SoylentNews

Ethanol-fueled [soylentnews.org] writes:

What do you do when you need advice about how to handle that sleeping coworker, the office mate who smells bad, or the supervisor who collects gossip on all of his subordinates? What do you do when you can't write Dear Abby because you work for the NSA, and that foul-smelling office mate is a classified matter of national security?

Why, Ask Zelda, [firstlook.org] of course! Zelda's column, headlined "Watching Every Word in Snitch City," offers an ironic insight into a spy agency where the spies apparently resent being spied upon. Also featured in the article, along with the actual examples,

' Her column reads like an unintended allegory — or a cleverly masked one. The NSA’s own advice columnist explores the ways in which pervasive surveillance can erode freedom of expression and social cohesion by making it difficult for people to have faith in the privacy of their communications. There is no indication that Zelda is trying to make a larger point, but some of what she goes on to propose would be useful for ordinary citizens outside the agency who worry about government and corporate surveillance. '

For those not in the know, The Intercept [firstlook.org] is Glenn Greenwald's spinoff which focuses on the Snowden leaks and their national and international fallout.

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