Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

Dev.SN ♥ developers

posted by LaminatorX on Friday February 21 2014, @06:30AM   Printer-friendly
from the Nations-Spying-on-Authors dept.

fleg writes:

"The Guardian is reporting that while the author of The Snowden Files was writing it, paragraphs started self-deleting."

From the article:

By September the book was going well - 30,000 words done. A Christmas deadline loomed. I was writing a chapter on the NSA's close, and largely hidden, relationship with Silicon Valley. I wrote that Snowden's revelations had damaged US tech companies and their bottom line. Something odd happened. The paragraph I had just written began to self-delete. The cursor moved rapidly from the left, gobbling text. I watched my words vanish. When I tried to close my OpenOffice file the keyboard began flashing and bleeping.

[ED Note: Some of author's claims are of course unverifiable, but his insiders view of the early days of the story are interesting even so.]

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by TWiTfan on Friday February 21 2014, @09:43AM

    by TWiTfan (2428) on Friday February 21 2014, @09:43AM (#4283)

    Considering the extensive nature of the Snowden leaks, can you blame anyone for being paranoid?

    Before the Snowden leaks, if someone had claimed that the NSA was archiving every phone call, email, and browser history in the entire U.S., they would have been called a paranoid tin-foil hatter too.

    --
    If real life were like D&D, my Charisma score would be a negative number
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +4  
       Insightful=4, Interesting=1, Overrated=1, Total=6
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 1) by demonlapin on Friday February 21 2014, @06:45PM

    by demonlapin (925) on Friday February 21 2014, @06:45PM (#4584) Journal
    If you're that paranoid, unplug the Ethernet cable.
    • (Score: 0) by killal -9 bash on Friday February 21 2014, @09:07PM

      by killal -9 bash (2751) on Friday February 21 2014, @09:07PM (#4643)

      If unplugging makes you safe, why are NSA buildings encased in EM blocking or absorbing materials?