Browsing HN, is that spying? Or just trying to find out what people are saying/doing in public? Framed another way, surveying the web could even be labeled "democratic".

My question would be: is the value provided worth the cost to the taxpayer?

Part of it is profiling, data gathering, and part of it if you happen to mention something that is not-supposed-to-be-mentioned, you will be targeted by private comms, job offers, etc. to collect further info.

Edit: for example, US military is buying locations data from a Muslim prayer app (1). You can assume also same happens for other apps by other 3 letters agencies, like dating apps, social media (including HN), and others. No action needs to be taken, just data gathering for whenever it’s needed.

(1) https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-location-data-mu...

Like those guys trying to discredit RSA encryption, whilst endorsing the new shiny EC curves (with potential backdoors).

Exactly

All of that is false and a bit silly except that we log IP addresses the way any website does.

You’re lying. I know people you’ve emailed at their real contact. I also know people blacklisted by YC. Of course you would lie, you’re the foot soldier for the ultra right-wing owners of this site. All one needs to do is look at Paul Graham’s twitter to know that all of you are lying scumbags.

He’s filthy with kompromat and fully under control of the US gov since he’s rightfully worried about the truth coming out.

You do realize HN is a publicly accessible forum?

And all it takes is some efforts to crossover that with private non-public information, that’s what OSINT is about anyway, and for that reason you (either you or other HN users) don’t choose to have their full name as the user name, or writing their full email, or anything that can be used by even private investigators to reach you let alone 3 letters agencies.

Edit: To add, the guy who created Silk Road got caught by the FBI only from a gmail email posted on public forum (1)

>In the section of the indictment outlining how the link between Ulbricht and Dread Pirate Roberts was established, Tarbell detailed how an FBI expert codenamed Agent-1 had located an early online mention of Silk Road dating to January 27, 2011, when a user under the handle “Altoid” made a post on a forum for users of magic mushrooms.

>“I came across this website called Silk Road,” wrote Altoid, in a post which linked to the site. “I’m thinking of buying off it… Let me know what you think.”

>Two days later, someone using the handle “Altoid” made a similar post on a forum called Bitcoin Talk, recommending Silk Road and providing a link. “Has anyone seen Silk Road yet? It’s kind of like an anonymous Amazon.com. I don’t think they have heroin on there, but they are selling other stuff,” it read.

(1) https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/04/world/americas/silk-road-ross...

Keep in mind, there is what can be proven in court and there is what they know but have to backtrack actual evidence for.