7 ms·
"Internet founder"?
by nicarus1984 13y ago
"Internet founder"?
- Zikes 13y agoIt's a difficult distinction to make, I don't see the harm.
- Nrsolis 13y agoThere's far more harm to be found in the article. For one thing, Snowden wasn't a "CIA agent". He was a contractor working for the NSA. There is NO evidence he ever "worked" for the CIA or the NSA directly. All of his work was via third-parties. In journalism, the facts are what come first. If this author can't be bothered to confirm basic facts about Snowden, then we are left with little choice but to disregard the rest of the article as poorly researched.
- gojomo 13y agoSnowden himself disagrees with you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden#Career http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden#Career
- nicarus1984 13y agoIt's not entirely clear from that entry whether he worked directly for the CIA or through a subcontractor - which, I think, is a distinguishing point Nrsolis was trying to make. Any other sources that indicate he worked directly for the CIA?
- adrianmalacoda 13y agoOne of the news articles the Wikipedia article cites [1] refers to Snowden explicitly as a "former CIA employee." [1] http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-06-09/news/chi-nsa-prism-scandal-20130609_1_snowden-nsa-the-guardian http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-06-09/news/chi-nsa-p... However, he says he worked as a systems administrator, which I don't think is a "CIA agent" - I believe (although I'm not 100% certain) that "agent" refers specifically to a spy.
- Nrsolis 13y agoYou're mostly correct. The CIA doesn't have "agents", it has "officers". And they are mainly involved with recruiting and running sources of information, mainly foreign.
- gojomo 13y agoThe context is the use of 'CIA agent' in the linked article. Is that label true enough to be used in a news account? Most would say it is, if by no other reason than Snowden's own description of his work, as corroborated by other sources. The NYTimes has also described Snowden as an "ex-CIA worker" in headlines: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/us/former-cia-worker-says-he-leaked-surveillance-data.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/us/former-cia-worker-says-... So what if technically Snowden was on someone else's payroll – that's how a lot of work for government agencies, covert or not, is done. And, lots of 'agents' for intelligence outfits are actually on other payrolls – often that's the whole point, serving multiple masters ambiguously! A journalist who cuts through the layers and describes the real supervisory relationship is doing their job, not carelessly getting things wrong (as alleged by Nrsolis).
- Nrsolis 13y agoI disagree. I've worked for the government. We all understand the difference between employee/officer/agent/contractor. For one thing, there are different rules and regulations. You are legally responsible as an agent in a way you aren't as an officer. Same for employee vs contractor. The CIA is not the same thing you see in the movies. Don't get your information from Hollywood.
- Nrsolis 13y agoThe use of the word "agent" has a very specific meaning within the context of government employment. It denotes a certain level of accountability and vetting that indicates that the person serves as a representative of the government within the duties they are assigned. For example, the FBI has "special agents". A little research goes a long way and this article doesn't even have a byline. Blogger or journalist? Who can tell anymore.
- Nrsolis 13y agoWikipedia is not a primary source. And he doesn't get to define his relationship with the CIA unilaterally.
- Nrsolis 13y agoSnowden was an IT guy. He was not a spy. He was not an agent. He did not run assets. For comparisons sake, calling Snowden a spy is the same as calling the guy who unclogs the toilets at a police station a "cop."
- gojomo 13y agoIn common parlance, 'CIA agent' means 'someone who works for the CIA', with a slight connotation of 'on secret things' or 'under cover'. It can even loosely mean someone who helps the CIA - 'agent' being a general word for someone who acts for on behalf of another. (A high-ranking foreign government official who helps the CIA in return for money or favors can and will be described as a 'CIA agent', no matter their lack of paystubs or 'Officer' titles.) Snowden worked for the CIA in a foreign country under diplomatic cover. Most of the English-speaking world, and especially the readers of this Irish-based publication, understand that to make him a "CIA agent".
- Nrsolis 13y agoI think you're stating your own opinion as fact. There are literally hundreds of thousands of people who work on "classified" projects or systems. They don't think of themselves as "spies". Learn to listen when you're talking to someone who has more experience and information than you do. It's a reliable survival strategy in a chaotic world.
- gojomo 13y agoWhere did the word 'spy' come in? You criticized the labeling of Snowden as a "CIA agent". "Spy" is a different word with different meanings, not used by the article you criticized.
- superpatosainz 13y agoAl Gore.
- lukifer 13y agoFor most, Internet == World Wide Web, which TimBL bears credit for creating. I think "Internet founder" is a fair enough descriptor for laymen. (Note also that it didn't say the founder, implying others, which is accurate.)