Quoting mattd (mattd@useoz.com):

I wrote:

...

"The Australian Federal Police sound as though they are being maliciously incompetent. Copying a laptop hard-drive should take no more than about an hour; and they aren't going to boot the laptop in order to inspect it for obvious reasons. Regards, Steve " The feds are generally regarded as bozo's with sadistic tendencies,(thats

How much of that is PR is perhaps open to debate, but there are certainly enough cases where their sadistic tendencies, as you say, have resulted in significant damage to peoples lives without reason.

in the police job description)Its been pointed out to the victorian state computer squad that are holding it that Norton ghost exists to no avail.Their argument seems to be that when they finish probing my pron for steg,etc,etc...they may lay charges and will need the entire machine as evidence.They are placing street officers lives in danger by delaying

I can't comment on the suitability of Norton Ghost for the purpose of making an image copy of a hard-disk, but the argument is specious at best. If they haven't got the procedures in place to assure the proper evidence handling in that case and therefore need the hardware, then evidence gathered by covert means (i.e., the copying of a `suspect's' data via either a black-bag job or by way of tempest surveillance) is just as suspect. And incidentally, it's obviously quite easy to install arbitrary files on someone's computer in the same way that a crooked cop might `find' a bag of cocaine in someone's bathroom. The long and short of it is that they're obviously full of shit.

charges(if I am a slavering stone killer)Ill be arguing if Im charged that they dont seriously believe me to be a threat.(5 months!) The coroner critisised the state police once for not taking threats seriously.Sandy stone may be called for the defense as he will convincingly demolish the reality of the 'threat'.

Which is probably a trivial task. But these sorts of incidences are probably simply harassment and intimidation. Amusing, isn't it, that the people nominally responsible for maintaining order and the safety of a country's civilians are the ones who would cause just as much (or more) harm to their citizenry than would a putative criminal. Some would no doubt argue that such measures are the price of liberty.

Operation soft drill could save you from your 'leaders' for a suprisingly low amount.How much is your progressive enlightened experiment worth?"Id buy that for a dollar"

Eh? Regards, Steve -- Oldthinkers unbellyfeel Ingsoc.