3 ms·

The question is whether it is about destruction of data or whether it is about intimidation and strong-arming.

vidarh 13y ago
If it is intimidation and strong-arming, it is also exceptionally ineffective. The reaction at the Guardian presumably was something along the lines of total confusion. They'd made it clear they had copies. They'd made it clear the story could and would be reported from anywhere. And the only response these GCHQ goons could come up with was to smash a Macbook? Unless someone at The Guardian are particularly sensitive Apple fans that might see their Macbook as an extension of themselves, it seems like a rather feeble attempt at intimidation. That's what makes this so ridiculous. It's like some comedy sketch where some big burly sketchy guy comes over and "threatens" to push your pencils off your desk and drop your papers on the floor. I get images of Dupond and Dupont (Thomson and Thompson) from Tintin - a pair of bumbling buffoons. It makes me kinda wish I had something to leak - if this is the UK government response, leaking would be fun for the whole family.
- etherael 13y ago
  > They'd made it clear the story could and would be reported from anywhere. And the only response these GCHQ goons could come up with was to smash a Macbook? When "the family" sends around Big Tony with a baseball bat to express their displeasure at an overheard disparaging remark from the restaurant owner regarding their operations on the sidewalk outside that his cctv recently picked up, do you think he's going to have the intelligence necessary to understand when he smashes the surveillance system that doesn't imply the evidence is actually gone? The only difference in this scenario is that because it's a government actor people credit them with a surfeit of sense and a deficit of malice so try to make them understand the futility of their actions, whereas everyone already accepts such actions are useless vis a vis big tony and the family. Consider this a frame correction; The state is actually much more foolish, malicious and incompetent than you think.
tsahyt 13y ago
Almost certainly the latter. Which reminds me to think about ways to ensure the persistence of sensitive data that is important to the general public. Either way, I'm pretty sure there's a backup somewhere.

If it is intimidation and strong-arming, it is also exceptionally ineffective. The reaction at the Guardian presumably was something along the lines of total confusion. They'd made it clear they had copies. They'd made it clear the story could and would be reported from anywhere. And the only response these GCHQ goons could come up with was to smash a Macbook? Unless someone at The Guardian are particularly sensitive Apple fans that might see their Macbook as an extension of themselves, it seems like a rather feeble attempt at intimidation. That's what makes this so ridiculous. It's like some comedy sketch where some big burly sketchy guy comes over and "threatens" to push your pencils off your desk and drop your papers on the floor. I get images of Dupond and Dupont (Thomson and Thompson) from Tintin - a pair of bumbling buffoons. It makes me kinda wish I had something to leak - if this is the UK government response, leaking would be fun for the whole family.

etherael 13y ago
> They'd made it clear the story could and would be reported from anywhere. And the only response these GCHQ goons could come up with was to smash a Macbook? When "the family" sends around Big Tony with a baseball bat to express their displeasure at an overheard disparaging remark from the restaurant owner regarding their operations on the sidewalk outside that his cctv recently picked up, do you think he's going to have the intelligence necessary to understand when he smashes the surveillance system that doesn't imply the evidence is actually gone? The only difference in this scenario is that because it's a government actor people credit them with a surfeit of sense and a deficit of malice so try to make them understand the futility of their actions, whereas everyone already accepts such actions are useless vis a vis big tony and the family. Consider this a frame correction; The state is actually much more foolish, malicious and incompetent than you think.

tsahyt 13y ago

Almost certainly the latter. Which reminds me to think about ways to ensure the persistence of sensitive data that is important to the general public. Either way, I'm pretty sure there's a backup somewhere.