Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Britney Spears possibly getting physically abused, Kanye’s new album, or your favorite board game, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
The recent United States diplomatic cables leak by Wikileaks shook up the world (like Muhammad Ali). There’s a global manhunt for Wikileaks founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange and no matter what anyone says, it stems from the cable leaks. Some are hailing Assange as the Robin Hood of information, while others are calling him an irresponsible anarchist. What do you think of Assange and Wikileaks?
The reason I find the situation so fascinating is that this is the biggest Internet controversy I can recall. Sure, documents have been leaked, phone calls have been recorded, and secrets have been spilled in the past, but I don’t recall anything this big spreading through the Internet. Is Wikileaks a useful way for people to get information they wouldn’t normally have access to? Or is it an irresponsible site that endangers lives and international relationships? Perhaps Wikileaks is simply a tool that can be used for good and evil? I’m super looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this. Shout it out (please)!
No, it does not bother me with the information he has released so far. I am actually looking forward to the Bank of America stuff coming soon. I do wonder if he'll keep to his agenda and release the chinese and russian documents as well? Those would be very interesting.
I don't think he'll be arrested. I'm sure he kept some nice tidbits to himself for protection…if anything he'll have an "accident".
I hope not though. I also do not think this guy is a terrorist.
i dont think these leaks are making america look any better abroad, and i feel for secretary clinton, as shes being put in an awkward spot here.
@ray
site still looks fine, but its loading slow, that may just be my computer though
This guy is a not a terrorist and I have nothing but respect because this guy has some giant balls to do what hes doing. I think the feds are going to label him that to get public support but in all honesty I don't think it will work.
It looks like he will get arrested today for sex crimes. I did not think they had those in Sweden.
Wow.
@Ray
He will not go to jail. I'm sure he withheld some of the best stuff in the event this happened lol. My opinion anyway.
I'm probably mispronouncing his name… but in my head, I keep pronouncing it ASS-ANJ.
So… freedom of speech in America is only for Americans?
Can they arrest a Frenchman for saying "F**k the President"?
@N8R
Kind of hard to apply constitutional protections to a foreign national in the EU.
It's an interesting argument though. The US can't censor or block access to a web server hosted in a foreign country but can definitely do so for a web server in the US. Weird how that works. It makes a compelling argument over how intellectual properties can be treated in the digital age. Is their origin as important as to the target audience for example? Good discussion over beer or coffee to be had.
@ SG
We protected Thomas Paine.
I realize that was a different time and all, but what got lost along the way?
What about all the people we've granted asylum to for various reasons? Is it all well in good in the name of freedom until you spill a secret of ours?
A LOT of things in America got lost along the way from that time.
::Shrug::
Seems like it's all thunder and no lightning honestly. So Kadafi has a hot Ukrainian nurse. Whatever….
@N8R
He's pissing all over the ruling class lol. Besides the government must think we are stupid to believe the regular ppl elevate them higher than the antics carried out in a trailer park or ghetto. If this guy was leaked this info then I'm pretty sure intelligence communities of other countries knew about it. Hillary is just pissed that she'll be thrown under the bus for it.
Honestly, this is only the second time I'm hearing about this stuff (OK I guess third because Smartguy mentioned it the other day, but I didn't learn anything about it from that). By nature I am in favor of someone who challenges authority (I have severe authority issues!!!!), but I guess it depends on what exactly the information is that is being leaked, the intentions of the person leaking the information, and their overall discretion. I would not want a repeat of what happened a few years ago when undercover agents real names and families were exposed and people put in harm's way. Depending on those variables though I would have to say I am OK with what is going on here.
People should be protected, but a government should not hold secrets out side of R&D and current conflicts. If they are this obsessed over what is being posted, then there must be something someone really doesn't want people to know about.
@sandrock
They are petrified of the bailout info coming out soon. We already know the US taxpayer bailed out Bank of London so there will be more info like this as well as other damning stuff.
i think it would be funny if we, as a country, demanded that if you didnt wear a backward baseball cap, we wouldnt elect you….if we could pull that off, imagine how much cooler the state of the union would be
random statement of the day brought to you by:
liberty medical
check your blood sugar, check it often….liberty medical can help you live a better life
oh no, not the diabetes!
Apparently his sex crime was not wearing a condom when one was requested. You can be fined and jailed for that in Sweden, even if the sex is consensual. Weird.
@Ray
It is called surprise sex I read. I also read there was no jail time, just a fine involved.
How in the hell do they prove this if it isn't seen right away? What if these women get around? Such a weird law
I don't like the Steelers (the teams I don't like far outweigh the ones I do like) but I do really like that Hines Ward is speaking out against the NFL and calling them out for being hypocrites.
Expanding on what Sandrock said; Secrets are incompatible with a free and open society (such as the one I like to think we have here, today). And no, I'm not talking about publishing Lockheed Martin's blueprints for the stealth bomber online, I'm talking about the business dealings of politicians and diplomats.
We pay these people's salaries and they have to answer to the American public. There should never be any closed-door meetings or "backroom deals" being made on the public's behalf. All the dealings of a public servant should be known to the public. The reason public servants do things clandestinely is because they don't want the public to know about it because there is a good chance that what they are doing is ethically questionable. Assange is exposing things that the public should know and those who have the most to lose are lashing out against him and his site.
-M
Some of the cables that were exposed were U.S. diplomats opinions on other global figures. Does it really benefit the public to know that one of our guys thinks Karzai is a manic-depressive dick? It's interesting to me, but I don't know why that kind of thing needs to be public.
Like smartguy, I'm really looking forward to the Bank of America leaks, though I'm disappointed that it's not Citibank or Chase.
@Ray
If said diplomata puts his opinion in an official report, then yes. Opinions are dangerous and should not be put in any form of interpretable transmission unless meant to be heard. I'm not saying he can't confide in friends, family, and coworkers. Just that if he thinks a government official needs to know, then so does the rest of the country.
So intelligence gathering should not be documented by your logic. That a little ridiculous. Personalities play a huge part in diplomacy. Information on various global figures has to be shared among U.S. diplomats for effective relations and negotiations.
They are going to get a debriefing anyway. Might as well pass on that info then.
Just noticed that spell check put interpretable instead of interceptable lol
@iceman
Careful, the Royal Court might look at you next. It takes a foreign national to do something like this. If this guy were an American citizen they'd have the IRS involved ruining his life and sending him to prison.
Time for "Furry Walls"!
<object width="575" height="456"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/AsMG-wyf7kY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/AsMG-wyf7kY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="575" height="456"></embed></object>
@Ray
I agree, why does it need to be public? Simple answer in my mind is to remind the government (and established media) that what they don't want reported can and will be. It's been a long time since the media in the US was critical of Uncle Sam. Hell, it took a foreign national to pigeonhole Nixon. Why do we have those protections in the constasomething again lol?
@Ray
Before you take another step and call my logic stupid please be aware that you are drawing an incorrect inference. I'm no fan of the UN but if I recall, they have rules prohibiting certain activities on premises.
Of course it has to be documented if anything for legal fallback purposes. The leaker, Manning, obviously harnessed great contempt for the ways and means of the government. Who doesn't?
Nothing here that is earth shattering though if you are paying attention. These people all lie to one another and their constituents everyday.
@ray
Disregard. Mobile site didn't load Sandrock's comment and doesn't show the threading.
Mobile threading should be active before the end of the year. Just need to pay for the software.
Ah… idiots that need tech support on the stupid stuff…
Customer: I'm trying to connect to the Internet with your CD, but it just doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?
Tech support: OK, you've got the CD in the CD drive, right?
Customer: Yeah….
Tech support: And what sort of computer are you using?
Customer: Computer? Oh no, I haven't got a computer. It's in the CD player and all I get is weird noises. Listen…..
Tech support: Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!
===============
Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?
Customer: A white one…
===============
Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can't get my diskette out.
Tech support: Have you tried pushing the button?
Customer: Yes, sure, it's really stuck.
Tech support: That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note.
Customer: No… wait a minute… I hadn't inserted it yet… it's still on my desk… sorry….
===============
Tech support: Click on the "my computer" icon on the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?
===============
Tech support: Good day. How may I help you?
Male customer: Hello… I can't print.
Tech support: Would you click on "start" for me and…
Customer: Listen, pal — don't start getting technical on me! I'm not Bill Gates!
===============
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print. Every time I try, it says, "Can't find printer." I've even lifted the printer and placed
it in front of the monitor, but the computer still says he can't find it…
===============
Customer: I have problems printing in red…
Tech support: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Aaaah………………..thank you.
===============
Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me in the supermarket.
===============
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support: Are you sure it's plugged in to the computer?
Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.
Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.
Customer: OK.
Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes.
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there another keyboard?
Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah…that one does work.
===============
Tech support: Your password is the small letter a as in apple, a capital letter V as in Victor, the number 7.
Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?
===============
Customer: I can't get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five stars.
===============
Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?
Customer: Netscape.
Tech support: That's not an anti-virus program.
Customer: Oh, sorry…Internet Explorer.
===============
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen saver on my computer, but every time I move the mouse, it disappears.
===============
Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.
Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter "a" in the address, but how do I get the circle around it?
===============
A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.
Tech support: Are you running it under Windows?
Customer: No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his printer is
working fine.
===============
And last but not least:….
Tech support: Okay Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the
letter "P" to bring up the Program Manager.
Customer: I don't have a P.
Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: What do you mean?
Tech support: "P" … on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!!
that was hilarious nate….please tell me these arent real?
lmao@password was 5 stars
they sound like they are from clientsfromhell.net
that's a great site to visit for a laugh.