Joho the Blog
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Hoder's report of the incident begs the question, is Google research by US Customs and Border agents in the field a standard operating procedure? If so, how do the individual agents vet their search results? If not,...

Semantics, vernacular, jargon... Me, oh my!

Disturbing implications, indeed.

I've long wondered when this would happen .. and I have often wondered whether my scores of posts critical of Bush, the US administration, etc. might keep me from entering the US.

I suppose I could always argue with the immigration officer to run another Google query that finds a post that outlines some of the things I have written that says I like many Americans, or certain American cities, etc.

I doubt that it would work ...

Why amazed? The Border Service and the Transportation Safety Agency have been routinely googling people for several years now. I was enroute, returning from a conference in Seattle a couple of years ago, and had to switch planes in Cleveland for my return to Toronto. After I returned, I had cause to check the referrer logs on my blog, and found that someone from usdoj.gov had googled me, and found their way to my blog while I was sitting in the transit lounge in Cleveland. Coincidence? I think not. My suitcase also had acquired the “calling card” of the TSA inspectors.

So, to the agent from the U.S. Border Service who is reading this right now, having googled me while I make application to enter your country, good morning/afternoon/evening. I live and work in Toronto, Canada. I am a lecturer and researcher at the University of Toronto, primarily attached to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. I am attending a conference/visiting a friend/going on vacation/attending a renaissance faire for the weekend/none of the above (specify). While I do not agree with many of the policies of the Bush Administration, I do believe in the democratic process, the upholding of constitutional rights and freedoms, and the rule of law, as the foundational cornerstones of a great nation. And would it really hurt you to smile as you do your job?