> I'm wondering at which point will we reach that utopic nirvana when HN and internet users in general will be able to google something they find perplexing/unr

> I'm wondering at which point will we reach that utopic nirvana when HN and internet users in general will be able to google something they find perplexing/unreal before asking others to do it for them. Look. Perhaps you should use a bit more discretion before you decide to come out all guns blazing on sarcasm and condescendation. I have some professional experience in the field - and it tells me there are many inconsistencies in your argument. And yes, I did 'the google' before typing the previous reply. I could of course be just ignorant about the latest achievements. But that's where references matter. That's all I asked for. So here is the problem. Operation Ivy Bell happened in mid 1960s to mid 1970s. If you knew the communication infrastructure of that time, you would have realized that it was distinctly NOT optic fiber. Those came much later. But what really confirmed that doubt is that they used the induction principle of a transformer to tap the cable. That won't work on optic fibers. That's not how the EM field propagates in an OFC - they're more similar to waveguides than telephone cables. And this distinction certainly matters here. Today's world is certainly not the same as in 60s. The sort of high-volume communication didn't exist back then. Neither did the ability to listen to or manipulate so many people all at once. Today's dangers - like the one with email messages - didn't exist back then. Back then 'cable' leaks like this used to happen. But have you heard of anything similar to Hillary's email leak or the Halloween mails?