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Using the FOIA
mgaiman writes "Lucy Dalglish, Executive Director of The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, spoke at my school today. She discussed the state of journalism in the post-9/11 world. She said, among other things, that this administration is the most closed she has seen since Nixon. The organization itself is a non-profit journalist rights group. Their site features such things as Homefront Confidential, a chronicling of changes to the openness of information since 9/11, and a guide to using the Federal FOI Act to get access to information. While most /.ers aren't journalists, I thought it would be of interest nonetheless."
Basically, whenever you try to get information, you have to fill out paperwork. They can reject the application if the paperwork is filled incorrectly. Then, you have to get past secretaries, whose primary job seems to be annoying people until they give up.
Once you've actually got your paperwork into the system, you have to wait for it to be processed. Usually, at this point, they'll decide that more paper is required, and you have to start again from the beginning.
Once you get the information you asked for, you'll usually find out that it isn't the information you want. Unless you're very specific when specifying what you want to know, they can get out of it by simply playing stupid. (eg only get partial documents because you asked for Form A, but to actually use the information you also need Form A-2, which you didn't ask for).
I'm sure it's possible to get information, but don't expect to get it in any reasonable time frame.
I can't say that I don't give a fuck. I've just run out of fuck to give.
One of the interesting uses of FOIA that I have seen has been the release of VistA, the software that runs the hospitals for the department of Veterans Affairs.
VistA is a huge suite of programs, and something that would not normally otherwise make it into the public domain. Billions of dollars of investment have gone into this, and there is hope that it can be used more widely.
VistA is written in "M" (sometimes called "Mumps" and with the GPL of the Linux version of GT.M, a compiler and database server for "M" by Sanchez, the whole shooting match is doable on an open-source platform.
More information about VistA hardhats.org and sourceforge and VistA Documentation Library
The level of functionality available from this project is incredible, and in some areas is unmatched by commercial offerings costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
There were 3000 Americans killed on American soil...
Really? We haven't heard. That makes all the difference in the world! It just doesn't compare to any other event in American history.
This time it's a whole new ball game. Who needs freedom of anything? My God! The enemy is everywhere!
I'm just so sick of this. How long will be have to use 911 to be the justification for everything? Yeah. 3000 people. A lot more than that die every day from all kinds of things nobody gives a shit about. Big deal. 16 acres in a big city. It was a crime, not an act of war.
Wrap yourself around a flag and you're untouchable, divine. And when that doesn't work, you can always fall back on that old favorite, "It's for the children!"
All we get from DC are more "Freedom from Information Acts". Loose lips sink ships, my ass.
We're turning into a nation of sheep, led by a moron.
Love you all,
AC
I'm sure she thinks Carter and Clinton are gods.
It was a lot more fun when Clinton was around,
and we were all working. As for Carter, I think that
he's got integrity. I know that's not a trait that people
that scream "liberal bitch!" can identify with.
Cept' maybe for your role model, Rush.
If anything, Jimmy Carter was set up by the same scum that's running things (into the ground) today.
A President with integrity. That would sure be a nice change of pace.
Carter is an honest man.
Carter has nothing but good intentions.
Carter is widely respected.
That said, Carter has zero humility and a desire to be lionized by historians. North Korea, Cuba. There isn't a country this man won't flatter or apologize for to try to build a legacy. He has offered to fly down to Venezuala to smooth things out.
I've invested lots of personal time swinging hammers and doing general manual labor for Habitat For Humanity. Great organization. Carter isn't evil or mean, he just doesn't know where to draw the line when it comes to lending his name to a cause.
.sig Karma out the wazoo, better to spend points elsewhere if this is above 2 or below 0
Anyone that posts to Slashdot is a journalist. Slashdot is a journal, and is a record of the thoughts and feelings of more than one generation of nerds. The idea that only someone that works for a commercial newspaper or magazine can wear the journalist hat needs to be fought at every opportunity.