2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: I have two questions about the email controversy [View all]apnu
(8,765 posts)Likely the SoS email system was archaic and so filled with security protocols that it was inconvenient to use. Maybe it was her state provided laptop or tablet or phone (if such things are given out), whatever it was she probably found her server more convenient to use. she probably didn't think much on it.
I work with a lot of computer security, and there's always a tipping point where the security becomes so thick it interferes with the end-user's perception of usability and then the end-user will go around the security so they can "get work done"
Its not like they're evil masterminds twirling mustaches and cackling to themselves. Its more of a "ew, this is annoying, hey I have a mail server over here that works on my iPhone! Hey Mr. General-of-the-Armies guy, catch me over here!" and then Mr. General-of-the-Armies guy says "OK" and there we are in a breach of protocol.
While everybody is beating up Hillary and Hillary alone over this, nobody is wondering why all the other DoD and spy agencies who were talking to her on an obviously open channel didn't stop and say "Hey, Mrs. SoS, I can't email you at that address, I will send an email to your SoS address."
Nobody seems to have done that but we all yell at Hillary for it, and forget all of these different agencies and departments continued to chat it up with Hillary from the computer at her home under her desk (or wherever it was).
And its at that point this whole thing smells like a witch hunt. Nobody's demanding heads roll at the CIA or the Pentagon, its all Hillary all the time. And its rank political opportunism.
Any chance of doing good here, of finding problems like this and filling security holes is now out the window. Nobody cares so long as Hillary gets torn down. And when she's torn down, nobody will care about the issue anymore. This is about drawing blood on Hillary, not actual crimes, violations and so forth.