Calling it metadata isn't what's hiding a massive unconstitutional collection of personal information. It's not like the government has been forthcoming on everything except that it used one word you find misleading. It's the appropriate term in this context in this industry. Complaining that you use it slightly differently in your line of work won't change anything.

Oh boy. Same thing applies to them too. The data in text messages is the content, what was said. The "data" on data connections is what what downloaded and uploaded. Metadata is the date, time, location, etc. In the intel world, we call it internals and externals. Internals is what was said. Externals is everything else.

Which would be the case here, right? Talking about phone calls and all?

So by using the appropriate term for that industry, they're being misleading? Metadata of phone calls has huge privacy implications. I get it. In fact, I work in the intelligence community so I know quite a bit about this. And I don't condone or support warrantless wiretapping, violating 4th amendment rights, etc. But don't get bent out of shape because they're using the appropriate term for that industry.

Data in this case would be the content of the calls, as in what was said. Metadata is the date, time, location, panel number, frequency, etc.

Which explains the quotes around it.

Funny, I read it as "Microsoft Turing Fords Kelp Detriment Affection of Antimatter" but I didn't want to bore anyone with my lack of reading ability.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, and nice red uniforms. Oh, I'll come in again.

Seriously though, 1 question per post, dude.

I don't know what you see in your browser, but I don't see News for Nerds or Stuff That Matters anywhere on the slashdot page. They took that down quite a while ago from what I understand.

Where does it say that?

Wow, that's great. Thanks so much. I'll let you in on another little secret: Not everyone in a group is the same, nor does everyone have the same agenda. That's called Presumption of Unitary Action by an Organization.

Yeah, and don't appear in any photos so people can't tag you on Facebook while you're at it. Most of your personal data out there was uploaded and maintained by someone else.

You mean the part about killing your enemy? That's called warfare. It's no more ironic than killing someone in revenge for them killing someone else. Deplorable, regrettable, avoidable, yes. Ironic? No.

So Mr AC hindsight armchair general, what's the non-hypocritical way one would fight a powerful organization one sees as spreading death?

That's about as ironic as it raining on your wedding day.

So these aren't the drones I'm looking for?