Matt R matt_crypto@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
Nah, my suspicion is that 99% of classified information would not directly place people in harm's way if released to the public. What it might do is cause the country concerned varying degrees of disadvantage and embarassment (economically, politically, diplomatically etc).
Note close refutation under "purpose":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_information
It's not about expressions of suspicion by random, unvetted members of the general public. It's about what professionals have determined will be a likely outcome of the enemy's acquisition of the data.
In some cases, as I said, there are politicized examples of overclassified data, but the security bureaucracy is tasked with ensuring that this is minimized. I'm all for making sure that information that should be free is free. I'm totally against making sure that information that should be secret is published.
Whether the standards are different in different countries isn't relevant.
Someone might die if Wikipedia has such info online. And at least two people have continued arguing as though Wikipedia policy should be to err on the side of plodding deliberation instead of quick prophylaxis.
I repeat my assertion that this is sad and scary.
--Blair