WH blames the "IT folks" for the missing emails

[sabra]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/04/20070416-1.html

<snip>

Q Are you confident they're on backup tapes, or you're still in that phase of investigating?

MS. PERINO: There should be, and we just want to make sure that there are all of them. And, remember, there's a huge amount of email that comes in and out of the White House. And it's quite a feat for the IT folks to be able to keep up with software upgrades and storage and the amount of -- just the amount of traffic that's coming in and out on emails. On any given year, I think I've read upwards of 50 million emails are sent and received, not to mention forwarded or copied or blind copied, or all of those different features that you can use with email. So it's a massive number.

[fooj]

1. Did anyone ask Dana why here name was on MANY of the e-mails released?

[L. Coyote]

20. NO, but Suzanne asked, "Can you give us an update ...from the RNC side and the White House side?"

Suzanne.

Q Can you give us an update on the emails from the RNC side and the White House side? Last week we talked about the organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a figure of 5 million missing emails. You had mentioned in the gaggle you thought -- you would check with the Office of Administration and perhaps that wasn't correct.

MS. PERINO: Look, the left-wing group, CREW, came up with a number of 5 million. We don't know where they came up with that number. We've told you what we know, which is that we are aware that there could have been some emails that were not automatically archived because of a technical issue. And we have talked with the Office of Administration about that, and we're looking into those details. But given the complex nature of this issue, it might take us a little while to identify those. We do, however, know that most -- all of those emails should be available on backup tapes. And so we'll continue to look at it. This is separate from the RNC accounts, and as soon as we have more information, we'll provide it.

Cross-posted. MORE:
Years of OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE E-MAILS go missing. Five Million E-Mails Lost??
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x649088

[Shakespeare]

2. oooooh...bad idea to (incorrectly) try to blame the IT guys.

Because they have ways of exacting revenge. :rofl:

[Annces]

4. ha - good one n/t

[BOSSHOG]

5. In all my years in the Navy

the only asses I made any effort to kiss were those of my IT guys.

[bamademo]

26. As an IT Gal, I agree

Don't ever piss me off! Porno will appear on your DOD controlled computer. :-)

[gkhouston]

9. yeah, like producing the "disappeared" emails. n/t

[Eurobabe]

13. you got that right!

never hit a techie where it hurts, or it will hurt you worse. :rofl:

[MindPilot]

25. Right! I call that my

"Never piss off the guy who is about to work on your brakes" rule.

[lancdem]

14. lol

They sure do!

[htuttle]

16. Wonder if the White House has a BOfH working in the basement?

They'd better hope not, or they might find ALL SORTS of previously deleted files...

[porphyrian]

18. Just what I was thinking. - n/t

[SayWhatYo]

27. hell yeah!

[BOSSHOG]

3. It really must suck being a republican

blame someone else. Its really hard work maintaining our emails. I had junior sailors right out of high school doing an outstanding job of maintaining awesome email dumps on a daily basis, much of it classified.

I'm glad I'm not a fucking conservative puke who doesn't take responsibility for anything that might be uncomfortable.

[deutsey]

15. That's what these "personal responsibility" assclowns do...

blame everyone else for their own mistakes.

[baldguy]

6. IT isn't some arcane, unknown craft akin to alchemy or black magic anymore.

There are millions of people know exactly how computer systems work, and hundreds of millions more who are familiar enough with them to understand "the computer ate my email" excuse is a load of elephant shit.

[MindPilot]

11. Shhh! Don't let the users hear you say that.

There are untold millions more who think that emails or any data for that matter can just vanish. I deal with them every day...users for whom the concept of accidentally dragging something to some other folder is inconceivable. No, not possible they say, firmly believing that someone hacked into their computer during the night while it was in the trunk of their car and deleted that presentation they need in about ten minutes.

The fact that I can find it using a search function only confirms their paranoid delusion that I'm the hacker.

Truly my favorite scenario is when I get to the user's desk and the problem has resolved itself. The scientific explanation is that the restart corrected the problem, but I like to make them believe I control their computers by using a telekinesis protocol.

[IChing]

7. I'm just a simple caveman IT guy

[underpants]

17. That is too funny

:rofl:

Just sent it off to our IT guys

[Kber]

8. Nice example they are setting.

how long before Exxon Mobile, or some other big corporation being investigated, cites the same problems and points to the White House as example #1 of why this is an acceptable reason to not turn over documents?

[Done]

10. Damn you IT people!

[MindPilot]

12. And they will double-damn us when the backups are found.

Mr. Gonzales, We found all those emails you were looking for. The backup is restoring to the server right now. Mr. Gonzales?

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

19. replay now on c-span

www.c-span.org

[Deja Q]

21. Gotta agree; too many IT departments don't make backups.

Mostly because management is naive, ignorant, indolent, broke, insane, or just outright stupid and won't spend the time and money needed (a true corporate mindset, which is proof our country is NOT migrating toward a fascist state).

[Javaman]

22. "um, mr president*, it's pronounced, "I" - "T" not...

"it" okay?"

[JuniperLea]

23. I'd like to see any one of us try to use those excuses... n/t

[Deja Q]

24. Here's a thought: Are their e-mail servers and staff in India?

:evilgrin:

I know more state services have areas offshored to countries that sure as hell won't give a damn about any portion of our country...