Comment Re:relevant to national security? (Score 2) 162
Smart people can be guided into good front companies that feel private sector but get 100% gov contracts.
Smart people can be guided away from eg open source crypto projects before they add large amounts of high quality code for free and tell the world.
Smart people can be guided to open source projects that create large amounts of quality GUI code, games, charity if they want to give "back" to projects.
Its more that a gov wants a feel for its top % of students and hopes they can be shaped into needed sectors of gov/mil work or just safe rewarding private sector work.
All you need is the right university advisor or job seeking options for that top few %. Add that nice car, settle down in a city with a few contracts, buy a home and that smart person is busy for decades.
The lists are more for smart people who may uncover the tools of the surveillance state or bypass the tools of the surveillance state.
The advanced OS, filesystems, crypto efforts are best left to teams with people who are 'turned' or not too questioning.