An early program of Highlands Group was perception management by which public opinion would be shaped by disparagement of opposition to ubiquitous gov-com spying with gambits like "tin-foil hat," "conspiracy theory," and other forms of reputation attacks. Chorusing these terms becomes habitual with repetition, even among those who are otherwise open-minded to novel scientific and theological innovations so long as the innovations are peer-reviewed or sanctioned by authorities, even when the authorities are revealed to be self-serving and corrupt, perhaps especially so. That is the crippling effects of standards setting in all human endeavors, the favoritism toward standards setting obedient members and ostacism of dissenters to the dominants. Fortunately, the tin-hatters and conspiriacists overturn the sclerotic hegemons if not burned at the stake, imprisoned, die of impoverishment, driven to suicide. Mercy is never a characteristic of certitude and maddened crowd-minds compelled to admire miters, crowns, helmets, wigs of judmentalist soothsayers self-anointed deitific and scientific absolutist perception managers -- also known as spymasters. At 09:31 PM 1/29/2015, Henry Baker wrote:

At 06:30 AM 1/29/2015, John Young wrote:

...

https://medium.com/@NafeezAhmed/how-the-cia-made-google-e836451a959e

Fascinating research, with gobs of suspects besides TLAs, Brin and Page, some here now, some here back then, as suspected then and now. Not that there is anything wrong with suspecting cpunks was made similarly.

In the same vein, but with a bit less tin foil hattery:

http://steveblank.com/secret-history/