Re: New NSA patent explicity mentions machine transcription

[William P. McGonigle <William.P.McGonigle@artoo.hitchcock.org>]

This is troubling to me as a US citizen, even beyond the privacy problem.  This
technology has great potential - I can think of many examples of general
societal benefit, and a few lifesaving applications off the top of my head.  Yet
my tax money is being spent at the NSA and the implementation is likely to be
kept secret.

Now, even if you argue that the technology is necessary to protect against
(insert villain here), the only downside to releasing the technology is that the
villains could use it to spy against us.  However, our government has its dark
secrets to protect, so it won't happen. 

This valuation of the government of a society over the society itself is my
primary concern.

I wonder if there will be export controls on this sort of tech soon too.

Hmm... NASA licenses technology for funding.  Ah, crap, that's my tax money too.

-Bill