telecuda

Yes they can get a warrant, and they do, but there's honestly so much of it out there that there's only so many hours in a day for investigators to subpoena information, arrest someone, do forensics on their computer, prosecute the suspect, etc etc. Far less serious offense, but it's similar to how the RIAA/MPAA can only go after so many music/movie pirates out there.

You are correct. Law enforcement involved in these investigations absolutely looks at CP. If they confiscate a computer with 10,000 CP images, they're looking at every one, day in and day out, and putting together a case for the prosecution. I'm glad that's not my job, and thankful for those whose it is.

Example of what private companies can do - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/20/facebook-photodna-m...

Taking your example of image analysis, companies in this space will build applications that - for instance - identify which images of the 10,000 on a bandit's computer are all the same kid. The software company would use sample images of clothed kids to demonstrate how it works, then only law enforcement would input confiscated CP images to do the analysis.

Professionally? Contact your Sheriff's Office and ask to speak with someone from their internet crimes or child crimes/exploitation unit. They're always looking for talented people in those areas.

After re-reading: you avoid prosecution by not being a large enough offender, or by offending in a jurisdiction where law enforcement is not trained to catch you. Not all that different than avoiding prosecution as a recreational drug user when the cops are too busy going after bigger fish.

There's a lot of time and resources spent in between the time of identifying that an IP address is broadcasting CP to having all the information you need to bust down the right door and lock up the guy for a long time.

I did/do not personally identify them. I describe that law enforcement has tools to do so, but limited resources (and difficulties with ISP cooperation) to go after all of them.

There's plenty that can be done that never involves having to look at an image yourself.

For instance, if I gave you a specific file name/size/hash (but not showing you the actual image), could you find out who possesses it, is distributing it, and anything about their location or identity that would aid law enforcement in catching the bandit?

Privileged law enforcement information. Sorry but I cannot say more.

I live in a metropolitan area of around 500,000 and there are close to 200 markers indicating an IP address that's advertising CP availability.

We have methods of rating each marker (e.g. how many CP files, how many are teen, child, nudity vs. intercourse, etc). Of those 200, there are a handful of the worst offenders that law enforcement will use resources to pursue, a group in the middle that have downloaded a large number where victims are 12-18, and then those who have just a few random files from the known list.

Does that help?

I wish there were a simple way to communicate how large and widespread CP is, and how much law enforcement could use your smarts to go after these guys.

There are more households sharing CP in your community than there are bus stops. (We can roughly map IPs of known CP files advertised over torrent networks.)

There are too few innovators in this space because specifics on CP networks are privy to law enforcement, and investigators are often patrol cops who get promoted into a child crimes unit.

It's fine (and true) to say these technologies are used for many more things than CP, but that's not an excuse to turn a blind eye to it, anymore than Craigslist does to child exploitation.

John Sheehan from Twilio has some great tips too - http://www.quora.com/Hackathons/What-are-some-useful-tips-wh...

The new location is perfect. Thanks for listening!

We use screen leap 2-3 times per week. Feedback: The "Share Screen" button is as big as and just below "Compose." I'd like to relocate. I've already clicked it by accident which is frustrating. Next to More, Search or Settings would be less intrusive.

There's not a clear line here, no, but you're not going to hold and point your white driver's license at a cop the same way you might a black iPhone running the app.

If I'm the cop conducting the traffic stop and see someone suspiciously reaching in their pocket for an object, I'm drawing my gun.

I could see this being used as a bystander to an arrest, but doing anything short of keeping your hands free and visible during a traffic stop is dangerous.

-Guy who makes tech for cops

The Weather Channel has been going through a lot of restructuring and making big improvements over the past 3 years. Knowing Jeff Masters and his passion for the Weather Underground format, I do believe this has more to do with The WxChannel leveraging Wunderground.com's treasure trove of data, including personal weather stations. Also, Jeff's Tropical Update blogs and others truly are are high-quality content that will help the general public's (weather.com's audience) understanding of severe storms. Weather Underground was kind enough to point its users to our recently-retired http://www.onestorm.org/ for hurricane planning.