In the development of software there is a paper on the "silver bullet". There is no such thing, and the fact (sic) can be applied to other areas of technology. Technology is a tool, the will, the knowledge, the ability, the scarce resource of creativity, the desire to utilize a tool must be in place before that tool has an effect.

Massive listening programs have zero positive effect unless they are informed by forethought and consideration of specific scenarios. The volume of data as the article so elloquently states is so substantial that unless you know where to look you will never find it or only when trying to determine "what" happened much like 9/11.

Creativity is not an excuse for gross abuse of constiututional rights, and thinking outside the box should not suddenly be expanded to a wholesale expansion of contractor activities. Recently I have been reading about the Wobblis and the Pinkerton agents hired to do what the government was restricted from doing. I'm hoping companies like Blackwater are not the new version of Pinkerton agents.

As the article states people are creative and unless we are dealing with the indigenous populations we have little to see but the reaction to events in the future.