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Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

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Re: Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

#241
post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So imagine Larry Page or Mark Zuckerberg comes out and admits it. Do you think they end up in federal prison?

Yes. There's no point in being a billionaire high-tech visionary if you're stuck behind bars on treason charges. To us he'd be a hero, to the rest of America he's just helped out terrorists by coming clean.

I don't think it would happen. It would be a disaster and a scandal for any administration to pursue such charges against someone so high profile.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

#243
post #190

Look at the two writeups (Zuckerberg's and Page's) side by side. Each has 4 paragraphs. Each of the pairs of paragraphs addresses the same thing. 1st paragraph: we wanted to respond to these claims. 2nd paragraph: never heard of PRISM, don't give direct access. 3rd paragraph: each request goes through legal channels. 4th paragraph: encourage governments to be more transparent. Terrifying. EDIT: It gets worse. Here's…

Wouldn't Occam's Razor instead suggest that since the Page statement was much earlier that Zuckerberg or whoever wrote this (probably not Mark) just copied the style of Page's statement semi-intentionally? They'd have almost certainly have read it.

Precisely this. It's really sad to see the sheer volume of conspiracy-theorizing going on around HN.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

#244

Look at the two writeups (Zuckerberg's and Page's) side by side. Each has 4 paragraphs. Each of the pairs of paragraphs addresses the same thing. 1st paragraph: we wanted to respond to these claims. 2nd paragraph: never heard of PRISM, don't give direct access. 3rd paragraph: each request goes through legal channels. 4th paragraph: encourage governments to be more transparent. Terrifying. EDIT: It gets worse. Here's…

This is the exact same thing that sprung to my mind as soon as I read the testimonies. They sound too homogeneous; too staged and rehearsed to be genuine.

I wish somebody had the guts to be a hero. We need more of them.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

#245

Look at the two writeups (Zuckerberg's and Page's) side by side. Each has 4 paragraphs. Each of the pairs of paragraphs addresses the same thing. 1st paragraph: we wanted to respond to these claims. 2nd paragraph: never heard of PRISM, don't give direct access. 3rd paragraph: each request goes through legal channels. 4th paragraph: encourage governments to be more transparent. Terrifying. EDIT: It gets worse. Here's…

The message is clear: the government is forcing them to say that. They're resisting by repeating their mandated message verbatim, which is as far as they can go in admitting that it's a lie.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

#246
post #178

Look at the two writeups (Zuckerberg's and Page's) side by side. Each has 4 paragraphs. Each of the pairs of paragraphs addresses the same thing. 1st paragraph: we wanted to respond to these claims. 2nd paragraph: never heard of PRISM, don't give direct access. 3rd paragraph: each request goes through legal channels. 4th paragraph: encourage governments to be more transparent. Terrifying. EDIT: It gets worse. Here's…

I'm not impressed. Most press releases have only a handful of paragraphs. I'd believe it was common to go over the topics of "What We're Talking About, What We Deny, What We Affirm, and How It Could Be Better." It may look impressive that they all say they don't allow "direct access to servers", but it's hardly surprising, since the original Guardian headline[1] was "Top-secret Prism program claims direct access to s…

Most press releases have only a handful of paragraphs

Are you surprised? High profile figures are going to want their statements to say exactly what they mean to say, and no more, no less. This means vetting, and keeping it concise helps when your timeframe is "same day".

Re: Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

#247

Look at the two writeups (Zuckerberg's and Page's) side by side. Each has 4 paragraphs. Each of the pairs of paragraphs addresses the same thing. 1st paragraph: we wanted to respond to these claims. 2nd paragraph: never heard of PRISM, don't give direct access. 3rd paragraph: each request goes through legal channels. 4th paragraph: encourage governments to be more transparent. Terrifying. EDIT: It gets worse. Here's…

I think all companies followed the government supplied script on purpose. To alert public that it was a govt supplied script and that they still have gag orders. They expected people to see a pattern - this is the best that they could do, given the handcuffs they are wearing.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

#248
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>..another possibility is that they want people to notice the similarities and become more upset about PRISM. Ah, that makes sense, if they are under a gag order, but yet want to subtly convey that they are under a gag order! It would be a brilliant way of circumventing it.

That doesn't seem likely to me. If you want to let the truth be known, but you feel so much under the gun that you issue not just a minimum-compliance false statement but a fulsome one under your own name, would you really feel safe contacting a bunch of other Silicon Valley CEOs to co-ordinate such a subtle but intentional secret message?

Actually they wouldn't necessarily need to coordinate. If Google posted first and Zuck wanted to cause this phenomena, the facebook post just needs to mirror the Google one. No communication with Google required.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg addresses PRISM

#249

Look at the two writeups (Zuckerberg's and Page's) side by side. Each has 4 paragraphs. Each of the pairs of paragraphs addresses the same thing. 1st paragraph: we wanted to respond to these claims. 2nd paragraph: never heard of PRISM, don't give direct access. 3rd paragraph: each request goes through legal channels. 4th paragraph: encourage governments to be more transparent. Terrifying. EDIT: It gets worse. Here's…

You seem to be suggesting one of two things. Either: 1) The heads of these companies had a conference call this morning and agreed on a 4-paragraph format, with specific points for each paragraph. Or 2) The federal government instructed each company to respond today, with a 4-paragraph point-by-point, and then Larry and Mark obediently complied. Ludicrous.

Or some copied the others.
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