Federal Agents Urged to 'Friend' People on Social Networks, Memo Reveals

[opsec]

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/10/13/government-spying-social-networks/

A privacy watchdog has uncovered a government memo that encourages federal agents to befriend people on a variety of social networks, to take advantage of their readiness to share -- and to spy on them. In response to a Freedom of Information request, the government released a handful of documents, including a May 2008 memo detailing how social-networking sites are exploited by the Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS).

As of Thursday morning, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Digg had not commented on the report, which details the official government program to spy via social networking. Other websites the government is spying on include Twitter, MySpace, Craigslist and Wikipedia, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which filed the FOIA request.

Yet another reason why I don't join these kinds of social networking sites.

[Ryder]

I agree with opsec. I meet a lot of people who wonder why I am not on every social networking site.

[Lady Lilya]

I wonder how many agents are members here.

[wander]

This is available publicly. You just can't post without being a member.

[Eddie]

I hope a couple get friendly over here....maybe we can turn them into double agents. I bet we could smooth one over in a matter of weeks. 

[Lady Lilya]

Wander, any of us members could be an agent. 

[Mike]

I advertised an experimental wood stove on craigslist, knowing full-well it is against the LAW to sell a wood stove that is not certified by the state of Oregon.

The firsty response to my ad smelled like a government employee.  So I didn't answer it.

Then I got a response from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality:

UncertWoodStoves to sale-rbcmm-161.
show details Feb 23
Dear wood stove seller,
 
On February 23, 2010 DEQ noticed your February 21, 2010 advertisement on the craigslist (eastern Oregon) website.  Based on your advertisement, it looks as though you might be selling a non-certified stove.  Please be advised that Oregon law (OAR 340-262-0030) states a person shall not advertise to sell, offer to sell, or sell a used woodstove unless it has been certified.  A certified stove has a DEQ or EPA certification label affixed to the stove, indicating it is certified to comply with particulate emission standards.    A safety label (from U.L. or other safety-listing agency) is not the same as DEQ or EPA certification.  Typically, non-certified woodstoves (including fireplace inserts) are older models dating prior to 1985.  For additional information on determining whether or not your stove is certified, please visit our website at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/burning/woodstoves/questions.htm
 
Certified stoves are much less polluting than older, non-certified stoves, reducing fine particles by 70%.  These old polluting stoves emit smoke that can contribute to air pollution, including pollutants such as fine particulate and air toxics.  Particulate matter in woodstove smoke can be easily inhaled and reach the deepest part of our lungs and is known to cause or contribute to respiratory disease, asthma attacks, heart problems, and premature death.
 
If you do have a non-certified stove, we recommend you dispose of the stove by taking it to a local metal recycler to sell as scrap metal or talking with your local wood stove dealer to see if they will accept the old stove and render it inoperable.
 
For additional information about selling a woodstove in Oregon, or for general information on woodstoves, please visit http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/burning/woodstoves/index.htm.  If you have any questions, please feel free to respond to this email and a DEQ representative will be in touch with you.
 
Thank you,
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Comment:  I have never evaluated an Oregon Approved wood stove.  I don't think I'd be impressed.  The wood stove's operator is a lot more important than the wood stove.

[Mike]

Oregon law (OAR 340-262-0030)

So far as I know, Oregon has two kinds of laws:
1) ORS, Oregon Revised Statutes are laws passed by the legislature.
2) OAR, Oregon Administrative Rules are dreamed up by administrators to implement their authority under some ORS.

I think most laws are OAR, just dreamed up.

[Atash Hagmahani]

I bet we could smooth one over in a matter of weeks.

We'll need to lure him to the Ashram, or at least to a "ceremony", out in the backwoods, and also make sure he's not communicating with his organization--otherwise they might figure out what we are up to and pull him out before we could finish.

A few weeks would probably do it, but I suggest about a month. If he's ex-military he might even have some anti-subversion training that would need to be worked around.

[offdalip]

Comment:  I have never evaluated an Oregon Approved wood stove.  I don't think I'd be impressed.  The wood stove's operator is a lot more important than the wood stove.

they are making a pre-judgment that you do not know how to operate the stove correctly/
so they are idiot-proofing it so that even an idiot cannot cause particulate pollution beyond the treehuggers limits

[offdalip]

Quote
A privacy watchdog has uncovered a government memo that encourages federal agents to befriend people on a variety of social networks, to take advantage of their readiness to share -- and to spy on them. In response to a Freedom of Information request, the government released a handful of documents, including a May 2008 memo detailing how social-networking sites are exploited by the Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS).

As of Thursday morning, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Digg had not commented on the report, which details the official government program to spy via social networking. Other websites the government is spying on include Twitter, MySpace, Craigslist and Wikipedia, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which filed the FOIA request.

Yet another reason why I don't join these kinds of social networking sites.

apparently this has / is becoming one of the favorite places for govnmt agencies and private detectives to troll for information. there is a new phrase that came into existence called "facebook refresh" .

google your own name. what is on the web, stays on the web, forever..................

[Mike]

google your own name. what is on the web, stays on the web, forever

Thanks for the reminder!

they are making a pre-judgment that you do not know how to operate the stove correctly/
so they are idiot-proofing it so that even an idiot cannot cause particulate pollution beyond the treehuggers limits

Yes!  That's how I see it.  Well, there is also the question of smoldering messes and incomplete combustion.  But, I'll bet the particulates are the biggest concern.  So what one wants is a small hot fire with complete combustion.  Then a relatively cool chimney temperature and a slow exhaust precipitating soot.  I have never found creosote in my chimney.

I'm pretty sure that pellet stoves can't be beat for cleanliness, so far as solid fuel is concerned.

And once again:

google your own name. what is on the web, stays on the web, forever