http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20060126.html

I like it a lot better than some of the other explanations offered.

The NSA has specifically denied that it's anything other than a traditional wiretapping exercise:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/23/AR2006012300754.html

Of course, accepting that requires accepting that the NSA is telling the truth....

You don't need 100 million warrants - just one warrant to gather the pen-register info for link analysis tracking, and I have to believe that FISA would probably grant it.

Philo

What could be the ratio between warranted and warrantless wiretaps?

"What could be the ratio between warranted and warrantless wiretaps?"

Please provide your definitions for "warranted" and "warrentless." Thanks!

I'm stumped as to why this is still an issue.

Philo's right.

Silly Me

The thing that amazed me was that wiretaps are outsourced.

I mean, you expect to see the G-Man sitting there with headphones on, listening to the mobster make his plans, when in reality, it's some schmoe whose cousin got him the contract with the feds because he was a minority owned business.

The Friendster thing makes sense.

So I guess that means even if my cell phone isn't registered to anyone in particular, they could figure out that it's me because frequently people call my home phone and then my cell phone.

Yep - link analysis is a HUGE investigative tool.

Unfortunately, our President is a huge clueless tool.

Philo

But he's a unifierer, not a dividerer.

thats right.  he brings everyone who agrees with him over to his side.