You’ve probably heard that the Alaskan government decided to release Sarah Palin’s emails from her stint as governor. What you might not know is that they released all 24,199 emails exclusively in 113kg bundles of ink and pulp.
Each packet of 24,199 emails required six boxes worth of paper weighing 113kg. No word on how many media organisations ended up sending representatives to up their bundle, but the number might be smaller than one would expect for such a big scoop: Alaska’s capital Juneau is the only place to obtain the emails, and it’s accessible only by boat or aeroplane.
Has no one in the entire government of Alaska heard of Mediafire? Or Dropbox? Or even P2P? The SF Gate reports: “The state said it was not practical to provide electronic versions of the emails.” That might make some small amount of sense, if the government had originally obtained the emails as skyscrapers of paper. But Sarah Palin gave them the emails on a CD. They couldn’t have just made copies and mailed them?
It’s as if they’re purposefully harming the environment, but stopped short of using condor beaks to etch it into wild panda bear hides. [SF Gate]Image courtesy of Manufacturer.com