General Discussion

Pholus

(4,062 posts)

40. For the data storage, 20 million seems reasonable.

Wed Jun 19, 2013, 05:51 PM

Jun 2013

This estimate is from the guy who does the internet archive so he ought to know...

http://blog.archive.org/2013/06/15/cost-to-store-all-us-phonecalls-made-in-a-year-in-cloud-storage-so-it-could-be-datamined/

But that totally turns my numbers on its head and NOT in the NSA's favor.

1) Metadata -- data volume easily fits on a single server
2) "Boundless Informer" -- ditto
3) Prism -- 20 million dollars. Actually MUCH cheaper than my initial estimates given what they said they had.

So why are so many contractors needed? Why the huge expansion in data storage space at the NSA? Why the deals with "thousands" of companies to get their databases? Why the DARPA interest in "anomaly detection in large databases?

And it looks like the cost of the disclosed programs are like 40 million (generous) versus a total estimated budget of 10-20 billion. What do you suppose the rest of the money gets used for?

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Statistics on phone calls, text messages, emails,etc. [View all] warrior1 Jun 2013 OP

Not only are they listening and reading, they're storing all that somewhere. randome Jun 2013 #1

your welcome warrior1 Jun 2013 #3

They will be storing it here soon Go Vols Jun 2013 #8

So, tell me how the NSA manages to listen, read all this information, with a measly $20 million? FSogol Jun 2013 #2

Workers get paid in popcorn. HappyMe Jun 2013 #4

I should go work for the NSA, I listen to people's phone calls when in the grocery store. FSogol Jun 2013 #6

In the store, in the bar, HappyMe Jun 2013 #7

DUZY!!!!!!!!!!! dixiegrrrrl Jun 2013 #16

It's one hell of an If statement. In VBA. randome Jun 2013 #9

LOL Lucinda Jun 2013 #71

they don't. but they are able to sift it according to key words, targeted individuals & their HiPointDem Jun 2013 #13

Evidence they have done that without a warrant since the Bush administration? FSogol Jun 2013 #14

1 'warrant' = millions of 'sifts'. no different from the stasi tracking the movements and actions HiPointDem Jun 2013 #17

Hyperbole! It's not just for breakfast anymore! FSogol Jun 2013 #24

why don't you just tell me the difference between the stasi maintaining files on most of the HiPointDem Jun 2013 #25

Data versue Metadata. It is like worrying because the Stasti had a phone book. n/t FSogol Jun 2013 #28

Cause who you talk to tells nothing about who you are... Pholus Jun 2013 #31

nothing to do with phone books. it's like the stasi having a record of everyone you contacted, HiPointDem Jun 2013 #33

if they get a warrant. FSogol Jun 2013 #35

'warrants' handed out by secret courts, just like the stasi. on information already on file. big HiPointDem Jun 2013 #45

the FISC warrant only giftedgirl77 Jun 2013 #51

fisa clearly outlines that domestic data can be surveilled if connected to 'terrorists'. which is HiPointDem Jun 2013 #54

Source the 20 million number, please. Pholus Jun 2013 #30

LOL--he quoted $20 million but it went overbudget to $2 billion marions ghost Jun 2013 #34

I never said the building cost $20MM. That's the cost of the Prism program from FSogol Jun 2013 #36

For the data storage, 20 million seems reasonable. Pholus Jun 2013 #40

I'm not sure answers.com is a reliable source for 2 billion phone calls a day Jarla Jun 2013 #5

+1 its sourced to "ihazcheez" thats a credible source! n/t FreeState Jun 2013 #10

That number is actually low... snooper2 Jun 2013 #20

That's very possible Jarla Jun 2013 #22

In the 1960's and 1970's, the US Navy was doing that and more. Savannahmann Jun 2013 #11

I think it's impossible to listen to every piece of data that's out there warrior1 Jun 2013 #12

For a human, yes. Savannahmann Jun 2013 #15

They don't have to listen to it if they store it in a searchable database! Th1onein Jun 2013 #60

Millions of texts are being pored over by NSA analysts, as we speak. MineralMan Jun 2013 #18

Man that would be tedious. If only there were some kind of machine that could help... nt Pholus Jun 2013 #27

It is not that simple. MineralMan Jun 2013 #55

They don't listen to or read all that information, DiamondDog Jun 2013 #19

They don't listen to it, they do save it, for future reference. reformist2 Jun 2013 #21

Yottabytes in Utah marions ghost Jun 2013 #23

The first sentence is such unbelievable nonsense. FSogol Jun 2013 #26

A million exabytes = one yottabyte marions ghost Jun 2013 #43

So your contention is that they are actually storing basketballs in Utah? Pholus Jun 2013 #44

Yeah they've an indoor court in there for the Utah Jazz marions ghost Jun 2013 #47

Actually that whole analogy was strange... Pholus Jun 2013 #48

1 yottabyte = 500 Jacuzzis marions ghost Jun 2013 #59

No, to compare the storage size of a data center building to the physical size of a flashdrive is FSogol Jun 2013 #61

Really. Volume scaling arguments are past you? Not me. Pholus Jun 2013 #62

Do you have reading comprehension issue or just wanna rip someone who disagrees with you? FSogol Jun 2013 #63

Yes, that does seem to pass for reasoning in your world. Pholus Jun 2013 #64

LOL. That's what you got out of what I wrote? FSogol Jun 2013 #65

That's what you wrote. Pholus Jun 2013 #66

See my discussion on this. Pholus Jun 2013 #29

Informative post marions ghost Jun 2013 #32

Actually I completely overestimated Prism's size in that... Pholus Jun 2013 #41

What does the Cyber Command encompass--is that the 20 billion? marions ghost Jun 2013 #46

No the budget is classified, but the total intelligence budget is 80 billion Pholus Jun 2013 #49

OK thanks, obviously I didnt know how marions ghost Jun 2013 #58

Don't you realize what you've done? Savannahmann Jun 2013 #38

That Snowden was a bad neighbor? nt Pholus Jun 2013 #42

my brain hurts giftedgirl77 Jun 2013 #37

Because it says on paper that they should not Savannahmann Jun 2013 #39

I'm not saying there isn't giftedgirl77 Jun 2013 #50

Admisable in court Savannahmann Jun 2013 #52

Shit, I will never argue giftedgirl77 Jun 2013 #53

It sounds to me like the intelligence agencies have interpreted the laws Jarla Jun 2013 #56

Why, because that is what someone is telling you based on what some guy told him? giftedgirl77 Jun 2013 #57

You're right Jarla Jun 2013 #67

Not really, that is what is so funny about the entire situation giftedgirl77 Jun 2013 #68

But the INTERPRETATION of those laws is subject to debate Jarla Jun 2013 #69

Ugh it's painful giftedgirl77 Jun 2013 #70