UK government planning a database of every phone call and email by the public -- in the name of fighting terror....

[Peikko 1,575]

You are saying that they can store this crappola garbage in some meaningful manner that would make retrieval possible should someone transgress some legal line and be able to use it in a way that would make the life of your average copper more simple? Well, #### me, but I don't believe it!

Edited May 20, 2008 by Purple_Hibiscus

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

You are saying that they can store this crappola garbage in some meaningful manner that would make retrieval possible should someone transgress some legal line and be able to use it in a way that would make the life of your average copper more simple? Well, #### me, but I don't believe it!

Search is easy. Nothing complicated there, even if you don't understand it.

[Amby 490]

it's only a matter of time before they start telling you when you can and can't leave the house

neil says if only george orwell would have called his book 2008

Edited May 20, 2008 by Amby

[Peikko 1,575]

Search? Nothing time consuming about trolling through a pile of drossy emails/phone calls to find something that might possibly support a claim of terrorism? Old fashioned policework be damned eh? Maybe the old boys in blue are just getting damned lazy? Personally, I think it's just some pipe dream of the new left (trying to espouse the old right) in order not to lose the next election.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Search? Nothing time consuming about trolling through a pile of drossy emails/phone calls to find something that might possibly support a claim of terrorism? Old fashioned policework be damned eh? Maybe the old boys in blue are just getting damned lazy? Personally, I think it's just some pipe dream of the new left (trying to espouse the old right) in order not to lose the next election.

A database is, by definition, a collection of data. Data collected in this manner can be searched for. The algorithms exist. Whether you understand the technology or not.

[mawilson 2,133]

You are saying that they can store this crappola garbage in some meaningful manner that would make retrieval possible should someone transgress some legal line and be able to use it in a way that would make the life of your average copper more simple? Well, #### me, but I don't believe it!

Yes, in a distributed database.

Google has a copy of the entire WWW stored on their servers and a search takes, oh, a few hundred milliseconds.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Google has a copy of the entire WWW stored on their servers and a search takes, oh, a few hundred milliseconds.

Nuh uh.

[mawilson 2,133]

Google has a copy of the entire WWW stored on their servers and a search takes, oh, a few hundred milliseconds.

Nuh uh.

What?

[Peikko 1,575]

Having performed many a google search looking for particular information, I can well understand that this data base could well fall well short of the 'easy picking' terrorist targeting that it is being made out to be, not understanding the technology not withstanding.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Having performed many a google search looking for particular information, I can well understand that this data base could well fall well short of the 'easy picking' terrorist targeting that it is being made out to be, not understanding the technology not withstanding.

Google's technology in the backend with a more sophisticated query language in front would be unbeatable.

[Peikko 1,575]

I guess maybe your email/phone conversations run along more logical lines than your average Joe. I am still doubting any serious veracity in a claim that such a data base would serve any useful purpose - and be secure judging by some of the UK govs more notorious 'top secret faux pas' Still, I am sure you will reassure me that this will not be so.

Edited May 20, 2008 by Purple_Hibiscus

[mawilson 2,133]

Having performed many a google search looking for particular information, I can well understand that this data base could well fall well short of the 'easy picking' terrorist targeting that it is being made out to be, not understanding the technology not withstanding.

I'm sure the government can index their database in some meaningful way.

For example,

1) Search all emails sent/received between (date1) and (date2) containing (text)

2) Narrow down the search results by "a mail server IP is in (set of IPs assigned to Middle Eastern ISPs)"

3) Select the names/locations of email senders/recipients

4) Assign a higher priority to foreign sounding names

5) Cross reference with law enforcement databases / reports of suspicious activity

etc etc

[mawilson 2,133]

Of course, there's a mind-numbingly easy way to beat them..... cryptography. Duh.

PGP

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

mawilson,

Once the system is in place, ciphers of x-length or more will become illegal. Mark my words. And then you and I will have to co-form the NCA - the National Cryptography Association, to protect crypto rights!

[Peikko 1,575]

Yes, sure those are great search criteria, but exactly what is going to be made of the resulting email bullshite is more to the point. It's possible that terrorists talk openly in their emails/phone calls of targets/dates/times of their hits but it's also more than likely that all that will be stored in this vast data base is Dave's impression through those ever seeing beer goggles of Sara's glorious big tits and how he'd really like to 'do her' and other equally inspiring human thought processes. Hurrah, I feel really safe now.