Alaska Declares Electronic Distribution of Electronic Mail "infeasible" (another Sarah Palin thread)

[greenspandan]

Three years after numerous citizens and news organizations requested the release of Sarah Palin's gubernatorial e-mails, the State of Alaska is finally making ready to make them available. In print. In Juneau. News organizations must fly or sail to Juneau and pick up the 24,000 page disclosure in person. The state claims it impractical to release the original electronic versions of the e-mails, so the Associated Press, Washington Post, New York Times, Mother Jones, ProPublica and MSNBC each plan to turn some or all of the printouts back into searchable, easily distributed electronic data. Thanks, Alaska.

http://politics.slashdot.org/story/11/06/10/1319245/State-of-Alaska-Prints-Out-Palins-E-Mails-Online-Distribution-Impractical

keep in mind these emails were in electronic form to begin with -- exporting them to a PDF or series of text files would be completely trivial, and text documents consume no appreciable bandwidth, even if demand is monstrous.

taking three years to print out a hard copy of them all, and then insisting that people come pick them up in person, is purely obstructive in purpose (which is illegal). not to mention there is no way for anyone to verify that anything untoward hasn't been "misplaced" during the printout process.

[The Evil Genius]

I wonder how much dirt there is, in these things?

They must be damning - since Alaska is trying it's hardest to keep them from public consumption.

[DeaconTheVillain]

I wonder how much dirt there is, in these things?

They must be damning - since Alaska is trying it's hardest to keep them from public consumption.

There certainly could be, but I think for the most part Alaska just wants to try and protect one of their own from any bad press, which Palin get's (mostly deserving) a lot of.

[Prosperity]

There certainly could be, but I think for the most part Alaska just wants to try and protect one of their own from any bad press, which Palin get's (mostly deserving) a lot of.

definitely, though it's such a waste of resources for everyone involved

[Larry]

I wonder how much dirt there is, in these things?

Frankly, from what I've read, I'll be surprised if there's any.

From what I've read, Sarah the honest reformer followed standard GOP practice when taking over an executive (at least, the practice followed by her, and by W), and set up a seperate, non-government, email system, so that people in the administration could email each other without having to comply with all those pesky laws that say that their email is public property, that it must be archived, and must be made public.

Supposedly, all their actual business got discussed on various Yahoo and similar email addresses, specifically so that if somebody showed up with a FOIA request or a subpoena, they could have over the "official" email, which doesn't have any email in it.

I suppose tha it's possible that they got sloppy, and missed something. But frankly, I'd be surprised if they actually find anything that's worth the attention that they're devoting to it.

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

I think Alaska is doing this to increase the money flow into their economy since all these people will have to travel there/sleep there/spend money there.

edit: well yeah, but besides covering for Palin and her idiotic ways....what better way to get a boost in the local economy? how long do you think it will take for people to scan 24,000 pages? I've had to scan documents like that before and it took me forever.

[greenspandan]

somehow i doubt the hotel and restaurant fare of a half dozen reporters is a motivating factor.

[twa]

taking three years to print out a hard copy of them all, and then insisting that people come pick them up in person, is purely obstructive in purpose (which is illegal). not to mention there is no way for anyone to verify that anything untoward hasn't been "misplaced" during the printout process.

If being inconvenient and a waste of time is obstruction and illegal, the entire govt needs to be imprisoned....starting with the DMV :pfft:

[greenspandan]

well, there's a difference between obstructionism and incompetence.

[Mickalino]

I don't recall this ever being done to a current or potential presidential nominee.

So, why are they choosing Palin, and seemingly no-one else ?

[Hubbs]

There certainly could be, but I think for the most part Alaska just wants to try and protect one of their own from any bad press, which Palin get's (mostly deserving) a lot of.

Yeah, that's my guess, too.

[Corcaigh]

I don't recall this ever being done to a current or potential presidential nominee.

So, why are they choosing Palin, and seemingly no-one else ?

Two words: Comedic value.

[Mickalino]

Two words: Comedic value.

Let me re-phrase the question, to begin with, "From a legal perspective, why are they doing this ?"

[TimmySmith]

It certainly would not take up the server space that the Palin threads do on this site.

Nothing like desperately searching for a smoking gun when you have no evidence, no witnesses, and nobody's missing.

[greenspandan]

Let me re-phrase the question, to begin with, "From a legal perspective, why are they doing this ?"

well that makes it easy. from a legal perspective, they are filling out a form requesting information that Alaska is by law obligated to make public, although it has taken them 3 years to comply, and their form of compliance is absurd.

[Predicto]

Larry is right. There aren't going to be any smoking guns here.

[Bang]

I don't recall this ever being done to a current or potential presidential nominee.

So, why are they choosing Palin, and seemingly no-one else ?

Unbunch your panties.. emails and correspondence from former governors / senators / presidents is hardly something that people ignore. In fact, aren't presidential libraries begun with the purpose of chronicling the writings of the President being honored?

Seems to me to be incredibly wasteful, and obviously in place to discourage people from requesting it.

I don't kno if I'd agree there's nothing in there. This seems like an awful lot to go through to make emails public.

~Bang

[Teller]

Wow. Three years to get some emails? She'd be dead before we could see HER birth certificate!

[zoony]

From: The GOV

To: The First Dude

Date: 1/11/06, 5:05 pm

Subject: What's for dinner?

Honey, I'm getting ready to leave the office. What are you making for dinner tonight?

_______________________

From: The First Dude

To: The GOV

Date: 1/11/06 5:07 pm

Subject: Re: Whats for dinner?

WTF do I look like? Cook it yourself *****, I'm not missin' 24 hour marathon of The Dukes of Hazard

____________________

From: The GOV

To: The First Dude

Date: 1/11/06 5:10 pm

Subject: Re: Whats for dinner?

Okay me and Bristol will cook up some Macaroni Helper. Would you mind taking the lead shot molds off the stove so there's room?

[Prosperity]

^ can't tell if that's serious

[zoony]

^ can't tell if that's serious

If she'd said "how about salad with grilled chicken and a nice bottle of wine" you'd know it was a spoof.

[Thiebear]

I can say not a single work email would be cause for alarm if they showed 12 years worth.

If theres stuff there, she's definitely at fault and like recent men not thinking correctly.

no excuse

[twa]

If you are bored....electronic copies of the e-mails

go get her

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/sarah-palin-emails

[techboy]

If you are bored....electronic copies of the e-mails

go get her

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/sarah-palin-emails

I just clicked on a random one (that's how it's set up), and it listed somebody's cell and home number. I'm not sure that should be okay, not that anybody probably cares.

[twa]

I just clicked on a random one (that's how it's set up), and it listed somebody's cell and home number. I'm not sure that should be okay, not that anybody probably cares.

Phone numbers are not private are they?

I think you have to pay the phone company here to unlist them.

Let's give em a call and get their opinion.