Searching For True Patriots

Real Americans Don't Hide Behind Google

Published on January 20, 2006 By kingbee In Politics

day before yesterday i began--but then abandoned--a piece about generalissimo gonzales' attempt to strongarm google with a subpeona demanding a week's worth of user search queries as well as a random list of website urls from google's database.

like the tools they are, yahoo, aol and msn appear to have already caved to government demands.

gonzales--who seems at times to believe his job title is attorney tsar rather than attorney general--claims the information is needed to persuade the supreme court to lift an injunction blocking enforcement of the 1998 child online protection act (anti-porn legislation intended to keep kids from accessing feelthy peectures by requiring users to prove they were adults with a credit card--as if all adults have em but no kids do). according to gonzales' briefs (heh) this information is needed to "assist the government in its efforts to understand the behaviour of current web users, and to estimate how often web users encounter harmful-to-minors material in the course of their searches."

it aint as if the government has something more important to do...like wage an all out war on terror or something.

anyway, i was gonna let this all slide when i had the good fortune to discover an alternative search engine which operates on rock-solid four-square patriotic principles. none of that ridiculous leftwing whining about freedom of speech for these five-star sons of the homeland. they PROMISE to automatically transmit to the government all the information they can grab from those who use their fine search engine.

but don't take my word for it. check it out for yourself: Link

Comments (Page 1)

Slanderer

on Jan 21, 2006

At least they are honest about it. I wonder if there will be any takers.

You know I could think up of some very mean pranks on someone else' computer. I think I will start my search with "how to make a nuclear bomb 101".

I wonder what the response time is from search to some guys knocking on your door?

kingbee

on Jan 21, 2006

I wonder what the response time is from search to some guys knocking on your door?

based solely on personal experience, i can tell you it's a bit longer than 4 hours and 23 minutes. still, i wish i woulda thought far enough ahead to have done it on someone else's machine.

Dr Guy

on Jan 21, 2006

If it is a legal subpoena, what is the problem? Or are you contending it is just a fishing expedition?

Gideon MacLeish

on Jan 21, 2006

I hope SOMEBODY caught on that this is a piece of satire. Here's their Privacy Policy as exhibit A:

We believe privacy policies are only of value for those who have something to hide. We further believe that only those who are engaging in criminal activity have something to hide in the first place.

In fact, your motivation to read this privacy policy seems highly suspicious to us. Rest assured you've just been reported to the government.

But it was a rather GOOD piece of satire nonetheless. thanks for the contribution, king!

Gene Nash

on Jan 21, 2006

Or are you contending it is just a fishing expedition?

I contend it's a fishing expedition.

I hope SOMEBODY caught on that this is a piece of satire.

Does that mean my searches --

Usama was right
W. is an asswipe.
Al-Qaeda sign-up sheet

-- will go to waste?

Darn.

I shoulda had a Yahoo.

still, i wish i woulda thought far enough ahead to have done it on someone else's machine.

"Fun With Wi-Fi," anyone?

Dr Guy

on Jan 21, 2006

I contend it's a fishing expedition.

While I respect your opinion, it is just that. is it, or is it not? That is my question, and since I asked it early, I have purposely not read more in hopes that he can provide his answer.

whoman69

on Jan 22, 2006

If it is a legal subpoena, what is the problem? Or are you contending it is just a fishing expedition?

So now this administration is worried about legal supoenas? The problem is there are no balances to control if they are going after terrorist or just political enemies.

Dr Guy

on Jan 22, 2006

So now this administration is worried about legal supoenas? The problem is there are no balances to control if they are going after terrorist or just political enemies.

I am not a part of THIS administration. Now, do you want to answer the question, or just provide more obfuscation?

kingbee

on Jan 23, 2006

If it is a legal subpoena, what is the problem?

if, by legal, you mean it was duly issued by a judge, it most likely is legal. is that subpoena enforceable? i guess the court will have to sort it out.

Or are you contending it is just a fishing expedition?

no.

but then i don't believe fishing has anything to do with dynamiting lakes.

that question aside, it is a very cynical attempt to establish a very dangerous precedent. so it don't surprise me that gonzales is involved.

feel free to explain how a week's worth of search terms is gonna establish anything relevant to their appeal. if you're gonna need to research the question, i'd advise you to avoid yahoo, msn or aol search should you need to use the word 'porn' as a keyword.

kingbee

on Jan 23, 2006

I hope SOMEBODY caught on that this is a piece of satire

hope is such a fragile thing, aint it?

thanks for the contribution, king!

welcome, of course.

kingbee

on Jan 23, 2006

Usama was right
W. is an asswipe.
Al-Qaeda sign-up sheet

"Fun With Wi-Fi," anyone?

whatta wonderfully wicked mind! i'm humbled.

kingbee

on Jan 23, 2006

The problem is there are no balances to control if they are going after terrorist or just political enemies.

or perhaps it's that they can't differentiate between the two. it doesn't seem unreasonable to conclude aol, msn and yahoo may have rolled over without a fight rather than risk making the 'enemies list'.

ParaTed2k

on Jan 23, 2006

The internet is a public place, so there is no assumption of privacy except where privacy has been guaranteed by contract or law.

Face it, when you put something on a search engine, there is nothing private about it... Patriotism has NOTHING to do with it.

kingbee

on Jan 23, 2006

Patriotism has NOTHING to do with it.

the reference is to the patriot act's provisions enabling law enforcement to investigate which books library patrons have checked out.

a search engine is a private enterprise. as a corporation, it has the same rights as an individual. one of those rights involves its ability to protect proprietary information and trade secrets.

ParaTed2k

on Jan 23, 2006

The proprietary and trade secrets of Google aren't what was asked for by the government. So your point doesn't work.

When you or I go on a search engine and type "how to build a nuclear bomb to blow up the White House for Al Qaeda" we are no different than people sitting in a restaurant discussing the same thing.

The dining room of the restaurant is a public place (privately owned, but open to the public), there is no assumption of privacy in a restaurant dining room, why would there be any assumption of privacy in the public area of a search engine?

Now if you were talking about methods and language used by google to conduct business, you'd be right.

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