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1.  

   This is why I donate to the EFF

   

   A. L. Flanagan, Jan 15th, 2009 @ 5:57pm

   
   

   Why do people assume that the old rights don't apply to new technology? Is it just a case of "let's see how much we can get away with"?

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2.  

   Does anybody remember...

   

   Anonymous Coward, Jan 15th, 2009 @ 6:12pm

   
   

   This sounds incredibly like the Secret Service raid on Steve Jackson Games in 1990 - the very incident which led to the formation of the EFF. In both cases, government agents walked into a building and proceeded to grab anything that resembled a computer, even if it had nothing to do with the case they were working on.

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3.  

   I remember

   

   Bob V, Jan 15th, 2009 @ 6:20pm

   
   

   Its funny you mention the Steve Jackson because that was the first comparison that came to my mind.

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4.  

   Re: This is why I donate to the EFF

   

   Relonar, Jan 15th, 2009 @ 7:53pm

   
   

   That is exactly as how I see it happening. Constantly pushing the border a tiny bit, if it leads to a conviction and goes under the public radar then theres a better chance of the policy holding, after that they can push a tiny bit harder. Then you have cases like this where someone does take notice. Stuff like this needs to be checked, checked by the agencies themselves before groups like the EFF and ACLU need to get involved.
   People are more willing to follow the laws when they can trust the enforces.

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5.  

   

   Anonymous Coward, Jan 15th, 2009 @ 8:09pm

   
   

   Normally I agree with the EFF, but if history teaches anything, it is the ACLU is always on the wrong side of all fights.

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6.  

   

   Anonymous Coward, Jan 15th, 2009 @ 9:32pm

   
   

   Not that I agree with the search (there is no mention in any of the articles why a search warrant was even issued), but these two groups are hardly paragons of virtue. Visit their websites to understand what I mean.
   
   Yes, the First Amendment forcefully applies to much of what they are distributing to the public, but in many ways these groups remind me of Berkeley back in the late 60s and early 70s.

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7.  

   

   Kevin C., Jan 15th, 2009 @ 10:17pm

   
   

   @5 - 'Normally I agree with the EFF, but if history teaches anything, it is the ACLU is always on the wrong side of all fights.' - Absolutely right! Damn that ACLU for trying to defend/protect our rights!!

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8.  

   

   carol, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 2:52am

   
   

   cmon now chin up!!!
   change is here :-)
   
   http://www.jobstaxi.com

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9.  

   Terrorist

   

   James, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 5:44am

   
   

   The ACLU is one step short of being a terrorist organizaion.

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10.  

    Re: Terrorist

    

    Terrorist Sniper, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 6:00am

    
    

    The ACLU is a neccessary organization that defines one side to which the pendallum could swing.
    
    In order to have balance, you will always have ultra conservatives and ultra liberals. Lack of either will lead to a shift in the balance to the other side.
    
    The last thing I want is an ultra conservative police state.

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11.  

    Think

    

    Anonymous Coward, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 6:37am

    
    

    " . . . rather than the free society we supposedly live in . . . "
    
    as long as you can be imprisoned based on the types of weeds growing on your private property, you dont live anywhere near a "free scoiety" . . .

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12.  

    

    Rick Sarvas, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 7:44am

    
    

    I almost forgot about the Steve Jackson Games, though if I recall correctly, the incident was caused by accusations business was being run largely on pirated software.
    
    Ah, Car Wars. Happy memories.

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13.  

    Re:

    

    nasch, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 10:13am

    
    

    Yeah, always.
    
    PS please adjust sarcasm detectors as necessary

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14.  

    Re:

    

    nasch, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 10:25am

    
    

    I didn't even find mention of IF there was a search warrant, let alone why.
    
    Let's see, close Gitmo, stop the practice of child soldiers, allow 9/11 court case to be publicized, opposing pardons for those involved with torture, supporting habeus corpus rights, reform domestic surveillance... some highlights from the ACLU.
    
    EFF wants to get an exception to the DMCA so people can legally unlock phones, oppose censorship, hold companies accountable for assisting in domestic spying, protect travelers' privacy, and many other things.
    
    So... what exactly is your problem with these organizations? Honestly, I'd like to know. There seems to be a lot of mistrust and even hatred of the ACLU, especially from the right. I just don't understand why there would be so much opposition to an organization that works to protect civil liberties and Constitutional rights. The EFF would probably be in the same boat if they were more widely known.

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15.  

    Re: Re: Terrorist

    

    Anonymous Coward, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 1:05pm

    
    

    Opting instead for the ultra liberal police state that is just around the corner?

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16.  

    Re: Terrorist

    

    Grae, Jan 16th, 2009 @ 1:09pm

    
    

    Cite your source for this statement or stop spreading FUD.

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17.  

    Re:

    

    Anonymous Coward, Jan 17th, 2009 @ 9:38am

    
    

    Actually, the Steve Jackson raid was based on even flimsier evidence - one of their employees was sharing electronic copies of a Bell document from his home computer. The main connection the Secret Service capitalized on was that the same guy was in charge of running SJ Games' BBS computer (just one machine in the building). They also misrepresented the document being spread as a stolen, high-priority document, worth many thousands of dollars, when it was publicly available for about $20.

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