Slashdot Mirror
FBI Investigates Open Records Request
GrooveMoose writes "A university student at the University of Texas
makes an open
records request for information on the underground tunnel system at the school.
A few months later the FBI and Secret Service come knocking on his door to see
if he's a terrorist. He's still under investigation by the federal government
regarding a completely open request."
This story may be related to Austin's Anti-Terrorism Force, but they have a saying at UT that may be apropos: You can't spell stupid without UTPD
A little learning never hurt anyone.
Doesn't the secret service deal strictly with the president himself ? Could this mean that there is some sort of connection between the President and these tunnels ? Is this standard policy for the secret service to visit domestic terrorist threats ? It seems kind of strange to me.
If the dollar is an "I owe you nothing", then the Euro is a "Who owes you nothing." - Doug Casey
Due to unwarranted disclosure of information of how the FBI has investigated this case, you are ALL under surveillance now, and labeled as potential terrorists until proven by the FBI. Thank you and have a nice day.
Who moved my sig?
Where can I file to get blueprints of the tunnels under the MPAA, RIAA, SCO, MS, FBI, CIA, White House, Pentago, NAACP, Disney, AOL, RedHat, and Frito-Lay headquarters? Did I ask for enough to warrant government attention???
So are these underground tunnels how college coed shower cams that I keep seeing advertised get installed? Or maybe the government didn't want people to find out about their dorm room cam racket :)
Actually, the best quote of that I saw (I believe I saw it as someone's sig here) was:
Welcome to America, Land of the Free*
*Some restrictions apply, void where prohibited.
Yeah, I keep threatening to make up some "What Would Jefferson Do?" bumper stickers, but nobody gets the joke so I haven't bothered.
[answer: ~85 rpm]
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
It's pretty simple. When filling out an FOIA form you put your name address and phone number. When stealing across the border, you leave a foot print. It is much easier to go after someone that left there name address and phone number.
Maybe we could drop forms and pens in the Arizona desert asking them to fill it out
Maybe we could spread Linux computer terminals powered by solar panels throught out the Southwestern Desert. They could fill out a web form. LINUX PROTECTS OUR BORDERS.
I enjoyed this part:
"The Joint Terrorism Task Force probably would look into something like that. [Miller] could be a terrorist. He could be planning a plot."
Planning a plot? That's only the tip of the iceberg! What if he is plotting a scheme or scheming a plan?
I see no problem with such a request being investigated. It does sound like they asked the guy some pretty stupid questions though (do they really think that long hair is significant when it comes to identifying terrorists? or membership of the ACLU?) OTOH, those questions may well have been filler to pad out the real questions they wanted to ask.
If they find no evidence during their investigation, they really should grant his further information requests though. Once they are satisfied that he's not a terrorist, they'll have no reason not to let him see all the files relating to his case, surely?
Dan.
...to design new levels for Quake.
... the agents, from Austin's Joint Terrorism Task Force
No WAY! *I* was investigated by the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, too, back in 98 or 99. They were just curious why we were transporting a bunch of guns from El Paso to Austin in a rental car that was paid for with cash.
Ah, the fun times we had...
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
I wonder how long until some G-man is asking people why *I* wear long hair, am a member of the EFF, and outwardly encourage the removal of the current unelected administration.
Now that you mention it, why do you, Mr. Anderson?
--
Agent Smith
Seriously, there are no steam tunnels. But there are some really long broom closets. You can go in one and come out in a different building.
What would you say if McVeigh made a similar request that was ignored by officials prior to blowing up the federal building?
I suppose asking about the UT basement is a good way to misdirect law enforcement if you're planning to blow up a federal building in Oklahoma.
My proposed solution is for everyone to behave suspiciously. This will increase the noise level and reduce the benefit of investigations like this.
Sign books about explosives out of the library. Go around calculating the heights of buildings. Do stuff that's perfectly 100% legal, but still suspicious.
I rarely criticize things I don't care about.
Honourable though his intentions may be, he also demonstrates a lack of knowledge on how corporate politics works. He gave true reasons for his actions.
In the chat log, he gives a reason for an investigation thus: "To satiate my curiousity." This is the wrong thing to say. If you are up to anything that is remotely dubious, never give the exact *real* reason you are doing anything. Instead, make up another reason that is plausible and legitimate and always give that reason instead. Never divulge the real reason to anyone you don't trust. If you cannot think up a plausible reason then you may need to rethink your actions.
In the example given, he should have said that he was gathering information in the public interest. (This reason is even true and therefore irrefutable: he's a member of the public and he's interested, therefore it must be in the public interest.) Another thing one could say is anything using corporate doublespeak. The eyes of thine listener shall glazeth over: and thou shalt be as slippery as an eel in thy escape from unwelcome scrutiny.
Concealing real reasons is commonplace. The leaders of the MPAA and RIAA do this. Politicians do this. Corporate CEO's do this. And we know what fine, upstanding citizens these people are. *cough*. So if it's okay for them to do it, why can't the masses?
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - Edmund Burke
[2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell mspencer! ;p
[2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell I know the guy (Mark A Miller) being described in this article. I use IRC mostly as a contact list, and have a channel for users of my unremarkable non-profit server. Mark has been a regular in my small (under 20 people) channel for months. I know this is the same guy as the Mark Miller in this article because the user in my channel talked incessantly about these freedom of information act requests, months ago.
[2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell BAD BOY!
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * Mirell sets mode: -o bl0d
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * mspencer was kicked by Mirell (mspencer)
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * Joins: mspencer (spam@michael.mspencer.net)
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * ChanServ sets mode: +o mspencer
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * Mirell sets mode: +o bl0d
[2004/05/06] [21:17] _{\Zealot Mirell: Hence all the freaks around here
We have so much time, and so little to do - strike that! Reverse it. Tryn Mirell
There are as many agents as they want there to be.
Haven't you seen Matrix: Reloaded?
humor
So, "May you live in interesting times." should be updated to be, "May you be a 'person of interest'."