<story><title>Snowden a &apos;traitor&apos;: Andreessen</title><url>http://www.cnbc.com/id/101733893</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>billyhoffman</author><text>I find it odd that Andreessen seemed most upset about effects  the disclosures have had on &amp;quot;U.S. technology firms&amp;#x27; ability to sell their products overseas,&amp;quot; and yet he talks about Snowden.&lt;p&gt;Andreessen&amp;#x27;s anger is entirely misplaced and should be directed at the NSA. They are the ones that are intercepting American technology products, like Cisco routers, and modifying them before shipping them overseas. All without (as far as we know) the knowledge or consent of the companies that make the products.&lt;p&gt;All American technology products are now suspect, in ways they never have been perceived in the past. Not because of the NSA spying on foreign countries, or collecting domestic meta data. But because the NSA is now tampering with American technology products and companies.&lt;p&gt;The tarnishing of American business has nothing to do with Snowden.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>mindslight</author><text>&amp;gt; &lt;i&gt;I find it odd that Andreessen seemed most upset about effects the disclosures have had&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why? Silicon Valley VCs know exactly what they are building - massive repositories of user information to datamine for the highest bidders.&lt;p&gt;The NSA does not require exclusive use, is independently funding datamining research, and has subpoenas - so they are a natural early client.&lt;p&gt;These facts have been plain as day to anybody who thinks about the implications of their technology choices. Most don&amp;#x27;t, so the services become widely adopted and even quite hip (unfortunately).&lt;p&gt;Snowden comes along and ignites the media in a way that Binney and Klein hadn&amp;#x27;t, just as the pendulum is starting to naturally swing towards decentralization. It is now in the public consciousness that perhaps these companies are not to be blindly trusted with the contents of your life.&lt;p&gt;Of course Andreessen is pissed. The entire business model of modern SV has been illustrated.</text></comment>
<story><title>Snowden a &apos;traitor&apos;: Andreessen</title><url>http://www.cnbc.com/id/101733893</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>billyhoffman</author><text>I find it odd that Andreessen seemed most upset about effects  the disclosures have had on &amp;quot;U.S. technology firms&amp;#x27; ability to sell their products overseas,&amp;quot; and yet he talks about Snowden.&lt;p&gt;Andreessen&amp;#x27;s anger is entirely misplaced and should be directed at the NSA. They are the ones that are intercepting American technology products, like Cisco routers, and modifying them before shipping them overseas. All without (as far as we know) the knowledge or consent of the companies that make the products.&lt;p&gt;All American technology products are now suspect, in ways they never have been perceived in the past. Not because of the NSA spying on foreign countries, or collecting domestic meta data. But because the NSA is now tampering with American technology products and companies.&lt;p&gt;The tarnishing of American business has nothing to do with Snowden.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>blisterpeanuts</author><text>This is the point.  The actions of the NSA have irreparably damaged the reputation of American technology companies, and all Andreessen does is shoot the messenger.</text></comment>