Slashdot Mirror
Google and the CIA?
snottgoblin writes "DailyTech has an article suggesting that Google might be involved in a partnership with the CIA. The article also quotes a former CIA officer that Google's refusal to comply with the DOJ over privacy issues was 'a little hypocritical [...] because they were heavily in bed with the Central Intelligence Agency.'" Because I'm sure no one would go on the air and try to drum up a scandal aimed at the biggest target they can find.
I would not be surprised in such a relationship as there has been a collaborative arrangement at least going back to the Google Earth project. For instance, when Google Earth was demoed to the folks at the NRO and NIMA, there was a collective smacking of foreheads followed by a long silence as they all realized that this was an easy way to represent data using superimposable layers. Soon after, agreements were reached with Google for technology development in exchange for funding and a significant amount of space in the South Bay area.
The fact that Google is very good at their core market (search engines and relational databases) and is aggressively entering new markets in a variety of fields, should make them an attractive partner for many federal agencies that cannot seem to get their IT $#!^ together (I'm talking to you, Robert Mueller).
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
Explains a few things though.
Consider the whole Iraq/WMD thing. Maybe CIA punched in a few keywords into intel.google.com/beta/search?q=WMD+iraq and ignored the fact that it was still in Beta.
Of course with this administration, we're talking about a bunch of people who wouldn't have noticed that the beta of intel.google.com was launched alongside amd.google.com...
The CIA is often referred to as "The Company". You're simply wrong.
OK Geoff, you have stumbled into the long raging debate in some circles as to why it is referred to as The Agency or The Company. Each group has its preferences and the usage is based upon where you place your allegiances.
You're simply wrong. And dumb.
Watch who you call dumb. The face you put up on your Flicker stream does not look that smart to me.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
You're a "Retinal neurophysiology scientist" and you think that intelligence comes from the face?
Geoff, chill dude. It was a humorous verbal parry against your insult of calling me dumb. Of course I don't think that, but you should not go around calling folks dumb either, eh?
Wow, America's education system really is doomed. Or maybe it's just the inbred retards in higher education in Utah.
Ah, now you *are* showing your ignorance and insulting all the good folks of Utah as well. As to your ignorance, have you ever considered that it might be that many of the folks in Utah are actually not from Utah? I am actually a Texan that moved to Utah. As to your insult of Utahns, I've actually found it pretty nice here. The people are not as friendly as they are in Texas, but they are smart, hard working and peaceable.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.