If Terrorists Could Please Tag Their Blog Posts 'Death To America', The US Government Would Appreciate It

from the and-post-pics-of-their-hideouts-on-flickr dept

Wed, Oct 4th 2006 3:40pm — Joseph Weisenthal

A lot of companies like to keep tabs on what people are saying about them, and with the advent of blogs, that's been taken to a new level. It seems that the federal government wants to get on the bandwagon, as the DHS is looking to develop software that monitors publications around the globe and gauges sentiment towards the US. Officials say this could help the government identify potential threats to the country. First of all, we'd assume the government is already monitoring publications pretty closely. Second, the idea that negative sentiment towards the country is somehow a useful predictor of terrorist attacks is a bit absurd. In a sense, sure, it seems likely that regions where terrorists reside will probably correlate with places where there's negative sentiment in the press. But what does that tell you? Such a system would probably be as effective as the complex social network analysis that concluded that many of those involved in the 9/11 attacks were associated with ringleader Mohammad Atta. Just because it's true, doesn't mean it's useful.

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18 Comments

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Anoymous Coward, 4 Oct 2006 @ 3:56pm

Currently, 100% of non-American blogs say "Death to Bush".

More surprisingly, 60% of American blogs say "Death to Bush" too.

Maybe we have more in common with Islamic jihadists than we think?
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steve, 4 Oct 2006 @ 4:03pm

Can we get these morons out of there already? Freakin' ridiculous.
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Faz, 4 Oct 2006 @ 5:56pm

OH Lord
understand what brings the bad sentiments and have a PR image to fix it...
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Oct 2006 @ 6:29pm

Re:
Dang dude, You just made the list...
No when we post on here as anonymous coward we will be flagged and tagged as terrorists...
Shit I am posting as anon coward!!! I am on the list now also!!! Are you happy??? Now apologize before the American Gestapo bust down our doors!!!!
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dorpus, 4 Oct 2006 @ 6:32pm

Grey Areas
I've had lots of fun watching military recruitment ads for non-American armies on YouTube lately. Should they be considered anti-American?

e.g.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkMEvk3nj2o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2hvObzZt0g
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Rainer, 4 Oct 2006 @ 6:50pm

Come on...
Not every source of information is valuable. That doesn't mean DHS shouldn't pursue it. On blogs, many people spit out information they wouldn't normally say in public, and that could lead DHS to upcoming plots, training centers, among other things.

So, if they implement this program and it saves one life because some idiot spilled the beans over his upcoming suicide, then I say go for it!
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RantMax, 4 Oct 2006 @ 7:08pm

Look who's talking
Look who's talking, the guys (yes, YOU mike) who are making a living scanning news media for "corporate intelligence".
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Thomas, 4 Oct 2006 @ 8:48pm

Re: Come on...
I say if putting a camera in your house might save a life then go for it. If it doesn't we've only trampled on your rights, so who cares.
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Sarojin, 4 Oct 2006 @ 8:57pm

More cronie contracts
Seems like the entire budget for the DHS goes to GOP donors...

More lives could be saved funding healthcare programs for the 46 million people living without health insurance while the Dow breaks a record today.
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Kyros, 4 Oct 2006 @ 8:58pm

I seriously doubt any terroist bright enough to pull off a terroist plot (not saying alot of IQ is needed, just some), then i doubt their going to post it in their blog. Just seems...stupid to me? I think our government is just trying to make it seem like it's doing something, when it's really doing nothing. Oh and Anonymous (1st post) it's more like 80% of american blogs.
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dorpus, 4 Oct 2006 @ 10:23pm

Re:
Most terrorists that Western countries arrest are, in fact, rank amateurs -- 18-year-olds who brag to the world that they are going to do something. They get caught trying to buy weapons from an undercover officer.
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Bob Jones, 5 Oct 2006 @ 3:44am

It sounds like a good idea, many companies are already involved with checking out Arabic Forums and such.

As for the nuttty left who see some human rights violation, since when was the Internet private? Shut your trap hole and go rant about me on your blog.
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Lay Person, 5 Oct 2006 @ 8:44am

Lovely!
You know, Stalin really could have put this monitoring stuff to practical use! If you even used a comma the wrong way...BAM!... up to a Siberian labor camp with you.

Oh, since your not with us, you must be against us...BAM!...Siberian labor camp!

What's that? Taxes are too high?...BAM!...

Oh you lost 2 sons in Iraq?...BAM!...

You don't like our medical system?...BAM!...

Yeah, lots of practical uses!
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Oct 2006 @ 8:45am

Re:
Let me disagree, I see your point, but not everyone on this planet outside US thinks Bush as an a**hole ...

Anyway, I wonder what is the corelation between a blog (a democratic form of free speach :)) ) and terorism ... if everyone in my country would take a gun and go to kill the government EVERYBODY is speaking about in very bad words, we would be a 10million-killer-country :) To criticize doesnt mean to kill. But in the other direction, to understand doesnt mean to kill as well ;)
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Lay Person, 5 Oct 2006 @ 8:47am

Re:
#1...We have you in our lens...please, a little more to the right...got it...thank you.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Oct 2006 @ 9:29am

Re: Re:
Anyone who doesn't think Bush is an asshole is one of two things:

1. A religious sheep whose never figured out that neither faith or belief in any omnipotent being doesn't make you just, moral, intelligent or otherwise insightful.

2. Someone who achieves personal gain from his position of power.

10million-killer-country

Seems we're working on that one - just give us some time...

Anyone who buys into this whole idea that we can actually WIN a war against ideology through violance of those who belive in it is either a politician who knows better but personally gains from selling the idea to a vast majority of suckers or someone who is a brainwashed loser (both of which seem to be in abundance in the good ol' U.S. of A and I'm not sure which scares me more).
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Oct 2006 @ 9:33am

Re: Re: Come on...
hrm... good idea. I'll get legislation for that right away. Should be pretty easy now that we can listen to your phone conversations and track your internet activity without a warrent.
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Obvious Man, 5 Oct 2006 @ 9:37am

Oh shnap! There goes my whole blog site ring! And most of Techdirt, too! Maybe we can share cells together?
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