This may be a dumb question, but I would like an answer. I can maneuver about the Internet, but I don't have a clue as to how it works. My question is this: Is it possible for some federal weenie to visit this forum, spot a comment he doesn't like and backtrack to the originating computer? Some of us say some things on here that, First Amendment aside, some Klinton types wouldn't like. Is this a legitimate concern?

-- Parry (paranoids@where.com), January 13, 1999

Answers

Yes, it is possible for any ISP (server organisation)to monitor public bulletin boards AND your email if they really want. If they can do it, certainly the government can - "if it really wants to." Your paranoid address is appropriate. I am sure the powers that be have bigger problems than tracking down assorted nutcases who are essentialy harmless as long as they remain so. No firebrands or religious fantics, thankyou.

-- Larry (dr.cao@rocketmail.com), January 13, 1999.

One of the reasons I greatly respect both North and Milne on Y2K is that they have put themselves on the line, both for ridicule and government harassment.

As already stated, Internet pseudonyms don't cut it if an investigator wants to find you. You see, I'm not really a "Big Dog" at all. That's just for fun.

But our government has bigger fish to fry than Milne, North, you or me, at least at the present time. If there comes a day when they want to fry us, we'll drop the pseudonyms and take on our real names: Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), January 13, 1999.

The Feds have files on North, Milne, Wesley Rawles, John Ross and other such, just as in the 1960's they had files on Eldrige Cleaver, John Lennon, Malcolm X, and Noam Chomsky.

-- Blue Himalayan (bh@k2.y), January 13, 1999.

ABSOLUTELY!

ALL communications (except some encrypted) is monitored. Voice, email, WWW - EVERYTHING. Voice has been monitored for years using some technology (speech to text?) looking for keywords. Other technologies are newer.

Your tax dollars at work...

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@anonymous.com), January 13, 1999.

The ultimate net privacy solution is on the way...

http://www.zks.net

One of the well- known "cypherpunks" is involved in this project, so I would tend to trust it. Their technology mixes things up so much that even they don't know who you are.

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), January 13, 1999.

Just to make sure the spooks have something to do, make sure that you sprinkle into all your voice phone conversations, e-mails, faxes, forum postings, etc., -- words like nuclear, plutonium, uranium, bomb, anthrax, botulism, LSD, militia, constitution, privacy, freedom, encryption, PGP, etc.

-- me (me@bigbrothersucks.com), January 13, 1999.

Long ago, on a thread far away, when a Y2K newbie, I posted something about the CIA and internet job hunting practices on the thread: CIA Web-Site & Hiring Practices. A couple of the responses were:

The CIA is researching Y2K. This discussion forum is one of their newsfeeds. They want to know who's who. We're all in their database by now. They know what you've written. -- anon (nobody@home.net), October 31, 1998.

It's OK, anon. Even the CIA encourages preparation: ... "As part of the agency's increased interest in the Y2K program, some CIA employees have been briefed on preparing themselves individually for potential fallout. They were being advised to pay their bills early in December 1999 to avoid possible processing problems, keep cash on hand in case automatic teller machines failed and lay in extra blankets in case of a blackout on a cold New Year's Eve night, Burns said." -- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), October 31, 1998.

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 000Dh9

Frankly, I fully expect that this forum has been an information feed for them, the DoD, FBI, and multitudinous other Alphabet Agencies, since its beginnings.

At any rate, it also is an opportunity to change some ossified thinking in Washington, D.C. too. I truly hope so! And also to remind covert readers that they have families and children too. That we are all impacted by the various Y2K potential repercussions, and that a prepared nation will help us and help them too. Perhaps that is WHY groups like the National Guard, The American Red Cross and FEMA think so too.

Remember most of them are us, U.S., too.

That said, there are still a few shins Id like to kick for all the Y2K disinformation hype!!! John Koskinen, front and center! Ill wear my hiking boots, and I hope you bruise easily ... in public ... for the record. Harumph!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 13, 1999.

'Pike, of the Federation of American Scientists, believes the intelligence agencies operate in a gray area of international law. For example, there is no law prohibiting the n s a from intercepting telecommunications and data traffic in the United Kingdom and no law prohibiting g c h q from doing the same thing in the United States.'

READ HERE FOR THE ENTIRE STORY FROM 'WIRED'

-- (priv@priv.priv), January 13, 1999.

They're coming to take me away, ha ha, they're coming to take me away, hee hee, to the federal farm, where life is good... (just a bit of humor, please don't get angry with me..)

Seriously, I have not read anything here that appears illegal or would lead me to believe that Uncle Sam is likely to start files on anyone. Maybe I am naive... ???

-- Sue (conibear@gateway.net), January 13, 1999.

People sure don't trust the good old government anymore do they? The funny part is that even if they are keeping files on the people who post here, they won't be able to find them when they want to. The only way that any of us might be "dangerous" is if Y2K hits pretty high on the 1 to 10 scale. If that happens, I'd be surprise if they could order a pizza, let alone track anyone here down.

-- d (d@dgi.com), January 13, 1999.