USVI-On-Line

It doesn't matter if you're a Glenn Beck fan or not. The content of this video is frightening!

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I watched this yesterday on another forum. kinda surprized to see it posted here. scary stuff.
png encryption, google it.
time to buy somemore tin foil.

Kirk, I got this in my e-mail and thought as many people as possible should know about it. I hope it doesn't start another political thing going here. I didn't post it as political in a conservative/liberal kind of way. Just as a sort of "public notice."

If it gets "political" I'll ask Anthony to delete the thread.

DELETED

Kimberly Guilfoyle is "haaaat".

Privacy? That went out the window with the internet world. Privacy today means that you sit with someone out in the wild and share a conversation. Just make sure the animals around you aren't wearing recording equipment!

Well I can tell you one thing... I'm not going to click an "agree" button and give anyone the right to get into my computer. There's nothing but crap on it, but still... it's my crap!

California Girl wrote:Kirk, I got this in my e-mail and thought as many people as possible should know about it. I hope it doesn't start another political thing going here. I didn't post it as political in a conservative/liberal kind of way. Just as a sort of "public notice."

If it gets "political" I'll ask Anthony to delete the thread.

CG, I'm glad you posted it. I was thinking of doing the same yesterday.
And Kimberly Guilfoyle is "haaaat". I'll watch the video again just to see her.

I dunno...I have to show some restraint in my disgust with this administration...In fairness, I believe this website is really only accessed by dealerships, not the general public. Probably aimed at preventing fraud...Funny, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black (this admin trying to limit fraud and abuse).

I don't think this is a big deal.

What will be a big deal is having your medical records submitted to the federal government when Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Barney the Dinosaur care is enacted. And that WILL be mandatory. As long as you "choose" to "join" the public option (there will be no choice in the matter), you will have to submit your medical records to the federal government for electronic record keeping.

No thanks.

File this Cash for Clunkers controversy under "there are enough legitimite liberty concerns that we should all be worried about".

I think this is a bit of a canard - they mean when you are accessing the federal system, your interaction (via web browser) is being watched, etc. They can't come into your computer via the web form and "take" things from you. I think Glenn and the commentators here are totally speaking about things they don't understand (technology wise) in the video. Plus, you probably have agreed to a lot more just by visiting most commercial/consumer websites. Just my .02 cents!

I'm glad to hear your 2 cents, Anthony. You da man when it comes to this kind of stuff. I'm the person who always checks things out on snopes.com before I forward them on. However in this video, there were the screen shots with the very words from the website. I'm really not worried about "them" accessing my computer, but it's the fact that they get you to agree to all that crap, then if something happens on down the road, they have it legally.

Good God these people are paranoid.

I'll bet she believes the government can read your thoughts too when you're wearing a Made in USA hat.

The only thing worse than such sensationalism in the first place is the spreading of it further.

An astute viewer of Beck's “exposé ” might notice that the website that Beck is browsing is blue whereas the cars.gov website is green. Though he never mentions it, what Beck is demonstrating only occurs on the dealer side of the website. The consumer side - the side that anyone who is not an automotive dealer will access - is green.

What Beck demonstrates is not even something that a casual user of the site could stumble upon; they would have to go looking for it. The only people who can get login credentials for the site are dealers who have been screened and registered for the "cash for clunkers" program.

Indeed, regular users of the system cannot even find the text Fox flashes up on the screen by going to cars.gov and following links. Users must first point their browser at a section of the site intended only for car dealers cars.gov/index.php/dealersupport - and proceed from there.

Clicking "Submit Transaction" and then "I agree," from within this semi-private section of the site takes the user to an entirely different website, though one still administered by the Department of Transportation.

Here the user may read the frightening text that Fox quoted and contextualized as a waiver for “seizing all of your personal and private information” (queue scary music)

And those that do read it will likely find that it does not even say what Beck says that it says. The disclaimer in its full form reads as follows:

“This application provides access to the DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the United States Government. It is for authorized use only. Users (authorized or unauthorized) have no explicit or implicit expectation of privacy.”

“Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, DoT, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign. By using this system, the user consents to such interception, monitoring, recording, copying, auditing, inspection, and disclosure at the discretion CARS or the DoT personnel.”

That paragraph break is important - because of it, the disclaimer does not give the government permission to look at the files on the user's system but rather warns the user that the government will be looking at the files on the application's system, specifically those files submitted by the user.

Such text is boilerplate on many government web applications and a quick Google Search turns up more than 800 instances of the "Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system..." It is common verbiage on a collection of public and private sites. I happen to consult with tech and non-tech companies on matters of “risk transfer” so am somewhat familiar this.

Far from the malicious and conniving scenario that Beck presents, the federal government is merely warning the dealers to whom it will be writing checks that their submissions are subject to scrutiny. As usual, Beck's hysterical rantings have limited basis in reality or fact. Please don’t be duped by it.

jmq, thank you for taking the time to make the above statement here. How true!

My ADD clicked in on about the 4th paragraph, JMQ. Sorry! I need the Reader's Digest version......or I'll just watch Fox and get the facts. JUST KIDDING.....ya'll don't get all upset. I'm kind of punchy this morning.