U.S. Funds Chat Room Surveillance Study

[Maddy McCall]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=562&u=/ap/20041012/ap_on_hi_te/chat_room_surveillance_3&printer=1

TROY, N.Y. - Amid the torrent of jabber in Internet chat rooms — flirting by QTpie and BoogieBoy, arguments about politics and horror flicks — are terrorists plotting their next move?

The government certainly isn't discounting the possibility. It's taking the idea seriously enough to fund a yearlong study on chat room surveillance under an anti-terrorism program.

A Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute computer science professor hopes to develop mathematical models that can uncover structure within the scattershot traffic of online public forums.

Chat rooms are the highly popular and freewheeling areas on the Internet where people with self-created nicknames discuss just about anything: teachers, Kafka, cute boys, politics, love, root canal. They are also places where malicious hackers have been known to trade software tools, stolen passwords and credit card numbers. The Pew Internet & American Life Project estimates that 28 million Americans have visited Internet chat rooms.

snip/

If, for instance, RatBoi and bowler1 consistently send messages within seconds of each other in a crowded chat room, you could infer that they were speaking to one another amid the "noise" of the chat room.


more...

[havocmom]

1. Lest we forget: Hi Agent Mike!

:hi:

[Eye and Monkey]

6. Agent Mike used to just enjoy the Lounge

Now his supervisor is making him apply mathematical models to LBN, GD, and GDCamp2004. He's not having near as much fun. He thought he was onto something with the :evilgrin: symbol. Then he discovered it was just from the "Smiley lookup table".

If we each randomly insert smilies (and evil grins, waves, toasts, etc), it may make Agent Mike's job more fun.

Too bad your job sucks so bad, Agent Mike. Oh, and your boss is looking to slash his budget - no paid vacation this year, Agent Mike. Bummer, huh?

For you, Agent Mike - does the following actually SAY something???

}( :* :evilgrin: :bounce: :think: :nopity: :hi: :shrug: :donut: :headbang:

[havocmom]

10. Import smilies from other sources once in awhile, just to keep ol Mike

on his toes!

[Eye and Monkey]

11. Agent Mike, there's a message in Farrah's hair -

- can you find it?



x( :9 :+ O8) :party: :toast: :eyes: :thumbsup: :donut: :cry: :donut: :shrug:

[Tiberius]

14. I see it!!! I see it!!!

... um, forgive me, but who the heck is Agent Mike?

And by the way, the article refers to the "Terrorism Information Awareness program". Wasn't it "Total Information Awareness"?

Who is tracking the memory hole and is this an example?

[qs04]

15. TIA...

And by the way, the article refers to the "Terrorism Information Awareness program". Wasn't it "Total Information Awareness"?

Yes it was. But last year it was renamed in an attempt to defuse the public outcry. Doesn't really matter though since the project has been swept under the carpet in a handoff to the NSA. Being in the possession of the NSA of course means TIA is here to stay and those funding cuts enacted to kill the program are now of no consequence.

[TahitiNut]

27. Steganography, huh?

:evilgrin:

[frank frankly]

16. LOL!

:shrug: :hi:

[Steelangel]

2. Welcome to the '1984'

[Wilber_Stool]

3. Just think of how

much time they will waste doing nothing. Well, that's govment for yah.

[B3Nut]

4. IRC on the job

Now if these government wonks are caught at their desks with mIRC or whatever up, they can say "oh, I'm doing research! yeah that's it!"

Not that I know anything about logging onto IRC when I shouldn't...<whistle> ;)

Todd P

[HysteryDiagnosis]

22. With 120,000 hours of undeciphered audio sitting at the FBI.....

they have time to waste.... oh yeah..... doofuses.

[VegasWolf]

5. Hi Hitler!!! err, Bush!!!

[Massacure]

7. I guess it is worth a try, HOWEVER

Chat rooms are usually public discussions. However, the government should still need a search warent to intercept private messages between two people.

[Radius]

It is amazing what passes in the air..

I assume all transmission over a wire or in the air is public. Encryption is just a red flag. Of course I have nothing to hide, but that is not the point.

Intercepting internet traffic is much easier than phones or even mail.

[bpilgrim]

8. aren't the authorities lucky duckies

never before in human history could they get into the head of so many.

peace

[Amigust]

9. Through surveillance of all electronic messaging systems, including

anything said on the Internet, a more fascist government could use the Patriot Acts and similar measures to suppress any form of organized resistance that ordinary citizens might eventually decide necessary to increasing government totalitarianism, or say, to a second or third stolen election. The Feds are already planning on means of internment (imprisonment) in any case of "massive social upheaval." If Kerry doesn't make it, this country is up shit creek.

[Dhampir]

12. I'd have to agree with you.

Welcome to Germany--1938. :(

[bobthedrummer]

13. Howdy!

:hi:

[FlemingsGhost]

17. Wanna fuck with nosy G-men?

Every now and again, include a line of nonsensical "codewords" in your posts ...

If the baby cries at midnight, Tom has a long beard.

[T Bone]

18. hatta ightma ebay oodgay deaia

iffa ouya knowa hatwa I eanmay

Harry Bartholomew danced a jig at midnight with the bartender's daughter.

[FlemingsGhost]

20. Got it! See you at the rendezvous point.

Long live the resistance ...

[msanthrope]

24. The eagle has landed; the fat man walks alone....n/t

[JaySherman]

25. Viva La Resistance!

La Resistance lives on!

[amerikat]

19. John Asshat has asked me to watch this message board

So be forewarned, as soon as we get through the 125,000 hours of previously intercepted subversive shit we have in the Que, we will be on you like white on rice. Now that we have that cleaned up I want to know about this Ratboi suspect......we are well aware of his spelling game. Bowler1 watch out for that ball we had custom made for you, and you thought *rusnwick was you friend....hah.hah...hah!

Although you think this 386 computer is old, it is connected to the FBI,CIA and homeland security and Fark and Gothicbabeoftheweek.com .....so we do know what you subversive freaks are doing with the taxpayers broadband.........and even you Little dial up worms are within the reach of our technology.

Our chief weapon is surprise and an almost fanatical devotion to the *ush.

Our two chief weapons are surprise and an almost fanatical devotion to the *ush and we are turning the corner.

Our three chief....

Oh these are not the droids we want......move along!

[Algomas]

21. Looks like it's time to write...

Looks like it's time to write "Gulag Etiquette for Dummies", (volume 1).

Chapter 1: How to finger the snitch in your barracks
Chapter 2: How not to pick up the soap
Chapter 3: How to see with a bag over your head
Chapter 4: How to avoid surveillance
Chapter 5: How to smuggle contraband
Chapter 6: Proper procedure for negotiating a bribe
Chapter 7: How to communicate with the Outside Resistance Brigades
Chapter 8: Making weapons from implements in the workhouse
Chapter 9: How to abide, dude
Chapter 10: How to exploit their Full Spectrum Incompetence to your advantage

Can you imagine how half-hearted the occupation of America would be. Look at Iraq, the police and army seem to be in solidarity with the people. Any attempt to forcibly silence the majority of the American population would spell the end of their rule. These Bu$hco bullies are just cowards at heart. In a sick way, I kind of want Bu$h to win. It could be the wake-up call our fellow citizens need, to step up and take some responsibility and some action!

I can only quote our fearless leader when he said: "Bring it on."

[Deja Q]

23. Yup, they hate us for our freedoms.

Hmmm, who's "they"? It gets harder to tell every day.

Or easier? :shrug: :-( ;-) :-) :D

[tanyev]

26. Gotta monitor those internets.

:hi:

[happynewyear]

28. kick!!!

:kick: :kick: :kick: