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FBI Bugging Public Libraries
zamiel writes "Bill Olds writes in the Hartford Courant: 'I know my librarian, and I believe she would tell me if the government were tracking my computer use at the library. Don't you agree? No way. There's a gag order. When the FBI uses a court order or a subpoena to gain access to library computers or a list of the names of people who have borrowed certain books, librarians can't tell anyone - not even other librarians or you. They face a stiff federal penalty if they do. It's unfair that librarians should be placed in such a position.'" The American Library Association has a page with advice to librarians and links to previous news stories on the subject.
Those cranky librarians have been shushing people for years. About time someone shushed them back!
Best Windows Freeware
Proof again that you can get anything passed if it has a snazzy acronym.
The same thing goes for Universities too. They used to have to tell you by law, now they can't. They also don't need a subpoena to monitor your computer use any more. I believe a court order will work which is easier to get than a subpoena. So add computer labs and dorms to list.
Thanks Patriot Act.
This was one of the nastier provision of the Patriot Act, and as I recall there was an uproar on /. when it first started getting press. <OB KARMA WH0REING>Related /. stories here and here.</OB KARMA WH0REING>
Time to return by copy of "Catcher in the Rye!"
Anonymous Cowards suck.
Now they're gonna find out about that copy of Winnie the Pooh that's been overdue for 27 years.
Is this gonna make it a Federal offence?
BIGstan!
What is this...library... you speak of?
Is it anything like the Intarweb?
Everything will be used against you if they need someone to blame. Just pick the one with the most "X"s.
I have several books that might raise an eyebrow. One is "Blueprint for Black Power" Amazon inserted a small paper saying it was below their standards when I ordered it from them. But I couldn't find any visible damage...
This book is primarily about cultural phychology and has nothing to do with any radical movements or any such violence or the like. But I could easily be marked by one of the various government "plans" if they feelt the need over books like this.
This is garbage and we shouldn't allow this in a 'free as in beer' society.
What do they really expect to find? They already have shown they have enough information, but their problem is a lack of digestion and comprehention. Perhaps some of the Arabs and muslims they so actively alienate could be of assistance...Only if they really cared about security would that happen!
... the barage of posts talking about constitional rights, the Bush Administration and, of course, the 569 jokes about the "terrorists already winnning". But seriously, does anyone thing they have an absolute Constitional Right to anonymity when they use the internet or check out books in the library?
I know that even posing the question is going to be seriously unpopular, but it should be asked.
Forget the whales - save the babies.
"Sure you can say that, we don't mind at all! What's your name, current address, social security number, and credit history?"
--fetch daddy's blue fright wig, i must be handsome when i release my rage
When I called my representative about the Zoe Lofgren bill (the one that restores some fair-use and civil liberties to individuals taken away by the DMCA) I got a response that he didn't support her bill. As a representative, shouldn't that be exactly what he supports? Restoring civil liberties to those he represents?
Soon enough, when enough of these freedoms are taken away, like the public unmonitored use of public libraries, then all of the so-called "public" institutions will be used less and less frequently by people who are concious about these things.
In the movie Seven, there was a great hubbub about tracking the use of library card-holders' reading habits. Now it seems that it doesn't need to be kept a secret, that they can and will do it, and that you can't find out about it. That's troubling.
In all the news about the USA PATRIOT Act, I had no idea it was an acronym for:
the "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act" (USA PATRIOT Act.) until I read the librarian guidelines. Call me s-l-o-w. I bet there is a full-time job to come up with those catchy titles. (I wonder what it pays)
I wonder why everyone is always so worried about what someone might see them doing? Are you that morally degraded that you can't do what's right when nobody is looking? And then you have the gall to complain when someone does? Come on now...grow up!
What library's need to do is allow for anonymous checkout of books - providing the person leaves collateral of course.
When you return the books, you get the money back - just don't forget your receipt with matching barcode.
is the feds bugging slashdot. You ARE reading this from behind an anonymous proxy aren't you?
Sorry, but my karma just ran over your dogma.
I cannot
respect free speech
I should be:
an attourney General
see more here
This is easy enough to fix - just burn all the books with questionable content. Might help to cut down on all of the mischief caused by those evil Harry Potter books.
Security first.
We just cannot let libraries protect terrorits. Imagine if a big "mushroom cloud" were to blow Washington, and we later found out that the author of this crime once borrowed a nuclear science book!
Science books and books with a bias against the US should also be banned. Anyone saying the opposite is against the Homeland Security!!
This is a questionable practice. It's nasty, and more than a bit frightening.
BUT, it's fairly understandable, as are its counterparts.
If an investigation into a robbery suspect led to a gun shop, should the gun shop owner be able to phone up the suspect and say, "Hey--the cops were asking after you."
Due to the nature of crime (criminals don't want to get caught!), the cops have to have a reasonable opportunity to work quietly, and in private. After an investigation has been concluded, THEN this stuff should be made public.
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
Yep, pretty much seems that way. Back to the FBI's old tricks like illegally monitoring the communciations of anyone they care to target. Back in McArthy's day it actually cost time and manpower so it was limited to famous,dangerous, or radical people. Today information tracking is so rediculously cheap that they can feasibly monitor some large percentage of the populations communications and even if they don't have the bandwidth to process it all they can store it for future use. I'm really not a conspiracy nut, but I do like to raise my voice when I see our liberties being needlessly trampled. I don't see my life becoming any more secure because the government can more easily monitor citizens conversations, they have and always will have the power to target criminals, now they are just grabbing for the power to use their tools against anyone. Maybe I should move to Canada, a federal judge there just threw out the evidence against 9 defendants that were caught importing 49Kg of heroin because he thought the RCMP had played too loose with their wiretap applications.
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
We don't have no the FBI... We have the RCMP, and its unfortunate, but they waste time tracking who borrows certain books when they SHOULD BE investigating our Prime Minister and the millions of tax dollars that got funnelled to friendly Liberal supporters.
The legacy of our PM is broken promises... Case and point... GST and Free Trade...
NAPMFQ
Tournament Management Online &
Things change, you should understand that. You have witnessed huge changes. Change should be easy for you to accept.
Why would a library provide subversive reading material?
Is it entrapment?
That movie came out only a few years ago, and yet the scene would probably be meaningless today. It's funny how things change, and not necessarily for the better.
I work at a University computer department. A lot of my work goes into writing/maintaining the software that provides a three-way cross between client IP address, username, and timestamp for every use of our computer facilities (except staff and faculty workstations). These logs are regularly used as evidence in court and in pre-trial proceedings. IANAL, and I don't actually interface with the lawyers, but my buddies in the security group are constantly reviewing the login records at the behest of xxAA or FBI or whatever (they always play the cloak and dagger routine -- "need to know only!" *rolls the eyes*). Every login is preceded by "By clicking the button you agree to these policies" with a URL to the pages and pages of dos and don'ts, or else published everywhere around these workstations as dead tree reminders of "acceptable use". I can't speak for public libraries, but here at University we try to be lenient and let the students off with a "never do that again!" If they cower and tremble and repent of their evil filesharing ways, we let them off. Otherwise, they get a permanent "incident report" filed on their student record and get to take their song and dance to the VP of student affairs.
Which brings me to the point of, where's the right to privacy? Waived at the door, I guess, since apparently the presupposition is that by using your authentication to log in to these systems, you've agreed that you've read all these policies and have agreed to all these potential remedies against your violation of these policies. Any lawyers out there know if that holds water?
--
"Limited government" will always exceed its bounds
They don't have to follow rules.
They came and confiscated my computers over some little shit. What can you do? Resist? They will fuck your world up so fast, you won't know what happened.
They can do WHATEVER they want. And they don't have to tell anyone. They don't follow rules.
When I was young, it was a great thing to go to the library once a week, get a stack of books, and read them through in the next 7 days. The star wars fiction series, Hardy Boys, Star Trek, The Odessey...
College libraries were awesome places. Places to hang out, maybe study a bit, meet young ladies.
Then I moved to Fayetteville, Georgia. Where the publicly funded library is run by the white hair Gestapo. The collection of books there is lacking. So you say, donate some? I did! I offered to donate 8 cases of books. Computer programming manuals, CS theory, even some copies of books I'v written or edited. Not 30 year old books, but fresh books. Books that a young teenager may not be able to afford to buy, but interested in reading. The offer was refused. No strings attached, just take them. No.
Would the old bags in Fayetteville let you know whats going on? No. Odds are THEY'LL call the FBI first.
Ok, thats my rant. If you are in the atlanta area, its worth the drive to the Georgia Tech library downtown if you really are looking for information. Georgia State's isn't too bad off either.
----- LoboSoft specializes in Digital Language Lab
This is "news for nerds"? It may be important to discuss in the big scheme of things but let EFF run their own discussion boards on these topics. I suppose the criminal nerds and terrorist nerds have reason to be concerned but this is off topic for the average nerd.
It's time to implement modding of topics. Crap (like "version 0.1001a of 'abc' has been released!") can be shunted off to the dead pool for those that care and marginal topics that may have been rejected otherwise could get voted to the front page.
That's right, I'm not posting anon...but I know the cowards will come out to respond.
If they want to monitor, lets give them something to monitor. Find out what books would trigger the watchful eyes, and go check out ALL of them, frequently. Have everyone else do the same. Overwhelm them with useless information. When everyone is on the list, there's no point in having a list.
-Restil
Play with my webcams and lights here
I think I'll go check out a bunch of books on explosives and nuclear weapons for a month just to fuck with them.
Simple solution... don't use public libraries. Don't forget to send a big thank-you note to your congressman.
Skiers and Riders -- http://www.snowjournal.com
Congratulations to the United States of America, the cradle of world's freedom and civil rights!
It was nice, it got boring, it gets annoying.
With the influx of the library/patriot act stories on slashdot lately, im begining to think most of the readers are old, cranky, librarians.
- what is the definition of simultanagnosia?! I've been meaning to look it up!
The funny thing about this is that there is currently a public service announcement being aired now (I'm not sure which networks are carrying it. I do know, however, that the television station here at my school has been airing it every now and then) produced by a group that has some involvement with our government, that shows just this sort of thing happening, implied by context that it's "fictional". A sort of what-if scenario, reminding us of our supposed freedom.
What it involves is a kid asking a librarian for help finding some books. She explains that they don't have those books anymore, then guys in suits appear and presumably bust his inquisitive ass.
What's my point? I don't know. I just think it's a little bit creepy, with them saying that we should be glad to be American because shit like that doesn't happen, when in fact it clearly can and most likely does happen! The content of the ad does seem absurd: a kid getting hassled for just trying to read some books. But, it also seems like it's happening, so the fact that this ad lies to us about that is probably more absurd.
> What do they really expect to find? They already
> have shown they have enough information, but
> their problem is a lack of digestion and comprehention.
I'd expect that they run your reading list against the following algorithm:
* If you read at least two "radical" books like "Blueprint for Black Power"
* And you read the Koran
* Then you are likely are guilty of the thought crime of "Thought Terrorist" so you need to be watched.
* If you are found to consort with others who have committed "Thought Terrorism"
* Then you and your consorts must be brought in for "questioning" until you confess your guilt or "prove" your innocense. It's not "innocent 'till proven guilty" since they already have "proof" that you and your consorts have engaged in "Thought Terrorism".
It's quite an effective strategy to deal with "underable elements". The "beauty" of it is that much of it can be automated and using Bayesian Filtering it can be made more accurate over time. There may be some false positives, but who cares? It's "for the greater good" and "we all have to make sacrifices to stop 'Terrorism'".
*shiver*
Is it not reasonable that the FBI, if it gets a court order, can bug a computer or a telephone? Is ./ really against bugging in any situation?
If such power is misused then it is cause of great convern, but the article provides no evidence that this is the case.
The author also seems upset that the library staff is not telling him. Well, it is pretty obvious that if you are going to bug something you can't tell the world what you are doing.
Tor
See also the article posted in September on this topic
What do you mean they cut the power? How can they cut the power, man? They're animals!
Why are Americans so bent on protecting criminals? I don't understand. I want my liberties protected by giving the FBI every opportunity it needs to protect me.
-BrentSo the label of "Anonymous Coward" is completely misleading.
Such misrepresentation doesn't behoove the fine folks at Slashdot. Perhaps the title should be changed, in protest. Or perhaps the business should be moved offshore.
every society on earth has had to deal with terrorists at some time or another. There is no easy way to stop the threat that someone could unleash some plague, detonate some bomb or shoot unarmed people. The solution that the US has decided on seems to be surveilance of its own citizens and of anyone new comming into the country. For right or wrong this seems to be a decision that was reached by the people that were elected in the US by the people. The American people have become used to having alot of freedoms that most other nations on earth don't give to the ir citizens, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to keep and bear arms, the right to due process of law, the right to have privacy in your home. These rights are granted to all in the US, unfortunatly this also means that they get granted to people who would attack the US from within.
Saying that your not a terrorist and that the FBI should not be monitering you doesn't work, how are the authorities supposed to know what you are thinking? What you are planning to do? Investigation seems to be a way that this can be accomplished but it means throwing away all the rights that the American people have lived so long with and have fought so hard to preserve, 2 wars and innumerable conflicts have been fought by the US to "preserve and maintain our way of life", you can't get rid of that and still call yourself an American.
Its a dicey issue to be certian, balancing rights with the need for the authorities to protect Americans from their enemies.
Think about it.
Reading the title, I thought FBI was putting back doors into the open source libraries code :) That would really make consiracy freaks happy !
I'm curious about how notable librarian Laura Bush would weigh in on the matters of the Patriot Act and such.
Many are complaining about the fact that the librarians can't disclose the fact that a persons internet use is being monitored. Duh, what do you expect, the FBI to "tap" the computers, but then have the librarians tell every user that their activities are being monitored? Now THAT would be effective (not saying that not disclosing is effective, but disclosing would be a joke on a Monty Pythonesque level).
Give it up folks, privacy in the information age is a dream and it's time to wake up. Everyone from the feds to that pimply faced kid next door can get into your life about as deep as they want to spend the time doing.
The Ad Council spot with the tagline "Freedom. Love it. Respect it. Cherish it." or some such, where a college age guy walks into a library and asks about the book he requested. "We don't carry that book anymore." is the librarian's curt reply, "But would you mind filling out this form, with your name, address, social security number?". Said college age dude backs out cautiously, "Um, no, that's okay, thanks-", turning around to find himself facing a couple of "agents". The spot ends with "What if you didn't have the freedoms you do now?".
And the same government that financed that Ad Council spot (naturally, who else would pay for such drivel, or require networks to air them), is doing exactly the same thing.
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
It's a quote that is much bandied about in this day and age, but people like you should actually give it some thought if you can. Winston Churchill gave us this gem in 1940:
"Those who would trade a little freedom for a little security will soon find they have neither".
That one's for you, Sunshine.
-- Jude
(Not a coward, and not anonymous)
Audere est Facere
I am a network specialist at a very large public library system in the midwest with nearly 700 public PC's. We have had cases with law enforcement asking us for our proxy logs but have never been asked to actively monitor all PC's. There have been stalking cases, and death threats sent from our PC's and in those cases the only thing that we have been able to tell law enforcement is that they were sent from "this branch".
We definitely do not log peoples traffic nor do we have the storage space to do so. We have a snort box for intrusion detection that does only logging. We had logging enabled for http for a day and we used up all 200gb of space.
Law enforcement has to have some particular reason to suspect YOU specifically before it probes through generally accepted expectations of privacy. The depth of the intrusion is propotional to the persuasiveness of the evidence. BUT NO FISHING EXPEDITIONS.
;-) Look what happened to the medical students in Florida, where even the traffic violation was a lie, disproved by videotape." Watch out for the next Eunice Stone, aided by fear.
The Patriot Act relies on a hysterical and ill-defined notion of a future terrorist threat to provide justification. This has been characteristic of many "emergency measures" in many countries over the years -- you know, we have to shut down the presses because it might cause trouble, etc. Now, it's been fairly quiet for over a year in the States -- when do you think they'll dilute the Act?
A recent example abroad -- the Russian gov't interfered with internet and print press in the wake of the theater hostage-taking crisis. Although antiterrorism was the justification, a good portion of this appears to have been to save face for the gov't. They politely call this censorship "media restrictions." (NYT 11/2) Good precedent?
Now, are we aiming to be more like the Russians, or more like us?
If we go to war in Iraq, we'll see even more severe censorship than in Gulf I (when they couldn't lay hands on Peter Arnett) and who knows what sort of internal investigations looking for seditious intent. How many people here will end up on the list? (Actually, with the increased use of sniffers looking for keywords in email and postings, you probably all are on the list.
I am a great supporter of our government, but stop snooping in our libraries, this is pathetic.
AMERICANS: VOTE TODAY!
Details from the ALA. FBI agents no longer have to show probable cause to spy on your reading list, which means people now have every reason to be afraid of reading the "wrong" books.
...will the US gov. stop pissing over the freedoms of its citzens in the name of security?
Till people find it's useless and stop voting shitheads
I'm a chainsmokin' alcoholic sociopath, so-ci-o-path
When is the FBI going to acknowledge
Usama bin Laden's alleged connection to
the WTC and Pentagon plane crashes (assuming that
he was not employed by the CIA)?
You may read the Wanted Sheet here
Of course, the Bureau's inability to understand
technology, explains why they have no e-mail
address on their contact page
Be Patriotic: Smoke American Grown Marijuana
don't worry about if we're BiG enough to handle IT. since we we're found to be one of the Top 10 Companies of 2002(tm) on fuddle's search thingy, our hugeness is unquestionable.
even better yet, if you want to, you can LET the feds peruse your boxes, with ONLY you & them knowing all about IT (eliminating the need for "secret" payper liesense hostage ransom stock markup scamsters). call us.
The terrorists were able to falsify documents to get fake passports and drivers licenses. Library cards are by far the easiest piece of identity thing to fake. Do you really think that a terrorist that is here on an expired visa is going use his real ID (which either doesn't exist or isn't valid)?
"Oh, looks like Chuck U. Farly checked out another copy of 'How to bow up big buildings with farm chemicals.' Where does he live? 110 Up-Yours Infidel St., New York, NY? Book him, dan-o"
Meanwhile, somewhere on the other side of the country, little 4th grader Joey checks out 'How Power Plants Work" for a school project, and 10 minutes later the S.W.A.T. team is busting down his parent's door...
I wonder where our government will put the concentration camps.
-----
_______
2B1ASK1
Well -- I'm more than a little disapointed to see that (as of 2:30p CDT) There hasn't been a front page article reminding American Slashdotters to get out and vote today. With all of the politics that buzz around this site I *really* expected to log onto slashdot this morning to not only a "Hey USers, remember to vote today!" story, but also some tips about certain candidates -- etc ...
Perhaps this isn't the right topic for this gripe, but I guess if you're going to complain about an America-centric problem like the FBI tapping your library's computer, you should at least *try* to do something about it.
Just my two cents.
bemis
Why? Just because it has the work FUCK in it?
Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck? Fuck?
Praise librarians for believing in free speech.
This posting made possible by the ALA and all those library fines I've paid over the years.
Can the EFF get involved in this? It's a little outside of thier turf, as I understand it, but it's a worthy thing to combat or at least publicise.
Maybe the state's highest function is to grind out insoluble problems. (Zelazny, Hall of Mirrors)
I know all of this is stemming from the Gov'ts attempts at providing a 'Sense' of security, which we all know is next to impossible without erecting a 10 mile high wall around the US and shooting down any plane that comes over the wall (or anyone that tunnels underneath. These attempts at spying on the citizenry of the US is a serious afront to our freedom as a whole, at the expense of an ILLUSION of security.
All of these safeguards are merely illusions. The real indication that a terrorist cannot bring in a nuke into the country will be the day that illegal drugs can't get into the country. I don't see that happening anytime soon. Think about it, if I were a terrorist and had a large nuclear device i wanted smuggled into the US, I would contact a drug smuggler, they get literally 1,000's of tons of drugs into the US every year.
The day heroine is 1,000$/gram is the day we can expect a reasonable sense of security (from a nuke detonating in DC atleast).
--
I need to go to library. Can someone give me a list of safe books?
Tat Tvam Asi
We in Wisconsin have so little going for us, any publicity, good or bad, is needed.
Of course we do have Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein. Oh wait.
"More organs means more human." - Zim
...would have approved.
Well, he would have been horrified.
as alota people know the library card is the second or third step in creating a fake identity.
so i dont even see the point in tracking people this way.
1. mail to get bill sent to address in new identity name.
2. take bill to library and get card.thus entering fake id into system
3.destruction and decline of western civilization and other general happiness.
I am with Clifford Stoll on this one. Libraries are repositories of information, but do they need to be free internet cafes? Research? Bullshit, The only research are google searches. A library inventory should contain books, periodicals, and articles of note.
I love technology, I love computers. If I need to use a computer and I cannot get home or to work, it can wait. If I am out of town, I have a laptop. My phone handles my mail and SMS as well. IMHO, we do not need klez speading porn surfers in the library. These are the type of people that do not use a video store for movies, but "rent" them from the library.Get a job.
If we don't fight for ourselves no one will.
No one's mentioned this yet, but in Amerika, it is Election Day.
Has everyone worried about AshKroft et al voted?
I know, I know, I'm preaching to the choir. Everyone on Slashdot that expresses their concern about an issue goes out and tells 100 people about it, and gets them all active in progressive change. Example: do you know who Maher Arar is?
I don't mean to get too bitter here, guys, but regime change starts at home. It's like the old Steven Stills song. If you can't have a system you love, umm, change the system you've got until it more closely resembles the system you'd love. =)
This absolute, knee-jerk libertine fascist reaction against any kind of reasonable investigations is what can eventually result in all freedoms being lost. The people the FBI is fighting are the people who would turn the US in to Egypt or Saudi Arabia where, except for the very rich, have the kind of rights we have here.
...because bin Laden is said to be a BIG Harry Potter fan.
Fancies himself to be Professor Dumbledore, my sources say. Professor Snape was lost in the attacks, happily.
Christmas comes early this year for the black hats! How many other gag orders like this exist under the patriot act? How many people are hindered in finding out if inquiries are coming from a valid source? How many shady groups are already using this enviornment of secrecy to reach thier nefarious ends?
Maybe the state's highest function is to grind out insoluble problems. (Zelazny, Hall of Mirrors)
The whole idea of things changing for the better came about in 1940's - 1950's America. Previously, everyone pretty much agreed that things were much shittier than they had been before.......
Here's what the American Library Association has to say about all this. I seem to remember reading about a situation about 20-30 years ago in which a librarian would not give up information and went to jail for a short while either for obstruction of justice or contempt of court. I can't find the article at the moment, though.
...that an article about freedom being off topic is off topic?
Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
I don't suppose you came across Eunice Stone there?
She may be a lovely person, but to me she typifies the nervous, unworldly, vaguely racist people that make so much mischief possible.
And I have never heard of a library donation being declined! All of them? I accidentally donated a 30 y.o. ZIP code directory to our Arlington, VA library and they took it. (Well, they probably didn't find it before we pulled out of the parking lot.)
Please turn yourself in to the nearest Terrorist Processing Center. You obviously have inappropriate knowledge of the FBI Internal Operations. It is innapropriate to inform the public that we 'might' be monitoring public computer systems.
While an investigation is being made into your means of obtaining this information, you will be our 'guest' at one of our fine Camps.
Thank you for your prompt cooperation in defending our country.
You can have it fast, accurate, or pretty. Pick any 2.
...and if this isn't "stuff that matters" I forget what is.
Oh, it's election day, BTW.
I saw a commercial on TV about libraries. A kid enters a library, goes up to the librarian and asks for a certain book (doesn't matter what it is). She says that he can't read that book. He asks why he can't and she just repeats herself. He starts to walk away and two men in suits stop him and begin to question him. The librarian looks on sadly as he is taken away.
It was supposed to be some sort of "Aren't you glad you live in America" type commercial.
Indeed.
Qualitas edurus commercium, nullus penitus net rimor, nullus deus beneficium
Heh. Its all part of living in a free country!
Now those terrorists posing as librarians don't stand a chance, unless they can pin the blame on some poor fellow with a library card. I always thought my high-school library was weird, and they often use threatening tactics to get their books back. Now I can no longer chalk it up to an over-developed sense of possessiveness.
Think I am joking? Try to find an opinion of the court (not a dissent) that rested its argument upon either amendment... It may be the case that most cases based upon retained or reserved rights never get cert, but in practical terms these amendments are about as important to the current court as the third amendment. I have heard reasonable arguments made that the 13th and 14th amendments effectively gutted 9 and 10 when combined with the commerce clause after the various civil rights cases.
The spot itself is available at_ fr eedom/
http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/campaign_for
Click on Library (links on the right).
If security experts believe that a determined criminal's last resort for information would be the public library... too bad for all of us.
Our society is built on the trust that most of its members lead lives based on "acceptable" line of behavior. There is no way to enforce high security against determined individuals without changing the environment, at a high cost, both monetary and human rights wise. Such environments are prisons, banks, airports, etc.
The choice of a government to create conflicts and conditions which encourage the appearance of such "determined individuals" is a conscious decision to turn its citizens into hostages.
Unfortunately, I don't see a quick solution.
Maybe treat others with respect and/or leave them alone? Even that might not be a solution as it might be exploited as a sign of fear. I am not a politician and do not understand the rules in the battle for power. What I see is that a structure which was invented to support the best interests of "all people" is changing its function to support other entities by _exploiting_ "all people".
Now what?
I'd like to know why they actually think its necessary to track my books.
I'd find it hard to argue against this if there was a clear, valid reason. It still violates free speech, but so do a lot of things and there are good reasons, legality notwithstanding.
But this is just flat out pointless. Are they going to see that I check out a book on bomb-making? Why not just watch my purchases? They already do that, after all.
I just don't understand why it is useful for them to moniter this. If a suspected terrorist checks out a book, so what? A book on bomb-making doesn't make a bomb, it makes knowledge. You still need the materials, which are even easier to trace.
Secondly, if I were a terrorist, I'd go to the library and copy pages out of books with a digital camera or a xerox machine.
Yes, the library is a public place, but what I look at and what I check out is my private business, and unless I'm already under investigation, they have no right to this information. My email is as private as normal letters, phone conversations and even my private conversations with a librarian about my library searches. This practice needs to be tested in court, and it surely will not stand.
The FBI has consistently shown themselves to be tools of buearocrats and the current administration, and they must be held to a higher standard. They don't need this to fight terrorism, they need to work with other government agencies and quit being so damned arrogant.
all things are allowed. No cops. No FBI. No CIA
nothing is allowed. Big brother pervades.
Do you want everyone to have absolute freedom? No. You want something between the extremes, so you trade your personal freedom for your personal security. Where do you draw the line?
By the way, the quote is from Benjamin Franklin, sunshine.
It's true that the USA-PATRIOT Act has a number of provisions that are of questionable Constitutionality and dubious value to the War Against Terror (TM, Pat. Pending). However, this article (gratuitous link)is nothing more than gross conjecture without evidence. As we say down here in Texas, he's sellin' a whole lotta bull and not much steak.
It is illegal for a wiretap or datatap to be undertaken without judicial oversight and authorization (see United States v. United States District Court, 407 U.S. 297 (1972), holding "Fourth Amendment freedoms cannot properly be guaranteed if domestic security surveillances may be conducted solely within the discretion of the Executive Branch."). The expanded tap provisions of USA-PATRIOT allow for a greater level of secrecy to surround specific wire- or datataps (specifically, those approved by the special FISA court for national security issues), but federal law enforcement does not have carte blanche to go around randomly listening in to our conversations. In order for a tap to pass Constitutional muster, it has to be narrowly drawn. Setting up a general-purpose dragnet to pull in data from all library patrons, the vast majority of whom cannot legally be targeted by a FISA tap order, would get drop-kicked out of the most deferential judge's chambers. (Orrin Hatch's statement on FISA taps under USA-PATRIOT is here, and the ALA's interpretation of the Act is here).
The FBI does have expanded powers to grab library records, for purposes of domestic law enforcement as well as international espionage and terror investigations, but that's very different -- if no less disturbing -- than ongoing monitoring, and would be sufficient to trigger the librarians' circumspection. It certainly doesn't mean that the Feds slapped a Carnivore underneath the public terminal carousel.
"Freedom is kind of a hobby with me, and I have disposable income that I'll spend to find out how to get people more."
Freedom of speech, sure, your freedom to talk your head off on any issue. Seems the First Amendment is bypassed, though, by the current regime. You may have the right to speak, but they reserve the right to keep track of what you say and who listens to you. See any limitations on that in the Constitution?
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
The article even suggests the answer. It may be illegal for a librarian to tell you he or she's been visited by the FBI, but it's not illegal for one to tell you he or she hasn't been.
Start compiling a list of where the librarians answer like they're in a spy movie and where they go "huh?". Publish it. Ask for the official "we have not been visited by the FBI letter", if you can get it.
If you can find where there's light, the darkness will also be visible.
the records. There is no requirement or really, any need to keep records of who checked out what specific books. If you want to record how many times a book was checked out for stocking issues so be it, but if you don't have the info, the FBI can't really do anything about it can they. I can't count how many times this kind of issue has come back and haunted companies or institutions, if you have data, it can be subpoenaed. I do volunteer work for local libraries and we altered the system to only retain the name/library card # of the person who has the book, until it is checked back in, then we blank those fields and record the fact that it was checked out, and returned and was in use for the specific dates. This ensure they know which books are getting used for ordering purposes while removing the onus from the librarians. The local city attorney agreed with the policy change, I am not sure if the county was consulted. Given the nature of the backups and technology, I am sure the FBI could recover what they need, but they must do the work, not the librarians.
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
It seem that phrase should be rephrased to home of the enslaved, land of the silenced..
here in canada we are prepairing for Rememberance day, and i think this year i will be reflecting of the fact that thousands of brave men & women gave up their lives fighting aganst facisim, and for my freedom. and in that in the end it was all for not, because we allowed the facists to take over our government. and allowed those that same government to take away our freedoms in the name of security..
something to reflect upon. and i sincerely hope people do on rememberance day..
Why are we monitoring the people who read evil books anyway? Wouldn't it be easier to simply gather them up and burn them? (the books, not the people who read them... although that is another thought...)
Stop-Prism.org: Opt Out of Surveillance
The real question is 'Where in the Constitution does the federal government have the power to deprive people of anonymity at public libraries (with or without notification)?'
May I refer you to the tenth amendment:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
(and please no stupid remarks about people losing anonymity at public places, as what is being done here goes well beoynd that)
is civil disobedience (barely).
Want to find out if the feds are monitoring a couple of people's book lists, or everyone's requests for a few books? Join me in padding our FBI files by checking out as many books as you dare on the subjects of:
Islam
Middle-Eastern history
Anything by Chomsky
1984 and Animal Farm
A People's History of the United States
then wait and watch for white window-less paneled vans parked on your street, with "Flowers By Irene" or "Two FBI Guys Pizza" stenciled on the side.
True terrorists - please continue your normal reading habits, as you may already be under surveillance, and any results under this system would only distort our survey.
Anyone know if any evidence collected from monitoring of public terminals has been used in a court case yet?
It would seem that if such a case came about there would be huge public outcry about a right to privacy ect...
Should have seen that comming with the Patriot Act? Naw. I think a lot of Americans really didn't look at what the Patriot Act did, they just believed that it would help stop terrorists and perhaps assumed their rights were safe in hand.
So a public case of that nature might snap people back into reality?
Bad analogy.
And a misquote from the grandparent post: "Those who would sacrifice an *essential* liberty for temporary safety, deserves neither", the key words here being essential, for liberty, and temporary, for safety.
There is no such thing as permanent safety, no matter what the nanny state would have us believe.
And the context of essential liberty is intended to refer to those liberties that do not infringe upon the liberties of others, it is not intended to promote or justify anarchy.
A common misconception in most societies is the idea that we are granted our freedoms by law, when in fact, the opposite is true. Our essential freedoms have *always* existed, it is in the scope of law merely to protect them from those that would abuse them, and those abusers can (and often do) include the government and institutions we have in place to protect those freedoms.
I'd rather keep EVERY ONE of my *essential* liberties, even at the risk of a little less certainty in the public safety arena, for the very simple reason that those who would threaten that safety will not be hampered, IN THE LEAST, by any of the restrictions on my freedoms.
Nunc Tutus Exitus Computarus.
Ashcroft is not only a reincarnation of McCarthy -- he's also the uptight Christian revenant of J. Edgar Hoover, and combines the worst aspects of both McCarthy and Hoover.
Hey, I know the answer to that one.. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
we should just stop reading all together.
They are good sorts, librarians, Quiet and soleful, yet more I theorize its yet another sign that the american government is at its way to control everyone.
Bill Weber Linux Admin/General IT contractor 735 Dover Street Marietta GA 30067
Given that:
* The FBI has recently begun an initiative to hire 600 new agents, as they are grossly understaffed.
* This initiative calls for massive amount of technical/computer agents, as the Bureau cannot keep them in employment due to corporations offering them triple their salary for less work, better hours, and a less stressful environment.
* Regional HQ offices group internet crime investigations in squads with embezzlement, insurance fraud, identity fraud, and other white-collar crimes.
* FBI field offices have, at best, two or three computer specialists who can deal with problems within the jurisdiction of the field office.
* White-collar squads have a four-month backlog of cases they need to investigate before moving on to cases that would come in today.
* For every computer-related investigation that comes in, a case comes in for insurance fraud, one comes in for public embezzlement, and one comes in for public bribery.
* Rating the above four case types by public profile and positive media exposure, computer investigations come as lowest priority. (While everyone loves seeing their city council members get arrested for accepting bribes, very few care if Joe Hacker is arrested for harassing a webiste the majority of America has never even heard of.)
Something tells me that, while this Act might indeed infringe on privacy rights, the FBI has better things to do than put taps on every computer in library in America. Further, they lack the manpower to monitor those taps or snoop public computers, given all the cases computer specialists are called on to handle. More likely, they will take advantage of this new "privelage" when they know the lead to be a solid one, and have reason to believe it will lead to an arrest.
Anyway, just my $0.02 USD.
concrete5: a cms made for marketing, but strong enough for geeks.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
'While this may not be a basic right listed in the Constitution it's certainly a valuable tool and worth fighting to keep. '
It is implicitly listed in the constitution. There was actually a big debate about the bill of rights over this very issue, most opponents of the bill of rights were concerned that listing certain rights would imply that any rights that they missed would be taken away, and as such did not want any listed at all. Hence the nineth amendment.
Here's the question: "Is this library currently being monitored by the FBI?"
Before act --> After act
"Yes" -> "I'm sorry, we're not allowed to comment"
"No" -> "No"
Seems pretty simple...
1 2
3 4
1. Tools that help me see what others are up to.
2. Tools that prevent others from seeing what I am up to.
3. Tools that help others see what I am up to.
4. Tools that prevent me from seeing what others are up to.
Maybe we should promote laws that make everyone's activities transparent. We like 1 and 2, but reality is that it is either 1 and 3, or 2 and 4. And 1 and 3 promotes accountability while 2 and 4 is an "arms race" to see if one can remain hidden. If we could check and make certain the FBI was doing its job properly, it would reign in any questionable activities.
From the Supreme Court's opinion on Griswold v. Conneticut:
(emphasis mine)
Karma: Ran over your dogma.
So law enforcement would require a librarian to lie, of asked? Why should a law undermine people's moral standards? Because the monitored one must be necessarily criminal?
Since when two wrongs make right?
This needs to be discussed
PLEASE! Mod the parent up! So few people understand the meaning of the 9th Amendment, and as such this is a comment that is very valuable to this -- and any -- discussion of our rights!
Even if you did log traffic, it doesn't actually appear that you'd be able to tell us :-)
Backup not found: (A)bort (R)etry (P)anic
The FBI is NOT bugging libraries in real time as the term "bug" is generally used. They are monitoring users access history.
Get a brain or check out.
Turn yourself in - they may go lighter on you. And how did this get by the lameness filter?
This fiction brought to you by the United States of America. Just don't tell anyone you read it here.
If I knew the wedgies I gave you back in 6th grade would have resulted in this . . . I might have taken a moments pause.
Didnt do too good a job of that, did he? :)
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
Since it is all done in secret, and everyone who knows about it are forbidden to talk, how do you imagine that evidence of such misuse could be uncovered?
The issue is, at a minimum, that there is some kind of oversight from forces outside the FBI. The court order you mention would be a good such thing, but the FBI need nothing of the kind to do this.
Remember that the FBI under J Edgar Hoover practically ruled the US for decades, using information obtained through similar means.
It seems like every day I read an article somewhere about how *MY* personal privacy is invaded by our government. I take small solace in the fact that there are just too many people to watch and that I am still just a number. But for how long I wonder? How long before video cameras are plentiful enough, digital satellites can map the planet to superb detail, and computers can catalog the behavior of ordinary citizens with ease and extrapolate patterns of behavior from it. I use the library. I walk into stores where I'm video-taped. I read "controversial" material. Most of all, I wonder how much of that is already recorded about me somewhere that I don't know about.
"As far as I'm concerned, I prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue." ~A. Einstein
You want to help people who defend your rights? Become a member of the ACLU
Call your mom.
Check your local library's policy. Our circulation is our lifeblood, so we don't like it so much when patrons don't check out because they're scared of the library police showing up for their really late stuff. SO, most libraries have a fine amnesty day, when you can return stuff with no fine. Those that don't generally have a maximum fine for an item that is lower than the cost of that item. We like getting our stuff back, so we'll work out deals to get it. Most libraries don't charge interest either. So call your local library, and start reading again :)
Sure there is. Drop out of school.
Now that's not so difficult is it?
0110100100100000011000010110110100100000011000100
You saw that spot? Would you mind filling out this form, with your name, address, social security number?
We need to keep track of what books you folks like to read. How will we ever know the red hat linux book you love so much ever went out? How will we know that the Arthur C Clarke novels circ more than Maeve Binchy? The computers keep track of which book you check out while it's on your card. When you return it, if it's not late and in good condition, it gets taken off of your record. We have no idea that it was ever on your card, but we know that someone at sometime looked at that book.
Be perfectly aware that if anyone asked me for a patron's record, I wouldn't give. I would take the jail time. I would challenge the Patriot Act. Most librarians have agreed to keep pitifully sloppy histories, if their database even allows histories. Just like a majority of libraries do not track exactly who you are when you use a PAC.
Those that do often throw those records out after a month or so.
Brooke
get into subpoenas envy!
"My subpoenas bigger than yours! nyah!"
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
over your shoulder when you borrow a book and make a note of it and there'd be nothing you could do about it, no. Libraries are public places, whats the reasonable expectation of privacy at the library checkout counter?
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
my blog
Sounds like a good reason to promote more privatization. I know the more liberal parties mean well, but the reason things like this are happening is because certain people in government believe that we, the people, are too stupid to do or run anything on our own. If libraries were privately run, this would never happen. The company could tell the FBI where to go. However, who knows who the company would give their info to and for what cost? It's a loose, loose situation! I guess it depends on who you would rather have tracking your habbits. I'd personally prefer the corporations, Barnes and Noble already knows a lot about me I'm sure, so if I had to choose, definately not the US. Government! Besides it's we who are paying for their intrusions! At least at book stores we get something out of it!
"Sssssh! This is a library!"
http://www.renegadelibrarian.com/
Its funny, isn't it, how much people think this is an either/or equation. 1984 and Brave New World were not critiques of communism -- they were critiques of increasing surveillance and other intrusions into daily lives. Its not like the Communist countries were the only ones who moved towards increasing surveillance of their citizens -- its just the speed at which they did it and the overtness of the intrusiveness was more obvious. But we're all headed in the same direction. It was obvious in 1948 when Orwell wrote his book. It is all the more obvious today.
I would have to say that explosives are the most abused technology in all of history.
I don't see a problem with this... meaning I see no problem with bugging systems and tracking usage under a specific investigation through a warrant. I also don't see a problem with the gag order, it just makes sense. I only have a problem with arbitrarily using this, and especially open ended tracking. That really applies to any criminal investigation however.
Agent #1: You're under arrest
Librarian: Shhhh
Agent #1: You have the right to be silent
Librarian: Shhhh
Agent #1: Somebody shut that librarian up
Agent #2: Shhhhh
Agent #1: Not that way you idiot...
I'm glad a stupid law from DC has an exception in DC. I wouldn't want my representatives in DC to be subject to the same stupid laws as me. Funny how everybody seems to forget that before 9/11, there were FBI oversight hearings going on and they were being blackballed in the media.
Note to FBI: I haven't been to a library in a while so don't even bother.
Beware, Nugget is watching... See?
GAG orders are a direct violation of the 1st Ammendment's right of freedom of speech.
Does anyone know if this is carnivore? I wonder if this tracking software works on both PCs and Macs, or if the FBI has bothered to develop it for Macs, since the installed base is less. Public Macs might still be safe. Does anyone know what Hartford Library has?
Help show the FBI that "public" library does not oblige them to check out "private" reading habits. Practice information wash-out techniques by checking out a random book each time you go after searching for : explosives OR nuclear physics OR anarchy OR islam OR communism OR jihad
This solution is two-fold in that it helps decrease the effectiveness of FBI sniffing as well prevents real threats from checking out these books while you have them.
Of course this is all futile if you forget to wear your foil hat to the library.
ôó
Some Background:
About 4 months ago I got a new ATT cable connection. I am a researcher and many universities use automatic proxy configuration (.pac) files that permit access to restircted information. For example if you want to see the content at http://www.nature.com you need a personal subscription, or an institutional subscription. If you have an institutional subscription and are physically located at that institution, then somewhere at the top of the page, it says what institution you are logged in as. For example, if I am at the University of Washington and visit nature.com, at the top of the page it will say, "Institution: Univ of Washington". If I try nature.com from home, then it just thinks I'm Joe Blow unless I have an automatic proxy setup that routes me through the University.
So I get my new cable modem installed and I decide to check out a paper at pnas.org. Remember, I am at home on the couch and I don't have a proxy setup at all (besides, I'm using Chimera which doesn't support it).
Well lo and behold, when I bring up pnas.org, I am connected as....drum roll....Federal Bur Inv and I have complete access to the site. I have a screenshot somewhere that I could dig up.
Spooky. The only thing I can guess is that when you get a new connection it is automatically proxied through the FBI so they can monitor your activity and see if you are connecting to the chatroom at www.ilovehezbollah.com
The next day, everything was back to normal.
All we'd hav to do is start borrowing & talking up
some of the "dangerous" books (is there a list of
same online... yet?)
We wouldn't have to actually any of -read- them...
just -borrow- them on our personal library.
If -everybody- did that, then nobody would bother
tracking library loans after this was noticed...
(Didn't the Danes do a similar thing, eg after
the Nazis insisted that Jews wear a Yellow Star,
possibly after the Danish king of the time lead
by pinning one on his own coat...? Love those
Danes! Note that they are also ahead in alterna-
tive energy, et al. Worth focussing our atten-
tion on...)
Every library should put this sign next to their computers:
WARNING! Computers may be bugged by FBI!
(If this sign disappears, it means they *are* bugged)
If the FBI arrives with their big shoes, they will either have to leave the sign (and people will still know they *may* be bugged), or take it down (and people will know for sure that they *are* bugged right now).
You probably steal music homo. He trolled you.
Can't the librarians permanently delete the check-out information after a book is returned? Why would anyone need to keep that info after the book is returned?
I am a librarian, and nothing pisses myself and my fellow librarians off more than the government, religious action groups, or any other group of ignorant fools trying to stomp on the very ideals that have made this country what it is. The problem is that over the past decade these groups have only increased in numbers. The Patriot Act (as if enforcing or acquiescing to such assinine acts is a show true patriotism...) is just the latest (and most visible) in a long line of such infingments upon our civil liberties. As you can see in the link to the American Library Association website, the ALA has numerous lawsuits pending against the FBI regarding such draconian acts. All of the librarians I know are violently opposed to this act. Those who aren't; how dare they call themselves librarians! WE are commited to the preservation of knowledge and making said knowledge available to the masses. Any attempt to censor what a person may choose to read or persecution (and that is exactly what this is) of a person for their choice of reading goes against everything we stand for. There are countless librarians out there who are fighting this tooth and nail, often at the risk of our own jobs, to protect the civil liberties these acts attempt to toss in the gutter. I for one can not believe the librarians mentioned in this article are not screaming bloody murder at this heinous act. If you are opposed to these "patriotic" acts which "protect" our nation from unsubstantiated threats (and I know most of us /.ers do) talk to your local libraian about what you can do to FIGHT, contact the ALA and see how you can help, write your local newspaper, and most of all CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE and tell them how YOU were NOT represented when this was passed.
This MUST be fought! This MUST be beaten! Otherwise we will lose much more than we have already lost.
"Librarians are the secret masters of the world. They control information. Don't ever piss one off."
-Spider Robinson
What can the average joe do to stop this law? Does anyone have an online petition page, or a preformated letter to send to my congressman, or any type of webpage that would help me do something against this law?
Resources??
Thanks, softmoo
http://globalsense.info/globalsense.html#free
Heres some samples chapters in PDF.
Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
http://www.kilmerr.com/ebooks.html
The PDB palm version can be found here as well as others.....
All free , and anonymous.
Enjoy.
Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
The Office for Intellectual Freedom at 800-545-2433, extension 4223. IF you call them, I am sure they will be glad to get you in touch with people who are fighting this or tell you what the average Joe can do about this. subgroove
FBI directive No-1-Amendment:
Damn FBI .. Thank God I'm not American.
Dear God, are there really people who think poor people, or others who for whatever reason don't otherwise have Net access, shouldn't have access through the local public library? Aunt Maude needs information not available on her local library's stacks, what, she is supposed to take a bus to the library in Pacoima?? Or wait 3 weeks for the interlibrary loan (requiring the physical book to be transported by smog-belching, fuel-consuming trucks)? Aside from the fact that poor and rich alike are equally entitled to government services such as libraries, it's cheaper taxwise to let people Google their little hearts out than it is either to buy books or to pay reference librarians. Besides, libraries will have to rely on patron Internet access even more, as their budgets are further squeezed by unfunded mandates -- such as the unreimbursed costs of responding to however many search warrants and subpoenas.
I believe libraries have a way around this though if they don't keep your borrowing habits stored any where. If they have this infomation, they have to turn it over, but I don't believe they have to keep this information at all if they don't want to. I know the library here is attempting to do that. Its easier to just not keep track of such information, than it is to try and provide it and deal with constitutional rights issues. IANAL(ibrarian) though.
I'll have to agree with my librarian colleague. There are many problems with the PATRIOT Act. to name just a few...
The ACLU and the ALA demanded information on just how the PATRIOT Act was being implemented, looking for stats on how often it was being invoked, etc, and the DoJ basically refused. Creepily, librarians post-PATRIOT are suddenly much more arrestable than they were this time last year.
further reading: The Search and Seizure of Electronic Information: The Law Before and After the USA Patriot Act [pdf]
Samuel Johnson, according to Boswell's "Life of Johnson" 44 Vol. v. Chap. ix. 1775.
http://www.bartleby.com/100/249.html
or here, if you don't want to have to download proprietary rubbish just to look at some ascii characters!
At Boston Public Library, Carolyn Coulter is a good person
/ stories
for a discussion about how to improve the set up there...
[ http://www.bpl.org/general/management.htm ]
Carolyn Coulter
Applications Manager
Systems Office
617-859-2233
ccoulter@bpl.org
Frank Altieri
Assistant Systems Officer
Systems Office
617-859-2023
faltieri@bpl.org
James Frazier
Network and Server Manager
Systems Office
617-859-2022
jfrazier@bpl.org
John Pelose
Coordinator Special Services and Locations
Systems Office
617-859-2021
jpelose@bpl.org
Michael Tsigelman
Assistant Supervisor of Computer Services
Systems Office
617-859-2399
mtsigelman@bpl.org
Cynthia Phillips
Technology Implementation and Training Officer
Community Library Services Office
617-859-2377
[ http://www.bpl.org/general/management.htm ]
Weblog guide to problematical library use
http://GuideToProblematicalLibraryUse.WebLogs.com
No....it still happens....its just the same people (the US) And when necessary, they drop the dime to your local authorities, ala Echelon. Isn't it ironic, that the Internet that we cheered (and sometimes still cheer) for setting us all free by being bigger and more widespread than any single government, now has the potential to actually enslave us by making every government bigger and more widespread? --paranoid bastard.
Given a choice between free speech and free beer, most people will take the beer.