Secret Emails in the Most Open Administraion

[champu 1]

PhreeZone

As long as its on a .gov mail server its not secret and is subject to a FOIA request.

While you can request anything, not being secret (or otherwise classified) does not automatically mean it is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act. It's entirely possible for information processed on a .gov system to be exempt from release.

More important in this instance, though, is that you have to be pretty specific when making an FOIA request, so regardless of whether there are two destination mailboxes or one, a request for a person's correspondence may only net you some of it if you're not exhaustive in listing aliases in your request. So if alias usage is found to be widespread (for whatever reason, good or bad) that actually does have a negative impact on the effectiveness of FOIA requests.

I am skeptical, however, of the assertion that people are doing this for the express purpose of circumventing FOIA.

[Gravitymaster 0]

Andy9o8

Quote

the ilk...

Do you people get a massive erection every time you use that term? Because normal people are just laughing at you.

Often, the nuttier someone is, the more normal they think they are and the more abnormal they think everyone else is.

[Andy9o8 0]

champu

I am skeptical, however, of the assertion that people are doing this for the express purpose of circumventing FOIA.

The opposition doesn't care about real issues; it only cares about Gotchas. And as long as they keep focusing on Gotchas, they'll keep losing moderate voters. And everywhere but the reddest states or counties, the moderates are the ones who decide the elections.

[rushmc 18]

Andy9o8

*** I am skeptical, however, of the assertion that people are doing this for the express purpose of circumventing FOIA.

The opposition doesn't care about real issues; it only cares about Gotchas. And as long as they keep focusing on Gotchas, they'll keep losing moderate voters. And everywhere but the reddest states or counties, the moderates are the ones who decide the elections.

Who is the "opposition"?

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[Gravitymaster 0]

rushmc

****** I am skeptical, however, of the assertion that people are doing this for the express purpose of circumventing FOIA.

The opposition doesn't care about real issues; it only cares about Gotchas. And as long as they keep focusing on Gotchas, they'll keep losing moderate voters. And everywhere but the reddest states or counties, the moderates are the ones who decide the elections.

Who is the "opposition"?

Anyone who disagrees with his ilk. Like Conservatards or RWC's.

[rushmc 18]

Andy9o8

*** I am skeptical, however, of the assertion that people are doing this for the express purpose of circumventing FOIA.

The opposition doesn't care about real issues; it only cares about Gotchas. And as long as they keep focusing on Gotchas, they'll keep losing moderate voters. And everywhere but the reddest states or counties, the moderates are the ones who decide the elections.

What are "real issues"?

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[lawrocket 3]

I'm interested in comments by people who criticized Palin for having a hacked account because it was outside of a FOIA request.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[livendive 8]

Seems like a funny definition of "secret", insomuch as they're not classified, and they are described in the press.

I have five email accounts that I use regularly. One is social, one is used for anyone I think is going to spam me, one is for school (and some job searching), two are strictly work related. With the amount of email I'm sure these folks get, using an alternate email to make the wheat stand out from the chaff seems perfectly logical.

I also have 3 email accounts that I rarely use, one for my ISP, one for my hosting service, and one that I'm just sitting on for a future professional use.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Lefty 0]

quade

Quote

Senior officials are still using sock puppets to avoid transparency.

I suppose that's one way of looking at it.

Another would be to say it makes sense to have more than one email address; one for dealing with broad public issues and another for dealing with higher level officials on issues of a more immediate nature. It's why when you have to speak to your boss, some times you need to do it in a different room than the office bullpen. The "idea" you're suggesting might not be for public consumption yet. The topic you're dealing with needs to be kept under wraps for the moment because otherwise it might jeopardize something. Or, are you suggesting that virtually every word communicated between everybody in government be immediately published in the news?

That's a ridiculous standard.

The email addresses are still owned by the government. They can still be FOIAed. I don't agree with the amount of money being charged to comply with the FOIA, but that's a separate issue.

That's all well and good, but do they really have to give their alternate email personas awards?

"The new records show the Windsor account was awarded certificates showing he has 'satisfactorily competed the online email records management training'; took the 2010 'No FEAR Act Training Module'; and a completed a 'Cybersecurity awareness training' course in 2011, where he scored 83 percent.

Windsor was also awarded the 'scholar of ethical behavior' each year from 2010 through 2012. The only training Ms. Jackson appears to have done under her own name was for cybersecurity awareness in 2010."

Clicky

Provoking a reaction isn't the same thing as saying something meaningful.
-Calvin

[livendive 8]

loudtom

IN this case it absolutely is...
And what part of illegal are you missing for christ's sake???
These are illegal...how is that for corrupt...
How can you get around that man..
YOU Can't

/palm face to you

I have no reason to suspect these are illegal. It's a very common practice. Please cite a law that's being broken.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[livendive 8]

Lefty

***

Quote

Senior officials are still using sock puppets to avoid transparency.

I suppose that's one way of looking at it.

Another would be to say it makes sense to have more than one email address; one for dealing with broad public issues and another for dealing with higher level officials on issues of a more immediate nature. It's why when you have to speak to your boss, some times you need to do it in a different room than the office bullpen. The "idea" you're suggesting might not be for public consumption yet. The topic you're dealing with needs to be kept under wraps for the moment because otherwise it might jeopardize something. Or, are you suggesting that virtually every word communicated between everybody in government be immediately published in the news?

That's a ridiculous standard.

The email addresses are still owned by the government. They can still be FOIAed. I don't agree with the amount of money being charged to comply with the FOIA, but that's a separate issue.

That's all well and good, but do they really have to give their alternate email personas awards?

"The new records show the Windsor account was awarded certificates showing he has 'satisfactorily competed the online email records management training'; took the 2010 'No FEAR Act Training Module'; and a completed a 'Cybersecurity awareness training' course in 2011, where he scored 83 percent.

Windsor was also awarded the 'scholar of ethical behavior' each year from 2010 through 2012. The only training Ms. Jackson appears to have done under her own name was for cybersecurity awareness in 2010."

Clicky

That seems like a great use of an alternate email account...routine day-to-day operations like training being kept separate from the potential tidal wave of email that is always possible with the widely published email address of a high ranking official.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[champu 1]

Lefty

That's all well and good, but do they really have to give their alternate email personas awards?

"The new records show the Windsor account was awarded certificates showing he has 'satisfactorily competed the online email records management training'; took the 2010 'No FEAR Act Training Module'; and a completed a 'Cybersecurity awareness training' course in 2011, where he scored 83 percent.

Not sure if you're joking or if you've never worked at a big organization before. I take so many of these 20 minute annual refresher trainings throughout the year I'm probably close to a worst-case example. Ethics, export compliance, electrostatic discharge, material review board, workplace emergency, highbay safety, half a dozen security related ones, FOD eleminatiion, workplace violence, information systems, sexual harassment, and conflicts of interest to name a few off the top of my head.

Thinking of it as an "award" is akin to Steve Martin celebrating in The Jerk when he discovers his name made it into the phone book.

[jclalor 12]

I never heard one peep from the right about this.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_White_House_email_controversy

[airdvr 197]

jclalor

I never heard one peep from the right about this.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_White_House_email_controversy

So you're saying that Barry is no better than George. Got it.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Lefty 0]

Quote

Not sure if you're joking or if you've never worked at a big organization before. I take so many of these 20 minute annual refresher trainings throughout the year I'm probably close to a worst-case example. Ethics, export compliance, electrostatic discharge, material review board, workplace emergency, highbay safety, half a dozen security related ones, FOD eleminatiion, workplace violence, information systems, sexual harassment, and conflicts of interest to name a few off the top of my head.

Thinking of it as an "award" is akin to Steve Martin celebrating in The Jerk when he discovers his name made it into the phone book.

Are you an imaginary person too?

Provoking a reaction isn't the same thing as saying something meaningful.
-Calvin

[livendive 8]

airdvr

***I never heard one peep from the right about this.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_White_House_email_controversy

So you're saying that Barry is no better than George. Got it.

Non-governmental domains are not the same as .gov domains.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)