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apples and oranges

(1,451 posts) Wed Jul 31, 2013, 11:28 AM Jul 2013

Do you really think the NSA has the manpower to sift through billions of keystrokes and metadata [View all]

Last edited Wed Jul 31, 2013, 02:06 PM - Edit history (2)

from everyone, including you and me? What is your opinion of the efficiency of federal employees? What is the population of your city?

Perhaps our subjective answers to such questions might explain the disconnect we're seeing between DU members on the issue of NSA "spying."

Update: OFFS, I didn't realize I'd have to spell everything out. OF COURSE the computers are collecting the data, but who the fuck is going to take the time to look at everything? Unless we're expecting the computers to make the decisions on who to arrest and robots are sent to our doors.

Update 2: I never said that what the NSA is doing is alright with me. Just offering my opinion on why some people aren't as angry or worried.

84 replies

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Do you really think the NSA has the manpower to sift through billions of keystrokes and metadata [View all] apples and oranges Jul 2013 OP

No. But they do have unlimited funding and technology. We lose. geckosfeet Jul 2013 #1

They'll Outsourse the sifting to India FreakinDJ Jul 2013 #13

I saw numbers as high as 850,000 "analysts" back in June. bemildred Jul 2013 #2

The total number of contracted employees of the NSA is estimated to be 40,000 or so 1-Old-Man Jul 2013 #14

I am guessing this number doesn't include private contractors? think Jul 2013 #25

Or our "partners", The UK was neck deep in it too. nt bemildred Jul 2013 #45

There's the Five Eyes. backscatter712 Jul 2013 #71

No. onehandle Jul 2013 #3

wtf - the 'efficiency of federal employees?' leftstreet Jul 2013 #4

yeah, nice right-wing talking point there.. frylock Jul 2013 #28

NO Tikki Jul 2013 #5

I hear that there are NSA shills participating in blog postings that are being recorded by the NSA. L0oniX Jul 2013 #6

Private contractors provide the manpower Harmony Blue Jul 2013 #7

and expensive KittyWampus Jul 2013 #10

Not manpower, technology... Scuba Jul 2013 #8

Smear? I asked a hypothetical question! apples and oranges Jul 2013 #38

Opinion of efficiency of Federal Employees? Savannahmann Jul 2013 #9

Jesus you are naive. 1-Old-Man Jul 2013 #11

You do realize that at some point a human has to make decisions on anything the computer apples and oranges Jul 2013 #40

We all realize that. That is part of the NSA leak NoOneMan Jul 2013 #55

Nice - A Constitution SHREDDING Apologist FreakinDJ Jul 2013 #12

Why would anyone presume that humans would be doing the sifting? Xithras Jul 2013 #15

Hmmm, you aren't a data analyst are you? cbdo2007 Jul 2013 #16

No, but then they don't need to. 1awake Jul 2013 #17

They don't need manpower to "sift through it" hootinholler Jul 2013 #18

+1. It's scary how many people there are carrying water for the NSA here. reformist2 Jul 2013 #44

They aren't splitting peas by hand there. We have data-mining programs for that. DetlefK Jul 2013 #19

Erm... kamikaze762 Jul 2013 #20

It's like you're not familiar with computers or software. Brickbat Jul 2013 #21

Don't be silly Capt. Obvious Jul 2013 #22

Yes. Humans won't do it though. PowerToThePeople Jul 2013 #23

If it's so useless, why are they collecting it? Tierra_y_Libertad Jul 2013 #24

Good question. n/t AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2013 #32

Derp! LondonReign2 Jul 2013 #26

man, if only they had a computer or two to run a few queries frylock Jul 2013 #27

Maybe not, but now they have the data stored to search for blackmail material on anyone. Incitatus Jul 2013 #29

You or I can buy a program named CallTrunk, which has Argosearch built in. $5 - $50 a month. djean111 Jul 2013 #30

They don't need the manpower to sift through ohheckyeah Jul 2013 #31

NSA has the computer power to do that, of course. MineralMan Jul 2013 #33

Who fucking cares? Downtown Hound Jul 2013 #34

That is exactly the key point - everything else is simply subterfuge. 1-Old-Man Jul 2013 #35

They missed the Boston Marathon bombers The Second Stone Jul 2013 #36

^^^^____^^^^ This nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #43

Tread softly when watched. Don't make waves NoOneMan Jul 2013 #72

It won't be long before that won't be able to afford the massive storage costs. nt ladjf Jul 2013 #37

That too. It's infeasible apples and oranges Jul 2013 #46

No, storage costs get cheaper and cheaper, and compression algorithms get better and better. djean111 Jul 2013 #53

You mean these "federal employees"? Arctic Dave Jul 2013 #39

The 1% has all the money in the world, and all the time in the world to spend it Zorra Jul 2013 #41

That's really what it boils down to. (no text) Quantess Jul 2013 #76

Nice smear on federal employees nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #42

Once Skynet comes online the need for human involvement leeroysphitz Jul 2013 #47

No. NCTraveler Jul 2013 #48

It is stored. mick063 Jul 2013 #49

Yes. Safetykitten Jul 2013 #50

They have help in the intern department. randome Jul 2013 #51

Please read "Digital Fortress" by Dan Brown. Atman Jul 2013 #52

Does Google have the ability to sift through the entire internet and perform searches? NoOneMan Jul 2013 #54

Exactly. The NSA's computer systems are Google for Tyrants. n/t backscatter712 Jul 2013 #58

I hope the NSA likes my porn surfing habits. Atman Jul 2013 #66

77% of Americans view internet porn once a month NoOneMan Jul 2013 #69

Maybe Go Vols Jul 2013 #56

They've got Google for Tyrants - why do you think they've got that new datacenter in Utah? backscatter712 Jul 2013 #57

Google also tracks and records user behavior NoOneMan Jul 2013 #60

Touche! A valid point! backscatter712 Jul 2013 #62

From what I know about what Google can do, it makes me very uncomfortable with the NSA NoOneMan Jul 2013 #65

Ghostery. Atman Jul 2013 #68

Software Algorithms do usGovOwesUs3Trillion Jul 2013 #59

Amazing is it not? People posting that there could not possibly be a way that ALL that info could Safetykitten Jul 2013 #61

Yeah, back to their original 'argument' usGovOwesUs3Trillion Jul 2013 #63

lol, manpower Puzzledtraveller Jul 2013 #64

NSA spy manpower in action NoOneMan Jul 2013 #67

Which proves it is a waste of tax payers money and extreme overreach of spying powers. Lint Head Jul 2013 #70

Why on Earth would they use manpower? Hosnon Jul 2013 #73

Do you really think that it's necessary for humans to do it? Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #74

The problem is, the could single any of us out. Vashta Nerada Jul 2013 #75

So what is your point? Atman Jul 2013 #80

yes alc Jul 2013 #77

Manpower? What century are you from? Rex Jul 2013 #78

No. However I do imagine that there are computer algorithms which may easily search through and sort LanternWaste Jul 2013 #79

Then why are they collecting the data? Just bored I guess. upaloopa Jul 2013 #81

Really? You cannot be Serious... cthulu2016 Jul 2013 #82

Yes AgingAmerican Jul 2013 #83

Snowden Bradical79 Jul 2013 #84