Post on 04-Jun-2018
8/13/2019 Rummaging in the Government's Attic: Lessons Learned from More Than 1,000 Freedom of Information Act Requests
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8/13/2019 Rummaging in the Government's Attic: Lessons Learned from More Than 1,000 Freedom of Information Act Requests
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ImagineagiganticdatabaAdatabaseofdocument
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8/13/2019 Rummaging in the Government's Attic: Lessons Learned from More Than 1,000 Freedom of Information Act Requests
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Electronic
Web
Queries are instant
Search engine is a computer
and an algorithm
Tries to be helpful
Paper (mostly)
Postal service (mostly)
Queries take months, years
Search engine is a team
of humans
Tries to be helpful (mostly)
but sometimes comes across
as petulant, even hostile
8/13/2019 Rummaging in the Government's Attic: Lessons Learned from More Than 1,000 Freedom of Information Act Requests
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8-"/O1+')+'3+ ;+))+/K +#$&; -/ 8$:d00ds,OMG, this is totally a request under the
Freedom of Information Act.
I request that you provide me with acopy of records regarding .
I am an individual requesting this
information for noncommercial purposes.
I am willing to pay up to $XX for this
request if necessary.
Muchas gracias, Compadres!
J. Random Warez
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FI4 W-'8&5+')&$; F&;+ !--# X-11&+/
The file on Smuggling of AtomicBombs or Parts thereof and Other
Weapons of Mass Destruction
into the United States, contains
highly classified information
regarding United States
developments in the field of
atomic weapons and estimates of
Soviet developments in the field
of atomic weapons, together with
suggested countermeasures.
-- August 1, 1952
(And you thought the term Weapon
of Mass Destruction was something
President Bush came up with!)
8/13/2019 Rummaging in the Government's Attic: Lessons Learned from More Than 1,000 Freedom of Information Act Requests
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John Winston Ono Lennon,
Deceased Former Member of the
Beatles Musical Group:
The bulk of the documents to be
released are from a Security Matter
New Left investigatory file. The
investigation was initiated upon
receipt of information that Lennon
might engage in activities to disrupt
the 1972 Republican National
Convention
-- May 15, 1980
8/13/2019 Rummaging in the Government's Attic: Lessons Learned from More Than 1,000 Freedom of Information Act Requests
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M++J;? !+L-/)1 Gumball 3000 Edwards AFBPA referred a producer whose
project involves music and
entertainment stars going on a
Cannonball-like race from Las
Vegas to Los Angeles. Theyasked if they could race on
Edwards runways. According to
the producer the event would be
on MTV and made into a feature.
SAF/PAYE declined support as
not enough AF involvement towarrant it at this time, plus the
race plans to end at a Playboy
mansion.-- October 11, 2005
8/13/2019 Rummaging in the Government's Attic: Lessons Learned from More Than 1,000 Freedom of Information Act Requests
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