Data Exhaust

Spam into trash. Junk mail into trash. Once worthwhile email into trash. No longer needed stuff in archives into trash. You've used up all your allocated space so something into trash. We're not talking about hard copy paper. We're talking about virtual paper.

When the Constitution was written, we were secure in the privacy of our personal papers, our notes, our letters, and our correspondence. Now you could end up in Gitmo even if you are not Arab*, not Muslim†, and hate our country's enemies. All Osama's techies would have to do is send email to every innocent American (carefully omitting his planning cells) and Cheney and Poindexter would send in their SWAT teams eager to decerebrate you. Red laser pointer or cross hairs on the back of your neck. To be clear, under the Patriot Act you can be held accountable for email someone sends you that you never receive and never even know existed because you never got it. A paranoid's nightmare come true and creeping closer to reality every day.




*please no flames, I know Arab-Americans are loyal Americans

†please no death threats, I know Muslim-Americans are not all trying to kill Salman Rushdie