RE: I am not a fan of absolutes... They can make me a little nuts... some of you may think I'm always nuts. ;) [NSA Captures Every Phone Call]
On the backdoors. Those typically exist so if the NSA or someone wants access to your server they can get in. They typically do that if they are looking for something. The statement was they capture all emails. They don't. It isn't possible.
If the backdoor were that type then every time you sent an email internally (assuming your email server is onsite) then it would also need to use the internet connection to go out to the NSA. That would register as using some of your bandwidth for the internet. If you have a packet sniffer in place you can actually monitor this traffic .
It doesn't happen.
However, there are things that do cause odd traffic lately. Windows 10 reaches out to the internet with its default settings a lot more than it probably should. Malware (whether from the NSA or other) can and does tend to use the internet some. It typically won't result in all calls or email being tracked, but it can compromise the machine in question and offer a backdoor into that network. It isn't always recording everything though that'd give it away in an unusual spike in internet activity. That is actually something that can give away both hackers and malware... unusual traffic spikes.
Yes, unusual traffic spikes and things being accessed that are rarely accessed.
That we don't have smart packet sniffers is beyond me. It should be fairly easy to learn the normal traffic. (You know, Sue is at her desk accessing the db from 9-5. Anything else should be less than one record from a known cell phone/laptop.) But, we are really lacking in this area. (but, but, it may have all changed.)
The thing that really urks me is things like "Men are stronger than women". And the typical feminist response is "Not all men" or "Not all women". You get into a conversation that becomes tediously time consuming, without any actual conversation about the topic.
Further, english doesn't really have any words for 97%. Statistically speaking, that is considered all. We have words that mean 60-90%ish, but nothing that really says 97%. And really, there is never a case where it is all, except in identities.
Oh and for the record. I've used absolutes before too. People have called me out on it and I thank them. I didn't say it was easy to break the habit. I believe I likely used absolutes just like most people at some point. I don't remember how long ago that was or what it was like.
I still use them from time to time, but I am okay when people call me out on them.
I'll catch myself typing one from time to time and I correct it. I don't personally consider getting better at conveying more precisely what I mean as tedious. I do consider it challenging, but I usually am rewarded from trying challenging things.
It is now. That doesn't mean it is correct. There is a word for 97%. MOST, or even ALMOST ALL.
Yet there is something about ABSOLUTES. They do not have exceptions.
So I get people use ALL, EVERY, NEVER, NO ONE, etc... and really it is just a societal bad habit. It is an exaggeration.
MOST, FEW, etc work just as well but are more accurate.
There are absolutes, but they are pretty rare. They are things without exception.
So yeah, the fact most people do it doesn't mean it is right.