I've conducted all manner of searches on a vast array of questionable subjects. (former military here) I've searched on ricin extraction, homemade thermite, homemade napalm, and more, and I have yet to receive a knock on my door from the authorities. (knock on wood)
This case appears to be a vindictive act by a former employer, rather than a direct result of NSA data interception.
9:15 am - employee arrives at work, late again. Employer decides this is the last straw.
10 am - employer meets with employee, tells them their services are no longer needed and to clean out their desk
11 am - employee has packed all personal supplies, but still a little shocked and not quite ready to get up and leave.
11:01 am - employee notices computer is still logged in. Searches "pressure cooker bomb" either accidentally when trying to find "pressure cooker reviews", or intentionally as a result of news story.
11:02 am - IT guy uses remote program, preparing to log employee out and remove credentials. Notices the "pressure cooker bomb" search results, and passes them on to the boss who passes them on to police.
It's certainly possible the employer was being vindictive; it's also possible that the ex-employee entertained the thought of bombing the office. But we have no real reason to conclude either party was actually malicious, only that they were possibly malicious.
I'll not enter into a hypothetical conversation at this point without evidence to support your suppositions, as it's far too easy to flip your speculations around and spin it into a position which supports my own views while failing to actually address the heart of the matter at hand.
"Conjecture....I'll not enter into a hypothetical conversation"
Too late! Remember writing this?
"This case appears to be a vindictive act by a former employer"
I was simply responding to _your_ conjecture with an alternative set of conjecture. My point, which you failed to address, was that neither set of conjecture has been shown to be actual, only possible.
What we actually know is that somebody in the family searched for "pressure cooker bomb" from their former employer's computer, and that the former employer contacted police. We don't know if there was malice on anyone's part. We have no particular reason to suspect involvement by the NSA, the FBI, the KGB, 4chan/b/, or any other group beyond the family, the former employer, and two reasonably local law enforcement agencies.
Comments
Wow, look at that. As soon as you hit the spacebar, you're a terrorist! That's nuts.
I've conducted all manner of searches on a vast array of questionable subjects. (former military here) I've searched on ricin extraction, homemade thermite, homemade napalm, and more, and I have yet to receive a knock on my door from the authorities. (knock on wood)
This case appears to be a vindictive act by a former employer, rather than a direct result of NSA data interception.
Consider this completely speculative timeline:
9:15 am - employee arrives at work, late again. Employer decides this is the last straw.
10 am - employer meets with employee, tells them their services are no longer needed and to clean out their desk
11 am - employee has packed all personal supplies, but still a little shocked and not quite ready to get up and leave.
11:01 am - employee notices computer is still logged in. Searches "pressure cooker bomb" either accidentally when trying to find "pressure cooker reviews", or intentionally as a result of news story.
11:02 am - IT guy uses remote program, preparing to log employee out and remove credentials. Notices the "pressure cooker bomb" search results, and passes them on to the boss who passes them on to police.
It's certainly possible the employer was being vindictive; it's also possible that the ex-employee entertained the thought of bombing the office. But we have no real reason to conclude either party was actually malicious, only that they were possibly malicious.
If I just fired someone and then found out he was doing searches on pressure cooker bombs, I'd call the cops too.
Conjecture...
Perhaps you've heard of it?
I'll not enter into a hypothetical conversation at this point without evidence to support your suppositions, as it's far too easy to flip your speculations around and spin it into a position which supports my own views while failing to actually address the heart of the matter at hand.
Too late! Remember writing this?
I was simply responding to _your_ conjecture with an alternative set of conjecture. My point, which you failed to address, was that neither set of conjecture has been shown to be actual, only possible.
What we actually know is that somebody in the family searched for "pressure cooker bomb" from their former employer's computer, and that the former employer contacted police. We don't know if there was malice on anyone's part. We have no particular reason to suspect involvement by the NSA, the FBI, the KGB, 4chan/b/, or any other group beyond the family, the former employer, and two reasonably local law enforcement agencies.
Well put, regarding my own conjecture.