4 ms·

Could you elaborate more on why it's a bad deal?

c2h5oh 6y ago
- you will be asked/pressured to do things - to be places and talk to people you weren't planning to. Best case scenario it's at the cost of your time, worst case scenario it's at the cost of your personal safety. - you will be expected to report on what other people, including your friends, said or did. Even if they are not doing anything illegal FBI might want information to pressure them into being an informant. I wasn't in a situation like that, but I expect it would have a huge chilling effect on me - I'd start self-censoring interactions with others our of fear they mention something benign, but gray area legally that I would laugh at otherwise, but now would be required to report and get them in trouble. This wouldn't have to be something big - I'm sure at some point in time a friend of yours recommended a movie or a tv show that isn't available in your region, implying they have pirated a copy. Would your first reaction be to notify FBI?
- freeopinion 6y ago
  Just start wearing a brown shirt whenever you are around friends. Maybe they'll figure it out.
  - neolog 6y ago
    What's the brown shirt about?
    - biddit 6y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung colloquially called "Brownshirts"
    - rbanffy 6y ago
      https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownshirt https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownshirt Also terrible fashion tastes.
- throwaway0a5e 6y ago
  And what's the upside for all this if you're a law abiding citizen? The FBI pinky swears they won't come after you for violating the kinds of laws law abiding citizens break.
  - js2 6y ago
    From an interview with William O'Neal: > INTERVIEWER: Tell me a little bit about how you felt about working for the FBI. What motivated you and what you thought you were, what ends you thought you were serving? > WILLIAM O'NEAL: Well, in my community, the policemen were, I mean, it was the quickest way to gain respect. I mean, I think I grew up wanting to be a policeman, admiring and respecting policemen, although I always thought it was outside of my reach. I, my neighborhood was not unlike most people that grew up in Chicago, most young people, we were very mischievous and did a lot of juvenile-type, petty, criminal-type things, but stealing a car and all of a sudden having the FBI, having a case with the FBI, the thought of be--having, really going to jail got my attention. And, so when he asked me to join the Black Panther Party, and he used terms, he never used the word informant. He always said, "You're working for me," and I associated him as the FBI. So all of a sudden I was working for the FBI, which, in my mind, at that point, I associated with being an FBI agent. So I felt good about it. I felt like I was working undercover for the FBI doing something good for the finest police organization in America. And so I was pretty proud. http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eii/eiiweb/one5427.1047.125williamo'neal.html http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eii/eiiweb/one5427.1047.125willia... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_O%27Neal_(informant) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_O%27Neal_(informant)
busterarm 6y ago
You're potentially risking your life but certainly trading your reputation and taking on stress for not a particularly worthy amount of money. Plus then you're on the government's radar and they think you're money-motivated, not patriotism-motivated. Everyone involved in any cases brought with your help will think poorly of you. This might turn into cases brought against you. You will never get a government job. Your identity will probably be exposed as an informant at some point -- usually through public court records. If you actually are patriotism-motivated, go join the agency. There is no upside to informing on people.
crocsarecool 6y ago
I just watched “White Boy” on Netflix. The FBI was using a 15 year old boy to get information on drug dealers. He has been in prison for almost 30 years after the FBI had no use for him. At first, I thought the boy who was informing was with the good guys taking down drug kingpins. By the end of it, I realized the FBI were just manipulating and using up this young kid.

- you will be asked/pressured to do things - to be places and talk to people you weren't planning to. Best case scenario it's at the cost of your time, worst case scenario it's at the cost of your personal safety. - you will be expected to report on what other people, including your friends, said or did. Even if they are not doing anything illegal FBI might want information to pressure them into being an informant. I wasn't in a situation like that, but I expect it would have a huge chilling effect on me - I'd start self-censoring interactions with others our of fear they mention something benign, but gray area legally that I would laugh at otherwise, but now would be required to report and get them in trouble. This wouldn't have to be something big - I'm sure at some point in time a friend of yours recommended a movie or a tv show that isn't available in your region, implying they have pirated a copy. Would your first reaction be to notify FBI?

freeopinion 6y ago
Just start wearing a brown shirt whenever you are around friends. Maybe they'll figure it out.
- neolog 6y ago
  What's the brown shirt about?
  - biddit 6y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung colloquially called "Brownshirts"
  - rbanffy 6y ago
    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownshirt https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownshirt Also terrible fashion tastes.
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
And what's the upside for all this if you're a law abiding citizen? The FBI pinky swears they won't come after you for violating the kinds of laws law abiding citizens break.
- js2 6y ago
  From an interview with William O'Neal: > INTERVIEWER: Tell me a little bit about how you felt about working for the FBI. What motivated you and what you thought you were, what ends you thought you were serving? > WILLIAM O'NEAL: Well, in my community, the policemen were, I mean, it was the quickest way to gain respect. I mean, I think I grew up wanting to be a policeman, admiring and respecting policemen, although I always thought it was outside of my reach. I, my neighborhood was not unlike most people that grew up in Chicago, most young people, we were very mischievous and did a lot of juvenile-type, petty, criminal-type things, but stealing a car and all of a sudden having the FBI, having a case with the FBI, the thought of be--having, really going to jail got my attention. And, so when he asked me to join the Black Panther Party, and he used terms, he never used the word informant. He always said, "You're working for me," and I associated him as the FBI. So all of a sudden I was working for the FBI, which, in my mind, at that point, I associated with being an FBI agent. So I felt good about it. I felt like I was working undercover for the FBI doing something good for the finest police organization in America. And so I was pretty proud. http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eii/eiiweb/one5427.1047.125williamo'neal.html http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eii/eiiweb/one5427.1047.125willia... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_O%27Neal_(informant) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_O%27Neal_(informant)

busterarm 6y ago

You're potentially risking your life but certainly trading your reputation and taking on stress for not a particularly worthy amount of money. Plus then you're on the government's radar and they think you're money-motivated, not patriotism-motivated. Everyone involved in any cases brought with your help will think poorly of you. This might turn into cases brought against you. You will never get a government job. Your identity will probably be exposed as an informant at some point -- usually through public court records. If you actually are patriotism-motivated, go join the agency. There is no upside to informing on people.

crocsarecool 6y ago

I just watched “White Boy” on Netflix. The FBI was using a 15 year old boy to get information on drug dealers. He has been in prison for almost 30 years after the FBI had no use for him. At first, I thought the boy who was informing was with the good guys taking down drug kingpins. By the end of it, I realized the FBI were just manipulating and using up this young kid.