[linux-elitists] wanted: open source terrorist watchlist software?

[D. Joe Anderson]

 Both Hutchins and Sheridan said the activists' names were
 entered into the state police database as terrorists partly
 because the software offered limited options for classifying
 entries.

 Md. Police Put Activists' Names On Terror Lists -

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100703245_2.html

I have to say I'm a bit conflicted in my opinion about this.  On
the one hand, I don't think police departments have any business
keeping dossiers on folks lawfully going about their
civic-minded business.

On the other hand, it would suck a whole lot less if watchlist
software could be easily modified to include a category
something like "hippies we find mostly harmless, but that we
like to keep an eye on in case someone truly dangerous decides
to join them or one of them goes around the bend".  After all,
why should the cops miss out on all the social software fun?

("open source" fits--we can't really call *this* "free" can we?)

-- 
Joe