You've got mail? Some FBI agents don't

MSNBC ^ | 03-20--6 | AP

[em2vn]

Budget constraints are forcing some local Federal Bureau of Investigation agents to operate without e-mail accounts, according to the agency's top official in New York. "As ridiculous as this might sound, we have real money issues right now, and the government is reluctant to give all agents and analysts dot-gov accounts," Mark Mershon said when asked about the gap at a New York Daily News editorial board meeting. "We just don't have the money, and that is an endless stream of complaints that come from the field," he said. FBI officials in Washington denied that cost-cutting was putting agents at a disadvantage. Spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan said e-mail addresses are still being assigned, adding that the city bureau's 2,000 employees would all have accounts by the end of the year. Mershon, the assistant director in charge of the agency's New York City office, also said that 100 city agents have been given Internet-ready phones such as BlackBerry devices. Christine Monaco, a spokeswoman for the FBI in New York, said Monday that all FBI agents can communicate with each other via a secure internal e-mail system, and about 75 percent of the New York office's employees have outside e-mail accounts. "The outside e-mail accounts have to be separately funded," she said. Senator Charles Schumer called for better access to technology for agents. "The FBI should have the tools it needs to fight terrorism and crime in the 21st century, most of all in New York City, and one of the most effective means of communications is e-mail and the Internet," he said. "FBI agents not having e-mail or Internet access is much too much a pre-9/11 mentality."

[em2vn]

Who's running the show at the FBI.

[Balding_Eagle]

That darn AOL. Always overcharging for email.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

As ridiculous as this might sound, we have real money issues right now, and the government is reluctant to give all agents and analysts dot-gov accounts"

This does sound ridiculous. Maybe I'm just showcasing my ignorance, but I believe that once you have the servers in place, adding a few more dot-gov accounts costs little or nothing.

[CJinVA]

My brother was a FBI SA. He retired last year. He had a Hotmail account.

[ClaireSolt]

Didn't the Clinton admin waste $95 million on computer program that did not work? Muller had to junk it and start over. The last I heard the new programmer is an Afghan. Just as we invaded Iraq for oil, the truth of the Afghani invasion is that we had to get a programmer for the FBI. That will drive some protectionists nuts. LOL

[Armigerous]

Road apples....they never heard of Yahoo?...yea that's a Fearless Band of Idiots

[dayglored]

> ... I believe that once you have the servers in place, adding a few more dot-gov accounts costs little or nothing.

True, assuming your servers and net have the bandwidth to take the extra hits. It's not a lot. But I wonder if:

1. It's a "perk" thing -- dot-gov accounts would be "cooler" than free outside accounts like HotMail or Yahoo. Maybe they dole 'em out based on some internal criteria of rank or seniority.

2. They all have secure internal email already. That's presumably for official FBI business. So dot-gov outside accounts are for... what? Communication with other agencies? Personal use?

I don't get it. Why a dot-gov for personal use?

[thoughtomator]

I ran the email system for a federal department at one time. There is zero cost to adding a few more accounts to an already established system, other than perhaps licensing fees... but most of the feds are already overpaying for licensing anyway since there's no competitive pressure forcing them to save what money they can.

[thoughtomator]

If so, they're violating federal law... federal government employees and contractors must be American now.

[Kewlhand`tek]

so these highly paid fbi agents dont have personal internet access...sure FBISTUD@isp.net looks unprofessional.

[Space Wrangler]

How could alloting a small amount of space and an email account on a server that you already own possibly cost? I echo your sentiments.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

I ran the email system for a federal department at one time.

In other words, while I just "felt" this story sounds like lowgrade horse manure, you know it does.

Thanks.

[CodeToad]

Considering that all the agents could be run off of several servers, this doesn't make sense. Even the network infrastructure to connect everyone is cheap.

[pamlet]

Exactly - they can communicate internally ... it may be a possibility that not all need external email...

I still find it strange though that they can't accomplish it.

As to having free "outside" accounts... that just sounds like a recipe for disaster... If you have the ability to make it secure - you have the ability to give them .gov accounts.

I do think that you're on target with the server and bandwith issues - but for pete's sake - they need to get on the stick.

What do you want to bet that it's a local internal issue in New York - with someone playing a power play? Doling out email accounts as though it's some "perk"... thus bogging down peoples ability to do work?