Australia Is Googling For New Spies?

from the what-keywords? dept

Tue, Apr 18th 2006 2:41am — Mike Masnick

For those of you who are Australian and always wanted to be a spy, perhaps you should be watching the ads that show up on your Google searches. Apparently the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is testing out its latest recruiting method: buying job ads on Google. Seems a bit odd that a spy agency would use such a method to find potential spies... but, then again, the article doesn't note what keywords they're using.

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22 Comments

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Josh Tomaino, 18 Apr 2006 @ 4:20am

Keywords
Raises the question- what are spies searching for?
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Matt Gladman, 18 Apr 2006 @ 4:42am

Wow im austrlaian to
Ive never wanted to be a spy, but here i go!

what are we spying for esactly?

and AU rules, dont dis it guys. Its a good country
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Roy Oelschlager, 18 Apr 2006 @ 6:05am

Desk Jockies Wanted
The majority of these type of hiring tactics is to recruit the desk jockies of the future. You can work for the FBI, but only order supplies and distribute them for your team. That means just because you order the paper clips they still will not teach you 10 ways to kill someone with paperclip.
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Michael Rybicki, 18 Apr 2006 @ 6:13am

What their searching for...
Maybe their searching for the correct spelling of Organization?
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Tad, 18 Apr 2006 @ 6:23am

Re: What their searching for...
That's only the American spelling, and most Brits I know are highly annoyed by it, as well as my calling them Brits.
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Mike, 18 Apr 2006 @ 6:56am

Geeks in Black suites and shades :-)
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Apr 2006 @ 7:29am

Re: What their searching for...
Or maybe they're searching for the correct spelling of they're
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Apr 2006 @ 7:53am

Re: Re: What their searching for...
"Or maybe they're searching for the correct spelling of they're"

Ahh i guess the correct spelling would be they are... but they are correct in using the Conjugation of they are.
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Axe, 18 Apr 2006 @ 8:15am

Extra! Extra!
Toiletpaper.com has just announced that the Australian secret service is now taking applications at all Outback locations.
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In light'ned, 18 Apr 2006 @ 8:19am

Re: spelling
Ahh, this is why I watch TechDirt; All the feedback relating to the articles. I would say that I learn something from people's responses... But somehow it doesn't apply this time so I will refrain from saying it.

I'm off to check out this Toiletpaper.com!
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The Queen's English, 18 Apr 2006 @ 9:19am

Re: Re: Re: What their searching for...
I, too, am annoyed by the butchering of the language that occurs in these online forums--their, there, they're being a prime example. However, "they're" is a CONTRACTION of "they are." The only CONJUNCTION in your message is your "but."
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Andrew Strasser, 18 Apr 2006 @ 9:41am

G'luck to them.
Maybe they are searching for people who are good at searching for things and people on-line in general. If the people happened to find information they were unable to. Possibly they are trying to just use knowledge as a good ofeensive and defensive nside their security. Google???

What's the temperature like there?
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Andrew Strasser, 18 Apr 2006 @ 9:42am

Oh wait then I'd be working for you.
Personally I bet he'd teach you how to protect yourself or someone along your life would. Remember intelligence includes time.

cya
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shelby, 18 Apr 2006 @ 9:43am

Re: What their searching for...
Or maybe the correct spelling of they're...
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p337, 18 Apr 2006 @ 10:17am

Re: Re: Re: Re: What their searching for...
he said conjugation... which is still wrong... but it isnt conjunction Dr. English. you just wanted to use your clever little conjunction quip... shameful....
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Spacelemur, 18 Apr 2006 @ 10:36am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What their searching for...
You're right that he said conjugation, in which case for "they are", "are" is the third person present conjugation of "to be".

But, you're wrong in that "but" is a conjunction, specifically a coordinating conjunction. A conjunction is any word or group of words, other than a relative pronoun, that connects words, phrases, or clauses.

Google "english conjunctions", I'll wait... see? I told you.
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Joe Snuffy, 18 Apr 2006 @ 11:45am

tards
Who cares aboot thy speling und gramer? that is not what this discussion is about.

What do the Aussies have to spy on anyways? The new zealanders?
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yoadrienne, 18 Apr 2006 @ 12:32pm

This is hilarious
I suppose most australians just want to hang out at the beach instead of actually try to be spies. That would be why that agency needs more people.
and it is really funny that these posts have resorted to correct english subjects. i say just banish the contractions and there will be no problem.
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Christopher, 18 Apr 2006 @ 9:10pm

Misconception
While it is funny to think of Australia as a country only interested in hanging out at the beach, Australia is actually one of the most developed countries in the world (except in broadband usage!) and most people don't have a beach - Australia is 99.99999% inland nothingness/scrub/desert. I would assume that the beach myth propagated as a result of bad soapies exported from Sydney to the UK, like neighbors. *shudder*

Australia is also in a big diplomatic dispute with Indonesia at the moment. New Zealand is a close ally, and would not pose much of a threat in any case.

The Australian defence force and police peace-keeping force have thousands of soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor.

Nothing to spy on? I'd say they had too much on their plate! ;-)
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laugher with laughter, 18 Apr 2006 @ 10:50pm

Re: Re: What their searching for...
hahahahahahaha... you cracked me up.. you made my day. good night.
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DocSparkle, 19 Apr 2006 @ 7:56pm

Re: Misconception
Chris, I think your beach % is a little overboard. I would figure it to be more along the lines of 4 decimal places rather than 5. ;-)
And I think "Home and Away" *double shudder* is the perpertrator of the beach myth.
And Aussie's call it "Neighbours". Aussie's like to add a "u" to the word, its an English language thing indulged in down under as a bit of a laugh, Aussie's add it to colour as well. ;-)
Although Australia's forces may be well trained and spread across the globe the simple fact remains that any foreign power with the nouse would only fail to overtake Australia because of the sheer magnitude of the task, not the country's defences. The air force is non existent and the navy is only borrowed from the US. Sad but true. :-(
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Christopher, 21 Apr 2006 @ 7:14am

Re: Re: Misconception
...and its all Howard's fault!!! The 'two dingo' cartoon has proved truer and truer... despite its purely third world crudeness...

Borrowed navy... My mind flicks back for those collins class submarines.... they were a bargain in more ways then one!
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