How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Like Judith, I've been following the Third Intifada on Facebook. I was originally inclined to join the call for Facebook to take it down. I've changed my mind. Not, mind you, on free speech grounds--as I argued in the comment below Judith's post, no one has a right to free speech on Facebook. It's a company, not a government, They can set any terms of usage they please, just as we do.
But then it occurred to me: 328,587 names and real identities of people who are trying to mobilize a Third Intifada? With tons of details about where they live, what they do, how they think, and a detailed guide to their social networks?
That's not just hate speech, that's outstanding open-source intelligence! And not a penny of taxpayer money was spent to acquire it. Keep that piece of flypaper right where it is, Facebook.
I point out that if Facebook has offered its cooperation to analysts who hope to understand even more about the people signing on to this group, they would hardly issue a press release announcing this. Nor should they.
You get my drift?
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Oct '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Mum's the word.
Edited on Mar 27, 2011 at 8:48pmNov '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
I'm afraid I do get your drift. And I'm not sure I like it. Please elaborate.
Mar '11
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Good point, Claire.
Edited on Mar 27, 2011 at 9:24pmDec '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Claire, I doubt that Facebook would even tacitly offer support to analysts seeking to use it as a means to invade its users' privacy: that would be commercial suicide.
Now, if some dedicated analysts want to use the raw list of supporters of that Facebook page as the basis for further digging on their own, seeking out other sources of information about those supporters, that's not anything Facebook need trouble itself with.
Jun '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Well, it's likely that a certain entity in Israel is quite happy seeing this FB page. One wonders whether any entities in the US are monitoring it...or maybe they've been instructed not to...which would be most alarming.
Jul '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Roger that, Claire. I once entertained a German policeman and he was taken aback by the sort of speech he saw on our Sunday morning television here in DC (back before cable took over completely). How could we permit such vile racism and subversion on the air, he wanted to know. (He was referring to a DC local political roundup show that was a bit out there at times.) I explained that by granting everyone their right to speak their mind, we had a better idea than many other societies just who and what we were dealing with in our polity.
Jun '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
From The Onion - Facebook is actually a CIA operation. Enjoy
Jun '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Now you're talking Claire! And by the way, I strongly believe that NSA, et al do not need cooperation to get the data you suggest they might be getting. And for those in the community of haters who can be embarrased or shamed into improved behavior and possible enlightenment I continue to advocate abundant public (or quasi-public) ridicule.
What the silly hat pic/nicname were about, I suppose. No one ran with it though.
May '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
My niece and her husband (both Majors in the British Army) were given briefings on online security, and were given to understand that there is a "Onion or Real Life" element to this, with some early seedcorn investment having been provided by a government agency. Information on Facebook is shared voluntarily, and the theory was that this meant that it is governed by fewer regulations than that discovered clandestinely.
Certainly it would be remiss if no-one is monitoring the loonies online.
(And I don't mean to imply that they are less wicked or deadly - one can be both, and still a loony).
Edited on Mar 28, 2011 at 12:55amRe: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
I just hope it has, indeed, occurred to someone to look at this page. The accusations in the wake of the Tunisian uprising that American intelligence services had not yet mastered the use of Twitter were not heartening.
Jul '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Given the number of ill-advised and outright stupid attempts at terrorist attacks in this country -- the Army-trained medical doctor at Fort Hood being one of the relatively rare exceptions -- the suggestions that we are not dealing here with the sharpest tools in the shed take on fresh relevance. Can you imagine our plight if the Israelis were behind a terrorist campaign directed our way? Thank God they're on our side.
Mar '11
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Love it, Brian!
Jul '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
Thank you, Claire. I've spent several days trying to figure out exactly how to feel about this, and this is the perfect answer.
Jun '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
The fourth Itifada: The long walk home to lie about how awesome the third one was.
I threw an Intifada and nobody came.
48 hours in this crowded bus is better than (ahem) herding the goat again.
Jun '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
If y'all are going to have an Intifada, could you do the thing where you parade around hitting youselves in the face with boards? That's really cool.
Jun '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
There's still time to litter the streets of Israel with tens of thousands of realistic paper mache rocks. How frustrating would that be on a windy day?
Jul '10
Re: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Third Intifada on Facebook
And now that Claire's journey has been completed, the account in question is no more. Atlas Shrugged reports Facebook finally decided that calls for slaughter and mayhem gave an ironic texture to "friending".