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I think to the mindset of someone who chooses to work for the NSA being like Robocop is a GOOD thing. After all, Robocop catches the bad guys. If he comes and k

by imgabe 16y ago

I think to the mindset of someone who chooses to work for the NSA being like Robocop is a GOOD thing. After all, Robocop catches the bad guys. If he comes and kicks down your door, it's because you were doing something wrong. If you sign up to work for an agency like the NSA, you're probably doing it because you want to serve your country and protect it from the bad guys. You're not setting out to create some kind of totalitarian police state.

gaius 16y ago
It amuses me, like in that James Bond film with Rosalind Pike, when Hollywood wants a secret organization even more sinister than the CIA they go for the NSA. I've (obv) never been to the NSA's office but I bet it's indistinguishable from any of the established high tech firms, like IBM or Boeing or Intel or Raytheon. Everyone clean-shaven and wearing a crisp white shirt. These guys write programs and research cryptography. When they need some ass kicked they phone the Navy SEALs (1-800-SEAL4U in case you ever need them), then go back to complaining about the coffee machine.
- noonespecial 16y ago
  From the government agencies I've done work in, I think it would be easily distinguishable from somewhere like Boeing. The government guys are the ones using Windows 98 and still trying to get the approval they started 9 years ago to upgrade to SE.
  - piguy314 16y ago
    It's comforting to think of the government as bumbling, backward and behind the times, but you should NOT think of the NSA this way. They have been on the cutting edge of the technology for the past 10 years, they are building a massive data center in Utah for cyber-security purposes (http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221100260 http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/show...), they recruit heavily at hacking and security conventions, and they have multiple public private partnerships with heavy hitters in the tech world (http://247wallst.com/2010/02/04/an-unprecedented-public-private-partnership-as-google-and-nsa-team-on-cyberattacks/ http://247wallst.com/2010/02/04/an-unprecedented-public-priv...).
dmor 16y ago
you might not be setting out to create a police state, but neither were the majority of people signing up for the Nazi party. Don't confuse sincerity with being right
- imgabe 16y ago
  That's not a valid comparison. Hitler and the top people were trying to create a police state. It didn't just spring up by accident from people trying to otherwise do the right thing.
chopsueyar 16y ago
I think he meant ED-209 from the movie Robocop, so not a GOOD thing.

by imgabe 16y ago

gaius 16y ago

It amuses me, like in that James Bond film with Rosalind Pike, when Hollywood wants a secret organization even more sinister than the CIA they go for the NSA. I've (obv) never been to the NSA's office but I bet it's indistinguishable from any of the established high tech firms, like IBM or Boeing or Intel or Raytheon. Everyone clean-shaven and wearing a crisp white shirt. These guys write programs and research cryptography. When they need some ass kicked they phone the Navy SEALs (1-800-SEAL4U in case you ever need them), then go back to complaining about the coffee machine.

noonespecial 16y ago
From the government agencies I've done work in, I think it would be easily distinguishable from somewhere like Boeing. The government guys are the ones using Windows 98 and still trying to get the approval they started 9 years ago to upgrade to SE.
- piguy314 16y ago
  It's comforting to think of the government as bumbling, backward and behind the times, but you should NOT think of the NSA this way. They have been on the cutting edge of the technology for the past 10 years, they are building a massive data center in Utah for cyber-security purposes (http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221100260 http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/show...), they recruit heavily at hacking and security conventions, and they have multiple public private partnerships with heavy hitters in the tech world (http://247wallst.com/2010/02/04/an-unprecedented-public-private-partnership-as-google-and-nsa-team-on-cyberattacks/ http://247wallst.com/2010/02/04/an-unprecedented-public-priv...).

dmor 16y ago

you might not be setting out to create a police state, but neither were the majority of people signing up for the Nazi party. Don't confuse sincerity with being right

imgabe 16y ago
That's not a valid comparison. Hitler and the top people were trying to create a police state. It didn't just spring up by accident from people trying to otherwise do the right thing.

chopsueyar 16y ago

I think he meant ED-209 from the movie Robocop, so not a GOOD thing.