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Comment on The NSA story reinforces why an entity like WikiLeaks is important

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Keeping the data available once someone leaks it has never been the problem (at least, not since the early 1990s). The only value of something like Wikileaks is in sourcing leaks, either by socializing the "whistleblower" values to make leaking more likely, or providing anonymous communications channels and scrubbers to make leaking safer.

In reality, Wikileaks actually set back government accountability -- PFC Manning going to get life, the whole drama related to Julian Assange, rape, and hiding in an embassy, the internal political strife within the organization, etc.

Besides security the "value" is primarily distribution and media attention which depends on branding and is difficult to create.

Neither victim alleges rape.

And I'm not sure how, in the same breath, you manage to implicitly criticize what is happening to Manning and Assange trying to avoid the same fate.

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