Spies Infiltrate a Fantasy Realm of Online Games

[SysError]

Interesting on a number of levels....

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/world/spies-dragnet-reaches-a-playing-field-of-elves-and-trolls.html?hpw&rref=politics&_r=0

 

[Dragon]

Nothing new there.  We had an ex CIA agent and F-16 pilot superstud that was spying here a few years ago.

[DmonSlyr]

Next thing you know, feds will be showing up at my door proclaiming quote on quote " we noticed you said you shot someone down deliberately and spitefully because they talked crap to you, we must send you to gitmo for examination and we think you are a potential security threat to the USA".

[BoilerDown]

LOL.  I read an article on this yesterday, but this NYT one is even better:

After the conference, both SAIC and Lockheed Martin won contracts worth several million dollars...

a government-funded study of World of Warcraft that found “younger players and male players preferring competitive, hack-and-slash activities, and older and female players preferring noncombat activities,”...

players under age 18 often used all capital letters both in chat messages and in their avatar names.

What a fraking joke!  So after spending millions of dollars on government contractors, they made these dubious-at-best conclusions.

I mean, I'm older than the average WoW gamer, and when my female orc warrior screams "FEAR THE GRIN!" while burying her axe in your back, I just blew up your arena rating and the NSA's best demographic work.

[SysError]

I thought that one of best quotes was:

— so many C.I.A., F.B.I. and Pentagon spies were hunting around in Second Life, the document noted, that a “deconfliction” group was needed to avoid collisions —

Just think about it, somewhere out there is a COR (Contracting Officer Representative) or a COTR (Contracting Officer Technical Representative) (they are usually a government liaison between the government and private contractor reviewing the contractor's work) reading status reposts and realizing that they had blue on blue conflicts taking place.

Got to love it.

 

[Triton28]

Midway works for the feds...

 

[Gman]

As it was explained to me , the primary reason they were infiltrating online gaming was that they thought potential terrorist and other enemies of the "free world" were using them for communication purposes, and the agencies were primarily set up to monitor email and other types of comms.  Even in this game, using the in game vox or a private channel would look like a great way to stay anonymous (it isn't I'm sure), and that is what they were looking at tracking or listening in on.  I hope none of them were bitten by scorpions - also, the part about the intel agencies keeping an eye on "training" is frankly, ridiculous. 

[Slate]

     
     The NSA wants to infiltrate this Character. 
      All your secrets belong us.........

   

[Wiley]

Midway works for the feds...

 

That makes too much sense for me to feel comfortable now.

Just think about it, somewhere out there is a COR (Contracting Officer Representative) or a COTR (Contracting Officer Technical Representative) (they are usually a government liaison between the government and private contractor reviewing the contractor's work) reading status reposts and realizing that they had blue on blue conflicts taking place.

Got to love it.

 

This thought leaves me somewhere between amused and  as well.

Wiley.

[Ack-Ack]

Interesting on a number of levels....

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/world/spies-dragnet-reaches-a-playing-field-of-elves-and-trolls.html?hpw&rref=politics&_r=0

 

It must have been a real slow news day for the press to dig up a story that has already been reported a couple of years ago.  A few years ago a couple of students from the University of Michigan were arrested by the FBI for "gold farming" In WoW, as the FBI believes that this is one potential way for terrorists to get quick cash to fun their activities. 

IMO, it's rather moronic as to date there have been no evidence of any terrorist groups using MMOs or other games to communicate with each other.

ack-ack

[Wiley]

IMO, it's rather moronic as to date there have been no evidence of any terrorist groups using MMOs or other games to communicate with each other.

ack-ack

That's because they've been getting away with it!  Obviously the government needs more funding so they can catch them.

Rereading this, I find it sad that the way people are these days the sarcasm in that comment might not be self-evident...

Wiley.

[Tank-Ace]

Come on AKAK, even you know HTC is just a front for terrorism; you can clearly tell by all of their sinister acts, such as creating flight-sim, and updating it regularly. I mean did you think they were running a gaming company or something ?


Hell, I hear that the reason the 410 handles so poorly is that they secretly packed it to the brim with internet mustard gas and virtual anthrax.

[mthrockmor]

There is a sobering book worth the read. Written in the 1950's by a gentleman who was dismayed at how Germans had fallen for what had happened. It is titled "They thought they were free."

If you get bored, worth the read.

boo

[Brooke]

a government-funded study of World of Warcraft that found . . .

players under age 18 often used all capital letters both in chat messages and in their avatar names.

I GOT A CHUCKLE OUT OF THAT ONE. 

-- BROOKE

[BaldEagl]

poof

I can only wish.