Comments on: Hundreds of Laptops Missing at State Department

By: Consul-At-Arms

Consul-At-Arms — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:26:46 +0000

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:05:55 +0000

This (typical) misuse of the word "irony" is fast becoming a pet peeve.

The irony is that the agency responsible for securing the laptops did just the opposite. But, yes, who else was going to lose them but the people charged with looking after them?

By: Dodd

Dodd — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:01:55 +0000

Ironically, the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program is administered by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), which is responsible for the security of the department’s computer networks and sensitive equipment, including laptops, among other duties. It also protects foreign diplomats during visits here. This (typical) misuse of the word "irony" is fast becoming a pet peeve. There's nothing "ironic" about this - quite the opposite, rather than being the opposite of what one expects, it's right in line with rational expectations. IOW, this is indeed precisely as "ironic" as "rain on your wedding day." Grr! Argh!

By: Bithead

Bithead — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:26:57 +0000

well, desktop computers are a little easier. At least in those cases, it's simple to locate hem by where they last logged in from, if you're running LO scripting correctly.
Laptops are a little harder in that regard. But as I say, in our case the laptops aht disapepared were already retired and hadn't logged into our network in a year or more in most cases.

By: rpk

rpk — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:19:06 +0000

Having been the one to sign off inventory records, the real problem is with the lack of record keeping. Just knowing where all your desk top computers are is a real pain. All it takes is for a change out to occur with out proper documentation and the computer is "lost". Notebooks are even worse. I am with the others, most of the notebooks are probably there, just not where they thought they were. A lost or stolen computer receives attention because the individual will be looking for a replacement.

By: Elmo

Elmo — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:00:33 +0000

Well, we should probably start a search for Rodney, and the Thursday caption contest results :-)

(Hope you're O.K. Rodster).

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:41:32 +0000

Or one might add; 4) Only a bureaucratic agency could conveniently 'misplace' hundreds of laptops and fall back on the fact that no one would be too terribly surprised that is happened in the first place.

By: jainphx

jainphx — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:23:47 +0000

You could walk out of most Government offices with a computer under each arm and another on your head, and no one would stop you,

By: Bithead

Bithead — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:09:54 +0000

It's not nearly the financial impact you make it, Maggie.

Usually, when such events happen, the systems are already through their lifecycle, and are to be turned in, where they'll get sold off to scrappers, who will pay pennies on the dollar for them. This is a normal practice for any large agency, governmentally based or not.

By: Maggie Mama

Maggie Mama — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:15:06 +0000

Money. Those laptops represent MONEY.

Our gov't can only collect it.

It cannot keep track of it...it cannot use it efficiently.....it cannot stop criminal fraud.

Independent auditors proved the Dept of Education was worse than the Mafia when it came to corruption.

WHY DO WE PERMIT A LOGISTIC NIGHTMARE HAVE REIGN OVER OUR CHECKBOOKS? ? ? ? ?

By: Bithead

Bithead — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:15:51 +0000

Indeed, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the computers wound up pretty much where they were supposed to go but that the system for keeping track of them is so screwed up that we’ll never know for sure.

I've been doing PC support since the middle 80's, at large institutions. I'll tell you point blank, James that your instincts here serve you well.

From a purely technical standpoint, yes, there can be security issues, but for the most part the systems you're talking about simply developed legs... and usually after having been retired.

These usually slip through the cracks of record keeping.

By: John

John — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:32:10 +0000

Your guess is probably right, most of them are probably locked up in cabinets somewhere. That's been my experience with "inventory problems." I wouldn't be surprised if a few actually did grow legs, or if some were at home with some employees being used as a personal computer, though.