goad them into trying again) Isn't it fun analyzing press releases?
Well, I can't say as for all they do, but I can verify that they do indeed handle commincations security (crypto, etc.) for the DOD. They're the people responsible for keeping our comminications secure.
Can't say I've ever dealt with them myself, but my career field in the military does - all of our crypto keys come from the NSA (handed down through a couple mid-level organizations). This is a HUGE job... there's WAY more encrypted systems than people realize, and they have to supply all of it to the military. So I'd guess that crypto systems is the major part of what they do.
'course, I'm just an E-2, and I learned all this from my training manuals and OJT, so there could be facets of the organization that I'm missing. But I would say that crypto is most likely their forte'.
Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach either, do tech support.
I'm not an american, but why would the NSA tell CNN that one of their spy computers crashed?
Isn't the NSA the head spy-board, bigger than the CIA and the FBI together?
Weird....
--
Talon Karrde
"May I ask this ? Under which circumstances is it moral for a group to do that which is not moral for a member of that group to do alone ?"
"But I believe in capital punishment under some circumstances ... with this difference. I would not ask a court; I would try, condemn, execute sentence myself, and accept full responsibility."
"A rational anarchist believes that concepts such as 'state' and 'society' and 'government' have no existence save as physically exemplified in the acts of self-responsible individuals. He believes that it is impossible to shift blame, share blame, distribute blame ... as blame, guilt and responsibility are matters taking place inside human beings and nowhere else."
"My point is that some person is responsible. Always. If H-bombs exist - and they do - some person controls them. In terms of morals there is no such thing as 'state'. Just men. Individuals. Each responsible for his own acts."
"But I will accept any rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; If I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am responsible for everything I do."
"What I fear most are affirmative actions of sober and well intentioned men, granting the government power to do something that appears to need doing."
"The power to tax, once conceded, has no limits; it contains until it destroys."
Robert A. Heinlein
Isn't is possible that the NSA is using the media to spread a false rumour about a crashed system to lure hackers into attempting attacks on other NSA systems?
They might be hoping that hackers will think that because one system went down, the rest are weakened as a result, and it should be easy for them to be taken down.
While a bunch of hackers are trying to attack a computer system that is really fully operational, the NSA is monitoring the types of attacks that are being mounted, and where they are originating from. This way they get useful data to make their computers even more secure, and as a bonus, they also get leads on a few more elite hackers. (That's assuming that only the elite would get far enough as to attacking an NSA computer
-Markus
Rainy days and automatic weapons always get me down.
FBI CIA NSA IRS ATF BATF DOD WACO RUBY RIDGE OKC OKLAHOMA CITY MILITIA GUN HANDGUN MILGOV ASSAULT RIFLE TERRORISM BOMB DRUG HORIUCHI KORESH DAVIDIAN KAHL POSSE COMITATUS RANDY WEAVER VICKIE WEAVER SPECIAL FORCES LINDA THOMPSON SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUP SOG SOF DELTA FORCE CONSTITUTION BILL OF RIGHTS WHITEWATER POM PARK ON METER ARKANSIDE IRAN CONTRAS OLIVER NORTH VINCE FOSTER PROMIS MOSSAD NASA MI5 ONI CID AK47 M16 C4 MALCOLM X REVOLUTION CHEROKEE HILLARY BILL CLINTON GORE GEORGE BUSH WACKENHUT TERRORIST TASK FORCE 160 SPECIAL OPS 12TH GROUP 5TH GROUP SF
According to a Reuters story in the New York Times the system was down approximately 72 hours. But in order to fix it, they spent thousands of man hours and $1.5 million! That's quite a problem... not simply reinstalling the OS on some workstation somewhere, I mean, how do you spend $1.5 million on repairs within 72 hours? Did they have to buy themselves a new Cray?
They said the system was badly overloaded. I remember a little while ago the NSA was complaining that the internet was growing too fast for them to check it all and intercept everything they want to intercept and crack all the encryption they want to crack. Just wait until the standard makers work out universal encryption. I'd like to see the looks on their faces when they finish brute-forcing all the traffic coming from a well-visited site only to discover that it's just a picture of Natalie Portman, naked and petrified.
WARNING: there is a trojan on your
I was the Houston Museum of Natural History on the MLK weekend last month at the oil refining exhibit. At each phase in oil refining exhibit they had a separate terminal to describe the processes. To the left of the cat cracker screen was the classic NT "blue screen of death"... out there for the public to see! I let the viewers around me know eaxactly what operating system produced this screen.
Umm...Might be going out on a limb here, but aren't WE the "professional" hackers that the NSA recruits from and such? I mean, wouldn't it make sense that anyone nerdy enough to get hired on as an NSA nerd/hacker would HAVE TO be nerdy enough to be registered here at /.???!!!??? Just a thought.
Sources said the problem occurred because the computer system was overloaded and badly stressed.
In order to deal with the incress of information that needs to analysed in order to maintian national security, the NSA has announced the advent of NSA@home. This screensaver will analize everything from ariel photographs of Bagdad to the habits of interns in DC.
Use of this client will count as government service for the purposes of everything but taxes and the draft.
--Cam
All jocks think about is sports. All nerds think about is sex.
I don't know if anyone has asked this yet, but I don't have the time to check through 200 messages to check for that.
What exactly were the damages and mishaps? I can understand the gov't wanting to conceal this information. But why hold some information to the general publics face and then snatch it away before we can see or understand anymore?
The NSA's charter is top secret, there are few people in the contry who have enough clearance to even know what they do. They say they do sigint. This probably pretty close to the truth. But there is no 'offical' word at all.
Amber Yuan (--ell7)
"and dear god does this website suck now." -- CmdrTaco
Hey, we employ more nerds than any organization on the planet! Cut us some slack!
That single perl script they are running to parse all the world's email for words like "BOMB" and "ENCRYPTION" must of finally choked from our Echelon protest last month ;)
That was the computer they tested the microsoft 200 beta on... :P
Aidhel, the one, singular Aidhel (©1999 Monkey Butt Productions) FREE JOLLY JENKINS!!!
That was the computer they tested the microsoft 2000 beta on... :P
Aidhel, the one, singular Aidhel (©1999 Monkey Butt Productions) FREE JOLLY JENKINS!!!
This belief is fueled by the fact that the head of the agency is a Navy Admiral. That being said I believe they are independant from the DOD and merely support many of the DODs interests.
I saw one of the funniest things I've seen in a while at a local mall (White Flint, for those of you in the DC area). As you walk in the door, some videos are on the side of a marble column. I don't know what is usually on them ; mall informtion, perhaps, and I think for a short while they had some of those ISP sample terminals hooked up to it. But, as I was leaving Borders (after looking at computer books and having coffee, like usual), I noticed that every monitor now displayed...
Ya ready?
The Infamous Blue Screen of Death, © Microsoft 1988 (approximately)!! I was positively giddy! I always love public displays of how shoddy Windows is. I made sure to tell a few techie people back at the office, but alas, they weren't quite as amused as I was.
Just thought I'd share that.
***
It probably looks something like this:
This crash sceen does not exist.
You never saw it.
NSA OS runs flawlessly and anyone who says less is a Communist and Enemy of the State.
Back away from the terminal and alert your supervisor!
Whuddya think?
***
First Post! This sig contains no secret information. A82jfd82ks81ks91la,v191hjdlwuthqrps;lh