Think you’ve got info-glut problems?
Well, consider the CIA (source of this “personality quiz”) and other U.S. spy agencies written up in today’s New York Times.
Why spooks should love e-books
If I were a spook, by the way, I’d hope mightily for e-books to catch on, given their improved accessibility and searchability compared to paper books. Good e-book standards would help, too.
Meanwhile U.S. intelligence agencies have an e-book project going, of sorts–the Intellipedia, which, yes, I’d regard as a networked book. I love the idea, just so long as there are no civil liberties abuses (for example, wild rumors fed to garden-variety police bureaucracies on domestic matters).
Spy-agency people among TeleBlog readers
Yes, in case you’re curious, people from the U.S. intel community do read us. The TeleBlog is followed by somebody from at least one U.S. intelligence agency on a regular basis and at least irregularly by a visitor from another. No prob, assuming there’s no domestic spying involved.
Spy-agency folks are here almost surely for the same nonBondish reason you and I are—to learn about e-book tech, perhaps for personal purposes. Of course, along the way, I hope that the CIA and the rest of Washington will notice how pathetically behind the U.S. is on many e-book-related matters compared to other countries.
Meanwhile I’ll continue my usual rants against America’s Bungler in Chief and the Patriot Act when they fit the context of the TeleBlog.
More on the “personality quiz”: The CIA quiz is a form of recruiting promo intended “for entertainment purposes only.” I took it for curiosity purposes and was diplomatically called “A Thoughtful Observer.” Hmm. You think the feds also have the “Unthoughtful” option among the answers?
No CIA or other government or corporate subsidies but…: I continue to look for a good business model for the TeleBlog to keep this sustainable. The current blog costs me money. I’ll welcome ideas. Would anyone care if I linked up with a publisher or other possible sponsor reflecting the values of most TeleBlog readers? Ideas? You’ll know if it happens. I hate stealth sponsorships. The biggest criteria for a publisher would be (1) freedom to let the TeleBlog be the TeleBlog, politics and all, negativity and all, and (2) the quality of the publisher’s wares.
[…] TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home » ‘Open Source spying,’ complete with e-book-style ‘Intellipedia’ for CIA and other spooks […]
Intelligence agencies, like the CIA, are just like any other organization: they have zillions of documents and are interested in digital solutions to the universal problems associated with documents. Thus, even if there is a CIA employee who is reading TeleRead for work purposes, they may be doing it simply to keep abreast of ebook and digital publication technologies, and not for snooping purposes.
Hi, Jon. As noted, intel folks are welcome to read the blog for purposes of keeping themselves up to date on e-book tech–including the backwardness of the U.S. when it comes to certain areas, such as manufacturing. I thought the original post was pretty clear about that. Not that I could stop ’em anyway. The Web is and should be open! ‘Thanks. David
David,
The results page for the CIA personality quiz seems to list all the possible outcomes:
“So, whether or not you’re a Daring Thrill-Seeker, Curious Adventurer, Thoughtful Observer, Impressive Mastermind or Innovative Pioneer, you could qualify for a real CIA career.”
(I was an Impressive Mastermind, by the way)