[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:01.55,0:00:08.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Doctorow: This story is from Cory Doctorow's new collection,\N"With a Little Help". Visit craphound.com/walh
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.92,0:00:14.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to buy the whole audio book on CD, a paperback\Ncopy in one of 4 covers, or a super-limited
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.20,0:00:17.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hard cover.\NThis story, and the whole text of "With a Little Help",
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.18,0:00:21.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are licensed under a Creative\NCommons Attribution, Share Alike, Non Commercial license.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.53,0:00:25.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Copy it, share it, remix it. As Woody Guthrie said:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.75,0:00:32.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"This song is copyrighted in the US\Nunder a seal of copyright number 154085 for
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.53,0:00:36.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a period of 28 years, and anyone caught singing\Nit without our permission will be a mighty
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.82,0:00:39.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,good friend of ourn, because we don't give\Na dern. Publish it, write it , sing it,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.16,0:00:44.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,swing to it, yodel it. We wrote it: that's all we wanted to do."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.49,0:01:03.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Wheaton: Scroogled by Cory Doctorow. Originally published in Radar Magazine, September, 2007.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.98,0:01:05.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Read by Will Wheaton.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.66,0:01:13.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Give me six lines written by the most honorable of men, and I will find an excuse in them to hang him."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.70,0:01:17.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Cardinal Richelieu
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.08,0:01:21.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg landed at SFO at 8PM, but by the time\Nhe made it to the front of the customs line
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.83,0:01:27.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it was after midnight. He had it good -- \Nhe'd been in first class, first off the plane,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.45,0:01:32.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,brown as a nut and loose-limbed after a month\Non the beach at Cabo, SCUBA diving three days
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.86,0:01:38.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a week, bumming around and flirting with French\Ncollege girls the rest of the time. When he'd
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.14,0:01:43.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,left San Francisco a month before, he'd been\Na stoop-shouldered, pot-bellied wreck --
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.38,0:01:48.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,now he was a bronze god, drawing appreciative\Nlooks from the stews at the front of the plane.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.86,0:01:55.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the four hours he spent in the customs\Nline, he fell from god back to man. His warm
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.18,0:02:00.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,buzz wore off, the sweat ran down the crack\Nof his ass, and his shoulders and neck grew
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.06,0:02:05.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so tense that his upper back felt like a tennis\Nracket. The batteries on his iPod died after
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.97,0:02:10.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the third hour, leaving him with nothing to\Ndo except eavesdrop on the middle-aged couple
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.45,0:02:11.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ahead of him.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.17,0:02:14.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"They've starting googling us at the border,"\Nshe said. "I told you they'd do it."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.88,0:02:21.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I thought that didn't start until next month?"\NThe man had brought a huge sombrero on board,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.14,0:02:27.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,carefully stowing it in its own overhead locker,\Nand now he was stuck alternately wearing it
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.29,0:02:29.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and holding it.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.23,0:02:34.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Googling at the border. Christ. Greg vested\Nout from Google six months before, cashing
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.77,0:02:39.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in his options and "taking some me time,"\Nwhich turned out to be harder than he expected.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.88,0:02:44.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Five months later, what he'd mostly done is\Nfix his friends' PCs and websites, and watch
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.34,0:02:50.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,daytime TV, and gain ten pounds, which he\Nblamed on being at home, instead of in the
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.37,0:02:53.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Googleplex, with its excellent 24-hour gym.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.93,0:02:58.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The writing had been on the wall. Google had\Na whole pod of lawyers in charge of dealing
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.19,0:03:02.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the world's governments, and scumbag\Nlobbyists on the Hill to try to keep the law
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.23,0:03:07.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from turning them into the world's best snitch.\NIt was a losing battle. The US Government
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.88,0:03:13.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,had spent $15 billion on a program to fingerprint\Nand photograph visitors at the border, and
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.61,0:03:19.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hadn't caught a single terrorist. Clearly,\Nthe public sector was not equipped to Do Search
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.94,0:03:21.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Right.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.11,0:03:25.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The DHS officers had bags under their eyes\Nas they squinted at their screens, prodding
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.89,0:03:31.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,mistrustfully at their keyboards with sausage\Nfingers. No wonder it was taking four hours
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.11,0:03:33.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to get out of the goddamned airport.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.49,0:03:38.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Evening," he said, as he handed the man his\Nsweaty passport. The man grunted and swiped
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.91,0:03:45.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it, then stared at his screen, clicking. A\Nlot. He had a little bit of dried food in
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.62,0:03:50.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the corner of his mouth and his tongue crept\Nout and licked at it as he concentrated.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.61,0:03:54.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Want to tell me about June, 1998?"
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.17,0:03:59.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg turned rotated his head this way and\Nthat. "I'm sorry?"
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.21,0:04:06.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"You posted a message to alt.burningman on\NJune 17, 1998 about your plan to attend Burning
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.79,0:04:12.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Man. You posted, 'Would taking shrooms be\Na really bad idea?'"
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.79,0:04:18.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was 3AM before they let him out of the\N"secondary screening" room. The interrogator
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.73,0:04:23.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was an older man, so skinny he looked like\Nhe'd been carved out of wood. His questions
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.86,0:04:29.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,went a lot further than the Burning Man shrooms.\NThey were just the start of Greg's problems.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.14,0:04:36.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I'd like to know more about your hobbies.\NAre you interested in model rocketry?"
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.26,0:04:37.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"What?"
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.01,0:04:39.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Model rocketry."
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.75,0:04:45.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"No," Greg said. "No, I'm not." Thinking of\Nall the explosives that model rocketry people
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.64,0:04:47.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,surrounded themselves with.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.85,0:04:52.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The man made a note, clicked some more. "You\Nsee, I ask because I see a heavy spike of
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.87,0:04:58.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ads for model rocketry supplies showing up\Nalongside your search results and Google mail."
Dialogue: 0,0:04:58.87,0:05:04.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg felt his guts spasm. "You're looking\Nat my searches and email?" He hadn't touched
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.54,0:05:09.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a keyboard in a month, but he knew that what\Nyou put into the searchbar was more intimate
Dialogue: 0,0:05:09.18,0:05:13.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than what you told your father-confessor.\NHe'd seen enough queries to know that.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.82,0:05:20.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Calm down, please. No, I'm not looking at\Nyour searches." The man made a bitter lemon
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.23,0:05:26.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,face and went on in a squeaky voice. "That\Nwould be unconstitutional. You weren't listening
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.90,0:05:33.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to me. We see the ads that show up when you\Nread your mail and do your searching. I have
Dialogue: 0,0:05:33.24,0:05:37.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a brochure explaining it, I'll give it to\Nyou when we're through here."
Dialogue: 0,0:05:37.35,0:05:43.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"But the ads don't mean anything -- I get\Nads for Ann Coulter ringtones whenever I get
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.08,0:05:46.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,email from my friend who lives in Coulter,\NIowa!"
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.12,0:05:51.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The man nodded. "I understand, sir. And that's\Njust why I'm here talking to you, instead
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.99,0:05:57.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of just looking at this screen. Why do you\Nsuppose model rocket ads show up so frequently
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.83,0:05:59.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for you?"
Dialogue: 0,0:05:59.55,0:06:06.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He thought for a moment. "OK, just do this.\NGo to Google and search for 'coffee fanciers',
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.57,0:06:11.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all right?" He'd been very active in the group,\Nhelping them build out the site for their
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.51,0:06:15.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,coffee-of-the-month subscription service.\NThe blend they were going to launch with was
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.61,0:06:21.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called "Jet Fuel." "Jet Fuel" and "Launch"\N-- that'd probably make Google barf up model
Dialogue: 0,0:06:21.27,0:06:27.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rocket ads. Not that he would know -- he blocked\Nall the ads in his browser.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.30,0:06:32.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They were in the home stretch when the carved\Nman found the Hallowe'en photos. They were
Dialogue: 0,0:06:32.03,0:06:36.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,buried three screens deep in the search results\Nfor "Greg Lupinski," and Greg hadn't noticed
Dialogue: 0,0:06:36.87,0:06:38.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,them.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:38.60,0:06:43.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"It was a Gulf War themed party," he said.\N"In the Castro."
Dialogue: 0,0:06:43.26,0:06:47.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"And you're dressed as --?"
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.44,0:06:53.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"A suicide bomber." Just saying the words\Nin an airport made him nervous, as though
Dialogue: 0,0:06:53.45,0:06:57.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,uttering them would cause the handcuffs to\Ncome out.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.59,0:06:58.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Come with me, Mr Lupinski."
Dialogue: 0,0:06:58.78,0:07:05.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The search lasted a long time. They swabbed\Nhim in places he didn't know he had. He asked
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.100,0:07:11.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about a lawyer. They told him that he could\Ncall all the lawyers he wanted once he was
Dialogue: 0,0:07:11.65,0:07:12.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,out of the Customs sterile area.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.94,0:07:18.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Good night, Mr Lupinski." This was a new\Ninterrogator, a man who'd wanted to know about
Dialogue: 0,0:07:18.73,0:07:23.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the reason that he'd sought both night diving\Nand deep diving specialist certification from
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.24,0:07:27.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the PADI instructor in Cabo. The guy implied\Nthat Greg had been training to be an al-Qaeda
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.79,0:07:32.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,frogman, and didn't seem to believe that Greg\Nhad just wanted to do all the certifications
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.40,0:07:37.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he could, pursuing diving the way he pursued\Neverything: thoroughly.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.57,0:07:41.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But now the man with the frogman fantasy was\Nbidding him a good night and releasing him
Dialogue: 0,0:07:41.54,0:07:47.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the secondary screening area. His suitcases\Nstood alone by the baggage carousel. When
Dialogue: 0,0:07:47.40,0:07:52.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he picked them up, he saw that they had been\Nopened and then inexpertly closed. Some of
Dialogue: 0,0:07:52.60,0:07:55.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,his clothes stuck out from around the edges.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.51,0:08:00.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At home, he saw that all the fake "pre-Colombian"\Nstatues had been broken, and that his white
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.44,0:08:05.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cotton Mexican shirt -- folded and fresh from\Nhis laundry-lady -- had a boot-print in the
Dialogue: 0,0:08:05.18,0:08:10.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,middle of it. His clothes no longer smelled\Nof Mexico. Now they smelled of airports and
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.76,0:08:11.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,machine oil.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:11.29,0:08:16.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The mailman had dropped an entire milk-crate\Nof mail off at his place that day, but he
Dialogue: 0,0:08:16.61,0:08:21.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,couldn't even begin to confront it. All he\Ncould think of, as the sun rose over the Mission,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:21.51,0:08:26.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,turning the Victorian houses they called "painted\Nladies" vivid colors, was what it meant to
Dialogue: 0,0:08:26.38,0:08:27.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,be googled.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:27.50,0:08:33.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He wasn't going to sleep. No way. He needed\Nto talk about this. And there was only one
Dialogue: 0,0:08:33.07,0:08:39.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,person who he could talk to, and luckily,\Nshe was usually awake around now.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:39.39,0:08:43.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maya had started at Google two years after\Nhim, but had gotten a much bigger grant of
Dialogue: 0,0:08:43.38,0:08:49.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,stock than he had. She knew exactly what she\Nwas going to do with it, too, once she vested:
Dialogue: 0,0:08:49.15,0:08:54.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,take her dogs and her girlfriend and head\Nto Florence, for good. Learn Italian, take
Dialogue: 0,0:08:54.34,0:09:00.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the museums, sit in the cafes. It was she\Nwho'd convinced him to go to Mexico: anywhere,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:00.25,0:09:04.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she said, anywhere that he could reboot his\Nexistence.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:04.89,0:09:10.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maya had two giant chocolate Labs and a very,\Nvery patient girlfriend who'd put up with
Dialogue: 0,0:09:10.03,0:09:15.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,anything except being dragged around Dolores\NPark at 6AM by 350 pounds of drooling brown
Dialogue: 0,0:09:15.92,0:09:17.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,canine.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:17.22,0:09:21.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She went for her Mace as he jogged towards\Nher, then did a double-take and threw her
Dialogue: 0,0:09:21.45,0:09:26.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,arms open, dropping the leashes and stamping\Non them with one sneaker, a practiced gesture.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:26.21,0:09:30.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Where's the rest of you? Dude, you look hawt!"
Dialogue: 0,0:09:30.68,0:09:34.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He took the hug, suddenly self-conscious of\Nthe way he smelled after a night of invasive
Dialogue: 0,0:09:34.70,0:09:41.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,googling. "Maya," he said. "Maya, what do\Nyou know about the DHS?"
Dialogue: 0,0:09:42.19,0:09:47.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She stiffened and the dogs whined. She looked\Naround, then nodded up at the tennis courts.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:47.12,0:09:53.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Top of the light standard there, don't look,\Nthere. That's one of our muni WiFi access
Dialogue: 0,0:09:53.13,0:09:57.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,points. Wide-angle webcam. Face away from\Nit when you talk. Lip-readers."
Dialogue: 0,0:09:57.09,0:10:04.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He parsed this out slowly. Google's free municipal\NWiFi program was a hit in every city where
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.06,0:10:08.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it played, and in the grand scheme of things,\Nit hadn't cost much to put WiFi access points
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.35,0:10:12.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,up on light standards and other power-ready\Npoles around town. Especially not when measured
Dialogue: 0,0:10:12.81,0:10:17.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,against the ability to serve ads to people\Nbased on where they were sitting. He hadn't
Dialogue: 0,0:10:17.17,0:10:21.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,paid much attention when they'd made the webcams\Non all those access points public -- there'd
Dialogue: 0,0:10:21.88,0:10:25.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,been a day's worth of blogstorm while people\Nlooked out over their childhood streets or
Dialogue: 0,0:10:25.61,0:10:30.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,patrolled prostitution strolls, fingering\Njohns, but it had blown over.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:30.78,0:10:35.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now he felt -- watched.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:35.22,0:10:39.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Feeling silly, he kept his lips together and\Nmumbled, "You're joking."
Dialogue: 0,0:10:39.87,0:10:45.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Come with me," she said, facing squarely\Naway from the pole.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:45.12,0:10:48.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The dogs weren't happy about having their\Nwalks cut short, and they let it be known
Dialogue: 0,0:10:48.38,0:10:52.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the kitchen as Maya fixed coffee for them\N-- barking, banging into the table and rocking
Dialogue: 0,0:10:52.96,0:10:57.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it. Maya's girlfriend Laurie called out from\Nthe bedroom and Maya went back to talk to
Dialogue: 0,0:10:57.33,0:11:01.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,her, then emerged, looking flustered.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:01.18,0:11:05.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"It started with China," she said. "Once we\Nmoved our servers onto the mainland, they
Dialogue: 0,0:11:05.20,0:11:10.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,went under Chinese jurisdiction. They could\Ngoogle everyone going through our servers."
Dialogue: 0,0:11:10.35,0:11:14.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg knew what that meant: if you visited\Na page with Google ads on it, if you used
Dialogue: 0,0:11:14.52,0:11:20.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Google maps, if you used Google mail -- even\Nif you sent mail to a gmail account -- Google
Dialogue: 0,0:11:20.06,0:11:23.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was collecting your info, forever.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:23.10,0:11:27.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"They were using us to build profiles of people.\NNot arresting them, you understand. But when
Dialogue: 0,0:11:27.55,0:11:31.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they had someone they wanted to arrest, they'd\Ncome to us for a profile and find a reason
Dialogue: 0,0:11:31.35,0:11:37.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to bust them. There's hardly anything you\Ncan do on the net that isn't illegal in China."
Dialogue: 0,0:11:37.60,0:11:41.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg shook his head. "Why did they put the\Nservers in China?"
Dialogue: 0,0:11:41.52,0:11:45.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"The government said they'd block them if\Nthey didn't. And Yahoo was there." They both
Dialogue: 0,0:11:45.59,0:11:50.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,made a face. Somewhere along the way, Google\Nhad become obsessed with Yahoo, more worried
Dialogue: 0,0:11:50.25,0:11:54.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about what the competition was doing than\Nhow they were performing. "So we did it. But
Dialogue: 0,0:11:54.89,0:11:57.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a lot of us didn't like the idea."
Dialogue: 0,0:11:57.13,0:12:02.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She sipped her coffee and lowered her voice.\NOne of the dogs whined. "I made it my 20 percent
Dialogue: 0,0:12:02.49,0:12:07.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,project." Googlers were supposed to devote\N20 percent of their time to blue-sky projects.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:07.93,0:12:13.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Me and my pod. We call it the googlecleaner.\NIt goes deep into the database and statistically
Dialogue: 0,0:12:13.16,0:12:18.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,normalizes you. Your searches, your gmail\Nhistograms, your browsing patterns. All of
Dialogue: 0,0:12:18.33,0:12:19.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it."
Dialogue: 0,0:12:19.56,0:12:21.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"The search ads?"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:21.03,0:12:27.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Ah," she grimaced. "Yes, the DHS. So we brokered\Na compromise with the DHS. They'd stop asking
Dialogue: 0,0:12:27.89,0:12:33.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to go fishing in our search records and we'd\Nlet them see what ads got displayed for you."
Dialogue: 0,0:12:33.30,0:12:38.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg felt sick. "Why? Don't tell me Yahoo\Nwas doing it already --"
Dialogue: 0,0:12:38.96,0:12:45.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"No, no. Well, yes. Sure. Yahoo was already\Ndoing it. But that wasn't it. You know, Republicans
Dialogue: 0,0:12:46.77,0:12:51.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hate Google. We are overwhelmingly registered\NDemocrat. So we're doing what we can to make
Dialogue: 0,0:12:51.81,0:12:58.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,peace with them before they clobber us. This\Nisn't PII --" Personally Identifying Information,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:58.21,0:13:04.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the toxic smog of the information age "--\Nit's just metadata. So it's only slightly
Dialogue: 0,0:13:04.49,0:13:05.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,evil."
Dialogue: 0,0:13:05.81,0:13:09.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"If it's all so innocuous, why all this cloak-and-dagger\Nstuff?"
Dialogue: 0,0:13:09.46,0:13:15.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She sighed and hugged the dog that was butting\Nher with his huge, anvil-shaped head. "The
Dialogue: 0,0:13:15.18,0:13:20.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,spooks are like pubic lice. They get everywhere.\NOnce we let them in, everything suddenly got
Dialogue: 0,0:13:20.20,0:13:27.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a lot more -- secret. Some of our meetings\Nhave to have spooks present, it's like being
Dialogue: 0,0:13:27.10,0:13:31.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in some Soviet ministry, with a political\Nofficer always there, watching everything.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:31.75,0:13:37.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the security clearance. Now we're divided\Ninto these two camps: the cleared and the
Dialogue: 0,0:13:37.04,0:13:44.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,suspect. We all know who isn't cleared, but\Nno one knows why. I'm cleared. Lucky me --
Dialogue: 0,0:13:44.47,0:13:50.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,being a homo no longer disqualifies you for\Naccess to seekrit crap. No cleared person
Dialogue: 0,0:13:50.21,0:13:55.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wants to even eat lunch with an un-clearable.\NAnd every now and again, one of your teammates
Dialogue: 0,0:13:55.10,0:14:01.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,will get pulled off your project 'for security\Nreasons', whatever that means."
Dialogue: 0,0:14:01.32,0:14:07.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg felt very tired. "So now I'm feeling\Nlucky I got out of the airport alive. I suppose
Dialogue: 0,0:14:07.29,0:14:11.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I might have ended up in Gitmo if it had gone\Nbadly, huh?"
Dialogue: 0,0:14:11.02,0:14:16.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She was staring at him intently, her eyes\Nflicking from side to side. He waited, but
Dialogue: 0,0:14:16.30,0:14:17.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she didn't say anything.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:17.31,0:14:18.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"What?"
Dialogue: 0,0:14:18.63,0:14:23.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"What I'm about to tell you, you can't ever\Nrepeat it, OK?"
Dialogue: 0,0:14:23.68,0:14:30.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Um, OK? You're not going to tell me you're\Na deep-cover Al-Quaeda suicide bomber?"
Dialogue: 0,0:14:31.11,0:14:38.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Nothing so simple. Here's the thing: the\Nairport DHS scrutiny is a gating function.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:38.95,0:14:44.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It lets the spooks narrow down their search\Ncriteria. Once you get pulled aside for secondary
Dialogue: 0,0:14:44.57,0:14:51.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the border, you become a 'person of interest,'\Nand they never, ever let up. They'll check
Dialogue: 0,0:14:51.47,0:14:55.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the webcams for your face and gait. Read your\Nmail. Log your searches."
Dialogue: 0,0:14:55.89,0:14:58.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I thought you said the courts wouldn't let\Nthem --"
Dialogue: 0,0:14:58.16,0:15:03.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"The courts won't let them indiscriminately\Ngoogle you. But once you get into the system,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:03.55,0:15:10.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it becomes a selective search. All legal.\NAnd once they start googling you, they always
Dialogue: 0,0:15:10.18,0:15:10.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,find something."
Dialogue: 0,0:15:10.86,0:15:15.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"You mean to say they've got a boiler-room\Nof midwestern housewives reading the email
Dialogue: 0,0:15:15.87,0:15:20.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of everyone who ever got a second look at\Nthe border? Sounds like the world's shittiest
Dialogue: 0,0:15:20.07,0:15:21.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,job."
Dialogue: 0,0:15:21.30,0:15:28.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"If only. No, this is all untouched by human\Nhands. All your data is fed into a big hopper
Dialogue: 0,0:15:28.100,0:15:33.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that checks for 'suspicious patterns' and\Ngradually builds the case against you, using
Dialogue: 0,0:15:33.89,0:15:38.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,deviation from statistical norms to prove\Nthat you're guilty of something. It's just
Dialogue: 0,0:15:38.83,0:15:43.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a variation of the way we spot search-spammers"\N-- the "optimizers" who tried to get their
Dialogue: 0,0:15:43.76,0:15:48.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Viagra scams and Ponzi schemes to come to\Nthe top of the search results "-- but instead
Dialogue: 0,0:15:48.71,0:15:54.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of lowering your search rank, we increase\Nyour probability of being sent to Syria. And
Dialogue: 0,0:15:54.92,0:16:00.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of course, they google all of us, everyone\Nwho works on anything 'sensitive.'"
Dialogue: 0,0:16:00.24,0:16:05.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Naturally," Greg said. He felt like he was\Ngoing to throw up. He felt like never using
Dialogue: 0,0:16:05.13,0:16:12.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a search engine again. "How the hell did this\Nhappen? It's such a good place. 'Don't be
Dialogue: 0,0:16:12.24,0:16:17.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,evil,' right?" That was the corporate motto,\Nand for Greg, it had been a huge part of his
Dialogue: 0,0:16:17.59,0:16:23.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reason for taking his fresh-minted computer\Nscience PhD from Stanford directly to Google.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:23.07,0:16:30.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maya's laugh was bitter and cynical. "Don't\Nbe evil? Come on, Greg. Don't you remember
Dialogue: 0,0:16:31.86,0:16:35.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what it was like when we started censoring\Nthe Chinese search results, and we all asked
Dialogue: 0,0:16:35.73,0:16:41.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how that could be anything but evil? The company\Nline was hilarious: 'We're not doing evil
Dialogue: 0,0:16:41.14,0:16:45.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,-- we're giving them access to a better search\Ntool! If we showed them search results they
Dialogue: 0,0:16:45.69,0:16:51.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,couldn't get to, that would just frustrate\Nthem. It would be a bad user experience. If
Dialogue: 0,0:16:51.74,0:16:57.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we hadn't lost our don't-be-evil cherry by\Nthen, we surely did the day we took that one."
Dialogue: 0,0:16:57.90,0:17:02.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Now what?" Greg pushed a dog away from him\Nand Maya looked hurt.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:02.85,0:17:09.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Now you're a person of interest, Greg. Googlestalked.\NNow, you live your life with someone watching
Dialogue: 0,0:17:09.04,0:17:14.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over your shoulder, all the time. You know\Nthe mission statement, right? 'Organize all
Dialogue: 0,0:17:14.15,0:17:19.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,human knowledge.' That's everything. Give\Nit five years, we'll know how many turds were
Dialogue: 0,0:17:19.42,0:17:24.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the bowl before you flushed. Combine that\Nwith automated suspicion of anyone who matches
Dialogue: 0,0:17:24.03,0:17:28.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a statistical picture of a bad guy and you're\N--"
Dialogue: 0,0:17:28.51,0:17:30.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I'm scroogled."
Dialogue: 0,0:17:30.44,0:17:30.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Totally."
Dialogue: 0,0:17:30.68,0:17:37.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Thanks, Maya," he said. "Thanks anyway."
Dialogue: 0,0:17:38.14,0:17:43.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Sit down," she said. The dog that had been\Nbumping at his legs was at it again. Maya
Dialogue: 0,0:17:43.43,0:17:47.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,took both dogs down the hall to the bedroom\Nand he heard her muffled argument with her
Dialogue: 0,0:17:47.70,0:17:51.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,girlfriend. She came back without the dogs.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:51.25,0:17:57.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I can fix this," she said in a whisper so\Nlow it was practically a hiss. "I can googleclean
Dialogue: 0,0:17:57.32,0:17:58.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you."
Dialogue: 0,0:17:58.12,0:18:00.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"But you're under constant scrutiny --"
Dialogue: 0,0:18:00.69,0:18:06.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"By DHS agents. Once they fired all non-native-born\NAmericans from the DHS, it got a lot fatter
Dialogue: 0,0:18:06.93,0:18:10.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and stupider. I can googleclean you, Greg."
Dialogue: 0,0:18:10.89,0:18:12.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I don't want you to get into trouble."
Dialogue: 0,0:18:12.81,0:18:18.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She shook her head. "I'm already doomed. I\Nbuilt the googlecleaner. Every day since then
Dialogue: 0,0:18:18.15,0:18:22.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has been borrowed time -- now it's just a\Nmatter of waiting for someone to point out
Dialogue: 0,0:18:22.29,0:18:27.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,my expertise and history to the DHS and, oh,\NI don't know. Whatever it is they do to people
Dialogue: 0,0:18:27.37,0:18:30.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like me in the War on Abstract Nouns."
Dialogue: 0,0:18:30.53,0:18:36.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg remembered the questioning at the airport.\NThe search. His shirt, the bootprint in the
Dialogue: 0,0:18:36.77,0:18:38.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,middle of it.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:38.43,0:18:41.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Do it," he said.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:41.52,0:18:46.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The ads were weird. He hadn't really paid\Nattention to them in years. The blocker got
Dialogue: 0,0:18:46.24,0:18:50.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rid of most of them, but Google changed its\Ncode often enough that their little text ads
Dialogue: 0,0:18:50.44,0:18:55.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,showed up on a lot of his pages. They stayed\Nsubliminal mostly -- only clunkers like that
Dialogue: 0,0:18:55.50,0:18:59.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ann Coulter ringtone ad made it past his eyes\Ninto his brain.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:59.86,0:19:06.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now the clunkers were everywhere: Intelligent\NDesign Facts, Online Seminary Degree, Terror
Dialogue: 0,0:19:07.02,0:19:14.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Free Tomorrow, Porn Blocker Software, Homosexuality\Nand Satan. He clicked through a couple of
Dialogue: 0,0:19:14.06,0:19:18.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these and found himself in some kind of alternate\Nuniverse Internet, full of weird opinions
Dialogue: 0,0:19:18.81,0:19:25.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about the evils of being gay, the certainty\Nof the young Earth, the need for eternal national
Dialogue: 0,0:19:25.44,0:19:25.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,vigilance.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:25.95,0:19:31.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then he started to notice something weird\Nabout the search results themselves. After
Dialogue: 0,0:19:31.12,0:19:35.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,unpacking his suitcase and opening his mail,\Nhe spent two weeks sitting at home on his
Dialogue: 0,0:19:35.15,0:19:40.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ass, surfing. His pre-Mexico belly was reemerging,\Nso he decided to do something about it. No
Dialogue: 0,0:19:40.97,0:19:46.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,burritos for lunch today -- he'd go to that\Nholistic place Maya had told him about. Vegan
Dialogue: 0,0:19:46.29,0:19:49.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,low-fat cuisine couldn't possibly be as gross\Nas it sounded.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:49.57,0:19:53.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Did you mean 'Hungarian Restaurants'?"
Dialogue: 0,0:19:53.58,0:20:00.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He snorted. No, he'd meant "holistic restaurants,"\Nyou dumbass search-engine. It nagged at him.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:00.60,0:20:04.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He pulled up his search history and went back\Nthrough the results, printing out the pages.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:04.88,0:20:08.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then he logged out of his Google account and\Nwent back through the same searches, comparing
Dialogue: 0,0:20:08.81,0:20:14.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the results to the logged-in pages. The differences\Nwere striking. A search for "democratic primary"
Dialogue: 0,0:20:14.35,0:20:19.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pointed to anti-Hillary rants on angry blogs\Nwhen he was logged in, and to information
Dialogue: 0,0:20:19.42,0:20:24.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on volunteering for the DNC when he was logged\Nout. Searching for "abortion clinic" while
Dialogue: 0,0:20:24.38,0:20:28.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,logged out listed the nearest Planned Parenthood\Noffice; searching while logged in gave him
Dialogue: 0,0:20:28.82,0:20:34.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,information about Campaign Life, ProLife.com,\Nand the ProLife alliance. Good thing he wasn't
Dialogue: 0,0:20:34.36,0:20:34.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pregnant.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:34.45,0:20:38.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This was Maya's googlecleaner at work. It\Nwas like the stories of people who asked their
Dialogue: 0,0:20:38.58,0:20:42.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,TiVos to record an episode of "Queer Eye"\Nand then got inundated with suggestions for
Dialogue: 0,0:20:42.86,0:20:48.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,other "gay shows" -- "My TiVo thinks I'm gay,"\Nwas the title of one article he remembered.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:48.09,0:20:52.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Google had been experimenting with "personalized"\Nsearch results before he left the country
Dialogue: 0,0:20:52.78,0:20:56.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,-- here it was, in all its glory.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:56.39,0:21:00.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Google thought he was a conservative Christian\NRepublican who supported the War on Terror
Dialogue: 0,0:21:00.24,0:21:03.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and many other abstract nouns.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:03.07,0:21:07.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He logged out of Google -- that was simple.\NFive minutes later, he logged in again. His
Dialogue: 0,0:21:07.55,0:21:12.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,entire address book was in there. He logged\Nout again. Logged back in. His calendar --
Dialogue: 0,0:21:12.69,0:21:18.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when was his parents' anniversary again?\NLogged out. Logged back in. Needed his bookmarked
Dialogue: 0,0:21:18.84,0:21:21.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,locations in Maps. Logged out.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:21.47,0:21:26.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He stopped trying. Google was where his friendships\Nlived -- all those people he stayed connected
Dialogue: 0,0:21:26.60,0:21:31.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to on Orkut. It was where his relationships\Nlived: all that archived email, all those
Dialogue: 0,0:21:31.34,0:21:37.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,addresses in his address-book. It was his\Nfamily photos, his bookmarks. Hell, his search
Dialogue: 0,0:21:37.57,0:21:42.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,history -- his real search history -- was\Nlike an outboard brain, remembering which
Dialogue: 0,0:21:42.34,0:21:46.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,parts of the unplumbable Internet he cared\Nabout, so that he didn't have to remember
Dialogue: 0,0:21:46.50,0:21:49.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it the hard way, with the meat in his skull.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:49.82,0:21:54.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Google had a copy of him -- all the parts\Nof him that navigated the world and the people
Dialogue: 0,0:21:54.33,0:22:01.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in it. Google owned that copy, and without\Nit, he couldn't be himself anymore. He'd just
Dialogue: 0,0:22:01.24,0:22:02.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have to stay logged in.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:02.96,0:22:07.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg mashed the keys on the laptop next to\Nhis bed, bringing the screen to life. He squinted
Dialogue: 0,0:22:07.55,0:22:14.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the toolbar clock: 4:13AM! Christ, who\Nwas pounding on his door at this hour?
Dialogue: 0,0:22:14.14,0:22:19.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He shouted "Coming!" in a muzzy voice and\Npulled on a robe and slippers. He shuffled
Dialogue: 0,0:22:19.22,0:22:23.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,down the hallway, turning on lights as he\Nwent, squinting. At the door, he squinted
Dialogue: 0,0:22:23.62,0:22:27.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through the peephole, peering at -- Maya.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:27.46,0:22:31.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He undid the chains and the deadbolt and yanked\Nthe door open and Maya rushed in past him,
Dialogue: 0,0:22:31.16,0:22:35.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,followed by the dogs, followed by her girlfriend,\NLaurie, whom he'd last seen at a Christmas
Dialogue: 0,0:22:35.28,0:22:40.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,party at Google, in a fabulous cocktail dress\Nand an elaborate up-do. Now she was wearing
Dialogue: 0,0:22:40.37,0:22:45.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a freebie Google Summer of Code sweatshirt,\Njeans, and a frown that started between her
Dialogue: 0,0:22:45.01,0:22:48.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,eyebrows and intensified all the way down\Nher face.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:48.07,0:22:52.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maya was sheened with sweat, her hair sticking\Nto her forehead. She scrubbed at her eyes,
Dialogue: 0,0:22:52.63,0:22:54.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which were red and lined.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:54.83,0:22:57.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Pack a bag," she said, in a hoarse croak.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:57.61,0:22:58.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"What?"
Dialogue: 0,0:22:58.66,0:23:01.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Whatever you can't live without. A couple\Nchanges of clothes. Anything you're sentimental
Dialogue: 0,0:23:01.98,0:23:06.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about -- shoebox of pictures, your grandfather's\Nrazor, whatever. But keep it small, something
Dialogue: 0,0:23:06.36,0:23:09.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can carry. We're traveling light."
Dialogue: 0,0:23:09.17,0:23:09.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Maya, what are you --"
Dialogue: 0,0:23:09.84,0:23:14.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She took him by the shoulders. "Do. It," she\Nsaid. "Don't ask questions right now. There's
Dialogue: 0,0:23:14.74,0:23:15.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,no time."
Dialogue: 0,0:23:15.28,0:23:16.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Where do you want to --"
Dialogue: 0,0:23:16.85,0:23:22.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Mexico, probably. Don't know yet. Pack, dammit."\NShe pushed past him into his bedroom and started
Dialogue: 0,0:23:22.61,0:23:24.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,yanking open drawers.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:24.66,0:23:29.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Maya," he said, sharply, "I'm not going anywhere\Nuntil you tell me what's going on."
Dialogue: 0,0:23:29.52,0:23:33.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She glared at him and pushed her hair away\Nfrom her face. "The googlecleaner lives. I
Dialogue: 0,0:23:33.42,0:23:37.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shut it down, walked away from it, after I\Ndid you. It was too dangerous to use anymore.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:37.56,0:23:41.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I still get buginizer notifications when\Nnew bugs get filed against it, I'm still in
Dialogue: 0,0:23:41.80,0:23:47.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,B as the project's owner. Someone filed eight\Nbugs against it this week. Someone's used
Dialogue: 0,0:23:47.42,0:23:51.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it six times to smear six very specific accounts."
Dialogue: 0,0:23:51.55,0:23:54.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Who's using it?"
Dialogue: 0,0:23:54.05,0:23:58.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Well, I'll give you a hint. Let me tell you\Nwho's been cleaned this week --" She listed
Dialogue: 0,0:23:58.10,0:24:04.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,six candidates, four Republican and two Democrat,\Nwho were all in the running for the primaries.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:04.28,0:24:07.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Googlers are blackwashing political candidates?"
Dialogue: 0,0:24:07.34,0:24:12.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Not Googlers. This is all coming from offsite.\NThe IP block is registered in DC. And the
Dialogue: 0,0:24:12.65,0:24:17.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,IPs are all also used by Gmail users. And\Nthose Gmail users --"
Dialogue: 0,0:24:17.29,0:24:19.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"You spied on gmail accounts?"
Dialogue: 0,0:24:19.03,0:24:22.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I'm leaving in two minutes, with or without\Nyou. You can interrupt me to ask me questions,
Dialogue: 0,0:24:22.49,0:24:27.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or you can listen." She gave him another look.\NLaurie stood in the door of the bedroom, holding
Dialogue: 0,0:24:27.41,0:24:30.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the dogs by the collars and looking down at\Nthe floor.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:30.92,0:24:35.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Good. OK. Yes. I did spy on their email.\NOf course I did. Everyone does it, now and
Dialogue: 0,0:24:35.26,0:24:37.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,again, and for a lot worse reasons that this.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:37.50,0:24:42.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"It's our lobbying firm. The ones who invented\Nthe Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Remember
Dialogue: 0,0:24:42.71,0:24:46.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,them? It was a stink when we hired them, but\NGoogle couldn't afford to be 'that company
Dialogue: 0,0:24:46.44,0:24:51.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,full of registered Democrats' forever. We\Nneeded friends in Congress. These guys could
Dialogue: 0,0:24:51.19,0:24:52.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,do it for us."
Dialogue: 0,0:24:52.41,0:24:54.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"But they're ruining politicians' careers!"
Dialogue: 0,0:24:54.54,0:24:58.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Yeah. They certainly are. And who benefits\Nwhen they do that?"
Dialogue: 0,0:24:58.02,0:25:01.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Laurie spoke, at last. "Other politicians."
Dialogue: 0,0:25:01.61,0:25:05.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He felt his pulse beating in his temples.\N"We should tell someone."
Dialogue: 0,0:25:05.16,0:25:11.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Yeah," Maya said. "How? They know everything\Nabout us. They can see every search. Every
Dialogue: 0,0:25:11.14,0:25:15.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,email. Every time we've been caught on the\Nwebcams. Who is in our social network --
Dialogue: 0,0:25:15.12,0:25:18.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know that if you've got more than fifteen\NOrkut buddies, it's statistically certain
Dialogue: 0,0:25:18.66,0:25:22.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that you're no more than three steps to someone\Nwho's contributed money to a 'terrorist' cause?
Dialogue: 0,0:25:22.80,0:25:28.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Remember the airport? Imagine a lot more of\Nthat."
Dialogue: 0,0:25:28.23,0:25:34.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Maya," he said, carefully. "I think you're\Nover-reacting. You don't need to go to Mexico.
Dialogue: 0,0:25:34.19,0:25:38.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can just quit. We can do a startup together\Nor something. Or you can move to the country
Dialogue: 0,0:25:38.57,0:25:43.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and raise dogs. Whatever. This is crazy --"
Dialogue: 0,0:25:43.59,0:25:47.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"They came to see me today," she said. "At\Nwork. Two of the political officers -- the
Dialogue: 0,0:25:47.00,0:25:52.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,minders who monitor our sensitive projects.\NAnd they asked me a lot of very heavy questions."
Dialogue: 0,0:25:52.42,0:25:53.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"About the googlecleaner?"
Dialogue: 0,0:25:53.52,0:25:58.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"About my friends and family. About my search\Nhistory. About my political beliefs."
Dialogue: 0,0:25:58.65,0:25:59.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Jesus."
Dialogue: 0,0:25:59.86,0:26:03.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"They were sending me a message. They were\Nletting me know that they were onto me. They're
Dialogue: 0,0:26:03.89,0:26:08.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,watching every click and every search. It's\Ntime to go -- time to get out of range."
Dialogue: 0,0:26:08.82,0:26:11.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"There's a Google office in Mexico, you know."
Dialogue: 0,0:26:11.50,0:26:15.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Are you coming, Greg? We're going now."
Dialogue: 0,0:26:15.03,0:26:18.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Laurie, what do you think of this?"
Dialogue: 0,0:26:18.46,0:26:24.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Laurie thumped the dogs between the shoulders.\N"Maya showed me what Google knows about me.
Dialogue: 0,0:26:24.15,0:26:29.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's like there's a little me in there, a\Ncopy of me. Like I'm pinned down under a jar
Dialogue: 0,0:26:29.35,0:26:35.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with a ball of ether. My parents left East\NGermany in '65 -- they used to tell me about
Dialogue: 0,0:26:35.52,0:26:41.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Stasi. They'd put everything about you\Nin your file -- even unpatriotic jokes. Lately
Dialogue: 0,0:26:41.14,0:26:47.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I've been feeling...watched. All the time.\NLike I can't live without leaving a trail.
Dialogue: 0,0:26:47.45,0:26:52.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like I'm throwing off a smog of data and it\Ncan't be gotten rid of."
Dialogue: 0,0:26:52.04,0:26:55.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"We're going now, Greg. Now. Are you coming?"
Dialogue: 0,0:26:55.95,0:27:01.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg looked at the dogs. "I've got some pesos\Nleft over," he said. "You take them. Be careful,
Dialogue: 0,0:27:01.96,0:27:03.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,OK?"
Dialogue: 0,0:27:03.69,0:27:07.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She looked like she was going to slug him.\NThen she softened and gave him a ferocious
Dialogue: 0,0:27:07.34,0:27:12.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hug. "Be careful yourself," she whispered\Nin his ear.
Dialogue: 0,0:27:12.64,0:27:17.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They came for him a week later. At home, in\Nthe middle of the night, just as he'd imagined
Dialogue: 0,0:27:17.33,0:27:23.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it. Their knock was nothing like Maya's tentative,\Nnervous thump. They went bang-bang-bang, confident,
Dialogue: 0,0:27:23.92,0:27:29.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,knowing that they had every right to be there\Nand not caring who else came after them.
Dialogue: 0,0:27:29.32,0:27:34.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Two men. One stayed by the door and didn't\Nsay anything. The other was a smiler, short
Dialogue: 0,0:27:34.75,0:27:38.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and rumpled, in a sports coat with a small\Nstain on one lapel and a cloisonn⊠American
Dialogue: 0,0:27:38.94,0:27:44.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,flag on the other. "Computer Fraud and Abuse\NAct," he said, by way of introduction. "'Exceeding
Dialogue: 0,0:27:44.47,0:27:50.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,authorized access, and by means of such conduct\Nhaving obtained information.' Ten years for
Dialogue: 0,0:27:50.63,0:27:55.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a first offense, ever since the PATRIOT Act\Nextended it. I have it on the best of authority
Dialogue: 0,0:27:55.42,0:28:01.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that what you and your friend did to your\NGoogle records qualifies. And oh, what will
Dialogue: 0,0:28:01.39,0:28:06.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,come out in the trial. All the stuff you whitewashed\Nout of your profile."
Dialogue: 0,0:28:06.16,0:28:10.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg had been playing this scene out in his\Nhead for a week. He'd had all kinds of brave
Dialogue: 0,0:28:10.01,0:28:14.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,things to say, planned out in advance. He'd\Neven written some down, to see how they looked.
Dialogue: 0,0:28:14.83,0:28:18.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It had given him something to do while the\Nknots in his stomach tightened, while he waited
Dialogue: 0,0:28:18.73,0:28:19.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to hear from Maya.
Dialogue: 0,0:28:19.51,0:28:26.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I'd like to call a lawyer," is all he managed.\NIt came out in a whisper.
Dialogue: 0,0:28:26.19,0:28:30.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"You can do that," the man said. "But hear\Nme out first."
Dialogue: 0,0:28:30.58,0:28:35.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg found his voice. "I'd like to see your\Nbadge."
Dialogue: 0,0:28:35.10,0:28:42.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The man's basset-hound face lit up as he hissed\Na laugh. "Oh, Greg, buddy. I'm not a cop.
Dialogue: 0,0:28:42.82,0:28:49.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I work for --" He named the DC firm in Google's\Nemploy. The inventors of swiftboating. "You're
Dialogue: 0,0:28:50.10,0:28:55.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a Googler. You're part of the family. We couldn't\Nsend the police after you without talking
Dialogue: 0,0:28:55.23,0:28:59.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with you first. There's an offer I'd like\Nto make."
Dialogue: 0,0:28:59.70,0:29:03.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg made coffee. It gave him something to\Ndo with his hands while he tried to find that
Dialogue: 0,0:29:03.29,0:29:07.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,bravery he'd been honing all week. "I'll go\Nto the press," he said. "I've written this
Dialogue: 0,0:29:07.95,0:29:10.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all up. I'll go straight to them."
Dialogue: 0,0:29:10.58,0:29:15.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The guy nodded as if thinking it over. "Well,\Nsure. You could walk into the Chronicle's
Dialogue: 0,0:29:15.67,0:29:19.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,office in the morning and spill everything\Nyou need. They'd try to find a confirming
Dialogue: 0,0:29:19.71,0:29:24.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,source. They won't find it. Maybe you'll try\Nto show them what your profile looks like
Dialogue: 0,0:29:24.61,0:29:31.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,today? Well, tell you what, it looks just\Nlike it looked the day you landed at SFO.
Dialogue: 0,0:29:31.34,0:29:36.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg, buddy, why don't you hear me out before\Nyou start trying to figure out how to fight
Dialogue: 0,0:29:36.44,0:29:42.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,me? I'm in the win-win business. I'm in the\Nbusiness of figuring out how to get all parties
Dialogue: 0,0:29:42.15,0:29:48.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what they need. I'm very good at it. You don't\Neven want to know what I'm billing Google
Dialogue: 0,0:29:48.03,0:29:52.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for this little tete-a-tete. By the way, those\Nare excellent beans, but you want to give
Dialogue: 0,0:29:52.33,0:29:57.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,them a little rinse first, takes some of the\Nbitterness out and brings up the oils. Here,
Dialogue: 0,0:29:57.27,0:29:59.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pass me a colander?"
Dialogue: 0,0:29:59.73,0:30:03.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg watched in numb bemusement as the man\Ntook off his jacket and hung it over a kitchen
Dialogue: 0,0:30:03.44,0:30:08.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,chair, then undid his cuffs and rolled them\Nup, slipping a cheap digital watch into his
Dialogue: 0,0:30:08.00,0:30:13.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pocket. Then he poured the beans back out\Nof the grinder and into Greg's colander and
Dialogue: 0,0:30:13.12,0:30:14.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,did things at the sink.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:14.01,0:30:21.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He was a little pudgy, and very pale. He needed\Na haircut -- had unruly curls at his neck.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:21.01,0:30:26.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It made Greg relax, somehow. This guy had\Nthe social gracelessness of a nerd, felt like
Dialogue: 0,0:30:26.94,0:30:32.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a real Googler, obsessed with the minutiae.\NHe knew his way around a coffee-grinder, too.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:32.56,0:30:35.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"We're drafting a team for Building 49 --"
Dialogue: 0,0:30:35.30,0:30:38.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"There is no building 49," Greg said, automatically.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:38.67,0:30:45.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Yeah," the guy said, with a private little\Nsmile. "There's no Building 49. And we're
Dialogue: 0,0:30:45.01,0:30:50.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,putting together a team, with its own buginizer,\Nto own googlecleaner. Maya's code wasn't very
Dialogue: 0,0:30:50.75,0:30:55.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,efficient. Every time someone runs it, it\Nclobbers the whole farm. And it's got plenty
Dialogue: 0,0:30:55.26,0:31:00.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of bugs. We've asked around and there's consensus\Non this. You'd be the right guy, and it wouldn't
Dialogue: 0,0:31:00.76,0:31:04.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,matter what you knew if you were back inside\N--"
Dialogue: 0,0:31:04.06,0:31:06.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"No, I wouldn't," Greg said. "You're on crack."
Dialogue: 0,0:31:06.64,0:31:12.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Hear me out. There's money involved. Good\Nwork, too. Smart colleagues. A direction for
Dialogue: 0,0:31:12.29,0:31:16.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your life. A chance to participate in the\Npolitical life of your country --"
Dialogue: 0,0:31:16.03,0:31:21.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg gave a bitter laugh. "Unbelievable,"\Nhe said. "If you think I'm going to help you
Dialogue: 0,0:31:21.85,0:31:28.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,smear political candidates in exchange for\Nfavors, you're even crazier than I thought."
Dialogue: 0,0:31:28.74,0:31:35.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Greg," he said, "Greg, you're right. That\Nwas dumb. No one is going to do that anymore.
Dialogue: 0,0:31:36.61,0:31:43.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're just going to -- clean things up a little.\NFor some select people. You know what I mean,
Dialogue: 0,0:31:44.50,0:31:49.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,right? Every Google profile is a little scary\Nunder close inspection. Close inspection is
Dialogue: 0,0:31:49.99,0:31:54.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the order of the day in politics. You stand\Nfor office and they'll look at your kids,
Dialogue: 0,0:31:54.36,0:31:58.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your brothers, your ex-girlfriends. Now that\Nyour search history is available to so many
Dialogue: 0,0:31:58.66,0:32:04.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people, it won't be that hard to look into\Nthat too. Your Orkut network, your old Usenet
Dialogue: 0,0:32:04.38,0:32:10.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,messages, your searches, all of it." He loaded\Nthe cafetiere and depressed the plunger, his
Dialogue: 0,0:32:10.20,0:32:15.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,face screwed up in solemn concentration. He\Nheld out his hand and Greg got down two coffee
Dialogue: 0,0:32:15.98,0:32:21.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,mugs -- Google mugs, of course -- and passed\Nthem to him.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:21.04,0:32:25.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"We're going to do for our friends just what\NMaya did for you. Just give them a little
Dialogue: 0,0:32:25.77,0:32:32.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cleanup. Preserve their privacy. That's all\N-- I promise you, that's all."
Dialogue: 0,0:32:32.26,0:32:36.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg sipped the coffee, but didn't taste it.\N"And whichever candidates you don't clean
Dialogue: 0,0:32:36.75,0:32:38.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,--"
Dialogue: 0,0:32:38.12,0:32:42.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Yeah," the guy said. "Yeah, you're right.\NIt'll be tough for them."
Dialogue: 0,0:32:42.64,0:32:44.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"You can go now," Greg said.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:44.00,0:32:51.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Oh, Greg," the guy said. He plucked his jacket\Noff his chair-back and shrugged it on, felt
Dialogue: 0,0:32:51.61,0:32:56.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the inside pocket and produced a small\Nstack of paper, folded into quarters. He smoothed
Dialogue: 0,0:32:56.71,0:32:58.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it out and put it on the table.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:58.94,0:33:03.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg looked quickly and saw the rows of results\Nhe'd seen on the DHS man's screen, back at
Dialogue: 0,0:33:03.18,0:33:07.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the airport, when this all started. "I don't\Ncare," he said. "Tell the world about my search
Dialogue: 0,0:33:07.95,0:33:11.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,history. Go ahead. In five years, everyone\Nwill have had their search history ruptured.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:11.99,0:33:12.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We'll all be guilty."
Dialogue: 0,0:33:12.80,0:33:18.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"It's not your history," the man said. He\Ndivided the stack into two piles, and pointed
Dialogue: 0,0:33:18.80,0:33:24.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to names on the top sheet of each. One was\NMaya's. The other was a candidate whose campaign
Dialogue: 0,0:33:24.85,0:33:28.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg had contributed to for the last three\Nelections.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:28.08,0:33:32.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"You get five weeks' vacation a year. You\Ncan go to Cabo for the SCUBA. The options
Dialogue: 0,0:33:32.01,0:33:34.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,package is very generous, too."
Dialogue: 0,0:33:34.79,0:33:39.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The man sat down and drank some coffee. Greg\Ntried some more of his own. It didn't taste
Dialogue: 0,0:33:39.80,0:33:45.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so bad. It was, in fact, more delicious than\Nanything that had ever come out of his kitchen.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:45.78,0:33:48.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The man knew what he was doing.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:48.03,0:33:53.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The best years of Greg's life had been spent\Nat Google. Smart people. Amazing work environment.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:53.34,0:33:58.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Wonderful technology. Nothing in the world\Nlike it. When you worked at G, you had the
Dialogue: 0,0:33:58.78,0:34:04.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,best model train set in the universe to play\Nwith. Organizing all of human knowledge.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:04.76,0:34:08.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"You can pick your team, of course," the man\Nsaid.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:08.11,0:34:11.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg poured himself another cup of delicious\Ncoffee.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:11.23,0:34:15.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The new Congress took eleven working days\Nto pass the Securing and Enumerating America's
Dialogue: 0,0:34:15.56,0:34:20.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Communications and Hypertext Act, which authorized\Nthe DHS and the NSA to outsource up to 80
Dialogue: 0,0:34:20.94,0:34:25.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,percent of its intelligence and analysis work\Nto private contractors.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:25.34,0:34:29.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Theoretically, the contracts were open to\Na competitive bidding process, but within
Dialogue: 0,0:34:29.04,0:34:33.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the secure group at Google, in building 49,\Nthere was no question of who would win those
Dialogue: 0,0:34:33.39,0:34:38.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,contracts. If Google had spent $15 billion\Non a program to catch bad guys at the border,
Dialogue: 0,0:34:38.71,0:34:42.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can bet that they would have caught them\N-- governments just aren't equipped to Do
Dialogue: 0,0:34:42.39,0:34:44.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Search Right.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:44.02,0:34:48.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg looked himself in the eye that morning\Nas he shaved -- the security minders didn't
Dialogue: 0,0:34:48.18,0:34:52.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like hacker-stubble, and they weren't shy\Nabout telling you so -- and realized that
Dialogue: 0,0:34:52.32,0:34:57.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,today was his first day as a de facto intelligence\Nagent in the US government.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:57.27,0:35:01.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How bad would it be? Wasn't it better to have\NGoogle doing this stuff than some ham-fisted
Dialogue: 0,0:35:01.55,0:35:02.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,spook?
Dialogue: 0,0:35:02.00,0:35:07.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He had himself convinced by the time he parked\Nat the Googleplex, among the hybrid cars and
Dialogue: 0,0:35:07.38,0:35:12.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,bulging bike-racks. He stopped for an organic\Nsmoothie on the way to his desk, then sat
Dialogue: 0,0:35:12.52,0:35:14.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,down and sipped.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:14.84,0:35:18.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The rumpled man hadn't been to the G since\NGreg went back to work, but it often felt
Dialogue: 0,0:35:18.54,0:35:22.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like his influence was all around them in\Nbuilding 49. He wasn't any less rumpled today
Dialogue: 0,0:35:22.87,0:35:26.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,-- he could have been wrapped in saran-wrap\Non the day he brought Greg back to work and
Dialogue: 0,0:35:26.89,0:35:30.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,refrigerated for all that he hadn't changed\Na hair.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:30.05,0:35:34.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Hi, Greg," he said, sliding into the chair\Nnext to his. His podmates stood up in unison
Dialogue: 0,0:35:34.82,0:35:35.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and left the room.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:35.56,0:35:41.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Just tell me what it is," Greg said. "Just\Nspit it out. You want me to pwn NORAD and
Dialogue: 0,0:35:41.55,0:35:43.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,start World War III, right?"
Dialogue: 0,0:35:43.51,0:35:49.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Nothing so obvious," the man said, patting\Nhis shoulder. "Just a little search-job."
Dialogue: 0,0:35:49.40,0:35:49.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Yeah?"
Dialogue: 0,0:35:49.53,0:35:54.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"There's a person we want to find. A person\Nwho's left the country, apparently headed
Dialogue: 0,0:35:54.19,0:35:59.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for Mexico. She knows certain things that\Nare, as of today, classified. She needs to
Dialogue: 0,0:35:59.19,0:36:01.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,be briefed on her new responsibilities."
Dialogue: 0,0:36:01.69,0:36:06.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg stood up. "I'm not going to find Maya\Nfor you." He pulled on his jacket.
Dialogue: 0,0:36:06.31,0:36:10.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"There are plenty of people here who will.\NIt's up to you, though. You can work here
Dialogue: 0,0:36:10.77,0:36:15.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with her, being productive, or you can find\Nout just how rotten life can get -- while
Dialogue: 0,0:36:15.39,0:36:20.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she works here, being productive with your\Nco-workers."
Dialogue: 0,0:36:20.21,0:36:23.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg stared at him, his hands balled into\Nfists.
Dialogue: 0,0:36:23.83,0:36:29.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Come on," the rumpled man said. "Greg, we\Nboth know how this goes. When you said yes
Dialogue: 0,0:36:29.51,0:36:35.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to me in your kitchen, you lost the option\Nof saying no. It's not so bad, is it? Who
Dialogue: 0,0:36:35.10,0:36:39.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would you rather have doing the nation's intelligence:\Nyou and your pals here in the Valley, or a
Dialogue: 0,0:36:39.32,0:36:42.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,bunch of straight-edge code-grinders in Virginia?"
Dialogue: 0,0:36:42.63,0:36:46.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg turned on his heel and left. He made\Nit all the way to the parking lot before he
Dialogue: 0,0:36:46.39,0:36:51.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,stopped and kicked a wall so hard he felt\Nsomething give way in his foot.
Dialogue: 0,0:36:51.19,0:36:57.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then he limped back to his desk, hung his\Njacket on his chair, and logged back in.
Dialogue: 0,0:36:57.19,0:37:01.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was a week later when his key-card failed\Nto open the door to Building 49. The idiot
Dialogue: 0,0:37:01.58,0:37:07.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,red LED shone at him every time he swiped\Nit. He swiped it and swiped it. Any other
Dialogue: 0,0:37:07.04,0:37:11.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,building and there'd be someone to tailgate\Non, people trickling in and out all day. But
Dialogue: 0,0:37:11.08,0:37:15.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Googlers in 49 only emerged for meals,\Nand sometimes not even that.
Dialogue: 0,0:37:15.51,0:37:19.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Swipe, swipe, swipe.
Dialogue: 0,0:37:19.67,0:37:22.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Greg, can I see you, please?"
Dialogue: 0,0:37:22.63,0:37:26.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The rumpled man hadn't shaved in a couple\Nof days. He put an arm around Greg's shoulders
Dialogue: 0,0:37:26.99,0:37:31.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and Greg smelled his citrusy aftershave. It\Nwas the same cologne that his divemaster in
Dialogue: 0,0:37:31.64,0:37:35.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Baja had worn when they went out to the bars\Nin the evening. Greg couldn't remember his
Dialogue: 0,0:37:35.71,0:37:39.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,name. Juan-Carlos? Juan-Luis?
Dialogue: 0,0:37:39.84,0:37:44.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The man's arm around his shoulders was firm,\Nsteering him away from the door, out onto
Dialogue: 0,0:37:44.38,0:37:49.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the immaculate lawn, past the kitchen's herb\Ngarden. "We're giving you a couple of days
Dialogue: 0,0:37:49.14,0:37:51.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,off," he said.
Dialogue: 0,0:37:51.61,0:37:56.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg felt a cold premonition that sank all\Nthe way to his balls. "Why?" Had he done something
Dialogue: 0,0:37:56.85,0:37:58.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wrong? Was he going to jail?
Dialogue: 0,0:37:58.00,0:38:03.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"It's Maya." The man turned him around, met\Nhis eyes with his bottomless basset-hound
Dialogue: 0,0:38:03.67,0:38:10.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,gaze. "It's Maya. Killed herself. In Guatemala.\NI'm sorry, Greg."
Dialogue: 0,0:38:13.28,0:38:18.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Greg seemed to hurtle away from himself, to\Na place miles above, a Google Earth view of
Dialogue: 0,0:38:18.13,0:38:23.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Googleplex, looking down on himself and\Nthe rumpled man as a pair of dots, two pixels,
Dialogue: 0,0:38:23.55,0:38:28.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,tiny and insignificant. He willed himself\Nto tear at his hair, to drop to his knees
Dialogue: 0,0:38:28.94,0:38:30.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and weep.
Dialogue: 0,0:38:30.77,0:38:36.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,From a long way away, he heard himself say,\N"I don't need any time off. I'm OK."
Dialogue: 0,0:38:36.22,0:38:39.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,From a long way away, he heard the rumpled\Nman insist.
Dialogue: 0,0:38:39.23,0:38:44.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But one-pixel Greg wouldn't be turned aside.\NThe argument persisted for a long time, and
Dialogue: 0,0:38:44.63,0:38:49.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then the two pixels moved into Building 49\Nand the door swung shut behind them.
Dialogue: 0,0:39:01.84,0:39:07.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Doctorow: This one came as a commission from Radar magazine\N-- now defunct, a casualty of the 2008 crash,
Dialogue: 0,0:39:07.82,0:39:12.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but in 2007, this was the most widely circulated\N"lifestyle" magazine in the US. They asked
Dialogue: 0,0:39:12.93,0:39:18.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,me to write about "the day Google became evil."\NI didn't want to cheap out and just write
Dialogue: 0,0:39:18.58,0:39:22.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about the company selling out to some evil\Nmillionaire. If Google ever turned evil, it
Dialogue: 0,0:39:22.56,0:39:27.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would be because a) evil had a compelling\Nbusiness-model and b) evil lay at the end
Dialogue: 0,0:39:27.22,0:39:28.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of a compelling technical challenge.
Dialogue: 0,0:39:28.75,0:39:33.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I spent a lot of time talking off-the-record\Nto Googlers, who are, to a one, the nicest
Dialogue: 0,0:39:33.50,0:39:37.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people I know (OK, one exception springs to\Nmind, but let's not air our dirty laundry
Dialogue: 0,0:39:37.99,0:39:42.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in public, right?). I also had an incredibly\Nproductive conversation with the Electronic
Dialogue: 0,0:39:42.27,0:39:46.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Frontier Foundation's Kevin Bankston, a profound\Nand sharp-witted privacy lawyer.
Dialogue: 0,0:39:46.88,0:39:51.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wanted to capture a company that was full\Nof good people who do bad. There are lots
Dialogue: 0,0:39:51.26,0:39:56.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of these. For example, all the Microsoft employees\NI know are fantastic and smart and caring
Dialogue: 0,0:39:56.44,0:40:01.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and principled. But ethically and technically,\Nmost of what comes out of Redmond is a train-wreck.
Dialogue: 0,0:40:01.22,0:40:06.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's anti-synergy: a firm that is far less\Nthan the sum of its parts. I could easily
Dialogue: 0,0:40:06.20,0:40:10.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,see Google turning into that. I wish I understood\Nhow groups of good people trying to do good
Dialogue: 0,0:40:10.90,0:40:12.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can do bad.