> I was wondering how they knew it was him who made those search queries It seems you didn't read page #2 of the article which discusses the timing analysis of

> I was wondering how they knew it was him who made those search queries It seems you didn't read page #2 of the article which discusses the timing analysis of the evidence. Tsk Tsk Tsk ;-) > especially for a line of work that carries such a gloomy stigma It is doing very good and very important work. It is doing the right thing. It is benefiting society. It is making a difference. It is preforming service. The fact that it happens to be far more difficult than most would ever imagine only makes it that much more important. Though it can be a very tough job at times, it is also very rewarding, even if you're just a lowly "volunteer" doing the time consuming menial tasks. If you consider it gloomy and depressing, it will be. If you consider it rewarding and gratifying, it will be (well, at least most of the time). The choice is yours. > what kind of person would want to do this work and why? Ask street cops. Ask detectives. Ask FBI/SS agents. Ask district attorneys. ... One of my favorite people on the planet to talk to is a retired detective from the deep South. He spent 40 years on the force, but even now, he still does volunteer work. He's a self-proclaimed "techtard" but some of the work he does is actually quite technical. We got to be friends because I helped him with understanding tech, and he helped me with understanding everything else. I definitely got the better half of that deal. --The amount I've learned from him over the years simply cannot be measured. > I never knew the agencies you named were so accepting to volunteers. They are not very accepting of volunteers, and there are tons of rules regarding volunteers, so it can be a real hassle for them. The thing is, if they know you are truly interested in pursuing a career in some aspect of law enforcement, then they understand your situation all too well. At one point in their life, they were in the exact same situation. > I would have thought they would act suspicious of people volunteering Yes. They will be suspicious and more importantly, they should be suspicious. You must anticipate their reaction. Make it exceedingly easy for them to do whatever background and reference checks they deem necessary. Be helpful, be honest, and be patient. It will take time. You need to be OK with always being under greater scrutiny than others. It happens if you're a volunteer. Even if you are fully vetted, it happens a whole lot more if you prove yourself to be "frighteningly talented" in some technical discipline. Needless to say, it doesn't take much to frighten non-technical people. If you happen to extremely good at something, even your technical peers will at least think, if not directly say, "I'm really glad he's one of the good guys." I'm definitely tired, and probably rambling. My email address is in my profile if you'd prefer to continue this off-site.