DoD office can't process FOIAs because fax machine broken, no money for new one

[Ichingcarpenter]

MuckRock News reports that Freedom of Information Act requests faxed to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) started coming back as undeliverable a couple weeks ago. The OSD confirms their fax machine is down, possibly for another few months, because there's no money in their tens of billions of dollars a year budget for a new one, and they can't switch to email as a request method. "The office that oversees the most powerful military in history (not to mention the best-funded) is unable to project when its single fax machine will once again be operational."


http://boingboing.net/2013/09/13/dod-office-cant-process-foia.html



https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2013/sep/12/not-fax-maam-dod-out-cash-buy-new-machine/


August
Blaming Sequestration, CIA Closes Historical Document Declassification Office


http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130822/13141424284/blaming-sequestration-cia-closes-historical-document-declassification-office.shtml


Nothing to see here folks
and I mean nothing you will see here folks.

[MADem]

1. They can take a FOIA by email--that's just not accurate. They can also take them by mail.

From the DOD website. http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/foiareq.html

Requesters may submit FOIA requests electronically (preferred), via mail, or via facsimile as follows:

Mail/Courier:
OSD/JS FOIA Requester Service Center
Office of Freedom of Information
1155 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1155
Fax [phone]

Here's the ONLINE request form: http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/submit_PALfoiaform.html

That's the preferred method, not the fax.

[joshcryer]

2. Thanks MADem.

Probably an effort to shut down crazy fax users.

(Faxes are fucking archaic and probably used by somewhat unstable people. In theory an email is more anonymous if you know what you're doing.)

[MADem]

5. NO one uses faxes anymore that I know of--in fact, that was, even years ago,

an excuse we'd use for failing to finish work!

I couldn't read the fax...!

The email form is one of those fill-in-the-blank things. You answer questions and it goes screen by screen. Much more efficient, IMO.

DOD should just go to e-submission or US mail; cut the fax out entirely!

[Recursion]

3. Government IT: yesterday's technology tomorrow!

As irritating as this is, it's entirely believable to me. The offices of the cabinet secretaries are notoriously underfunded.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. USRobotics USR5637 56K USB FaxModem for Windows, Mac, Linux

$43.44 & FREE Shipping
http://www.amazon.com/USRobotics-USR5637-FaxModem-Windows-Linux/dp/B0013FDLM0



Set up your computer to send and receive faxes
Applies to Windows 7
Windows Fax and Scan can practically turn your computer into a fax machine—a potentially big money and time saver. Before you can start faxing, your computer needs to be properly equipped.

What you need

If you're planning to send and receive faxes at home, you first need to outfit your PC with a fax modem.

A fax modem is a relatively inexpensive piece of add-on hardware that allows your computer to communicate with a fax machine over a standard phone line. The devices are sold at major computer stores and come in two varieties: internal and external.


http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/set-up-your-computer-to-send-and-receive-faxes