David Brown

Earlier posting on this group indicates that some people are typing in
numbers that are close to their own and looking at the data in order to
estimate their own processing time.

I propose this is an illegal activity and is detrimental to the group in
general. Obtaining information from a secure government server is probably
a violation of the other persons privacy and intrusion into a secure
government system.

I would hate to see this activity result in a delay for all of us because
they had to do 'one more security check' right on their own systems. Since
you logged in securely, your presence is known. (I verified this, asking our
IT manager where I work at SSA.gov) Could abuse jeopardize all of us?

I have no patience for anyone who jeopardizes MY application. Therefore I'm
asking these people not to jeopardize all of us and check only your own
information....please? Thanks!

Radu G. Sofronici

David,

We are not "logged in securely" and the information we get contains no
private or personal information. The only thing that shows is if a specific
number combination has been approved, denied or not processed yet.
It is no worse than putting in different ZIP codes on weather.com to
check local weather for different parts of the country.

Radu G. Sofronici

"David Brown" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Earlier posting on this group indicates that some people are typing in
    > numbers that are close to their own and looking at the data in order to
    > estimate their own processing time.
    > I propose this is an illegal activity and is detrimental to the group in
    > general. Obtaining information from a secure government server is
probably
    > a violation of the other persons privacy and intrusion into a secure
    > government system.
    > I would hate to see this activity result in a delay for all of us because
    > they had to do 'one more security check' right on their own systems.
Since
    > you logged in securely, your presence is known. (I verified this, asking
our
    > IT manager where I work at SSA.gov) Could abuse jeopardize all of us?
    > I have no patience for anyone who jeopardizes MY application. Therefore
I'm
    > asking these people not to jeopardize all of us and check only your own
    > information....please? Thanks!

Scout

It is an unsecured site. I have accidently logged in a wrong number before. If the government wanted a secure site then they should have required a password such as a mother's maiden name, etc after you enter your receipt number. Exactly what law is this a violation of pray tell?

Cheers,

Leslie

sal_whit

Plus it is not only you that logs onto the site,Don't your Fiance or wife check the status as well??????
There fore you are having two different people check the site antway!!! Just a thought!!!

Sal

thing1

*puts wrists together in surrender*

Okay, I surrender. Come arrest me and take me away. I confess, I was a very bad Thing and I looked at other numbers before and after my own...hundreds of different case numbers I...er...we looked at.

Um, I think I heard tale that an aid at a congressman's office typed in the couple's number into the INS case status check online. Wonder if they will get 20-Life for checking a number that was not their own.

We know you mean well, David, and you just don't want the process slowed down by any extra little thing so are being overly cautious. It's all good though. Try some deep breathing exercises...chant "ohm"....go see a few comedies. this whole process can make us pretty uptight and intense sometimes and it can be a good thing to unwind a bit.

Ron

Do we want to risk the INS/US Gov't stupidity and paranoia on this. I have
no idea what the risk, if any, would be, but I damned sure don't want
anymore glitches in the application process.


"Scout" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > It is an unsecured site. I have accidently logged in a wrong number
    > before. If the government wanted a secure site then they should have
    > required a password such as a mother's maiden name, etc after you enter
    > your receipt number. Exactly what law is this a violation of pray tell?
    > Cheers,
    > Leslie
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

claudia13839

Also....I am sure lawyers check the status of their clients online...which would mean checking the status of various receipt numbers.

~Claudia

Troy

Do people actually think before they write?

Chinga La Migra

On 19/2/03 8:44 AM, in article
[email protected], "David Brown"
wrote:

    > Earlier posting on this group indicates that some people are typing in
    > numbers that are close to their own and looking at the data in order to
    > estimate their own processing time.
    >
    > I propose this is an illegal activity and is detrimental to the group in
    > general. Obtaining information from a secure government server is probably
    > a violation of the other persons privacy and intrusion into a secure
    > government system.

Thanks for your proposal. I propose that one could make a mistake of fact
which is a legal defence in such an instance (e.g., "I accidentally typed in
a wrong number"). It is not a violation of privacy because no personal
information is available.

    > I would hate to see this activity result in a delay for all of us because
    > they had to do 'one more security check' right on their own systems. Since
    > you logged in securely, your presence is known. (I verified this, asking our
    > IT manager where I work at SSA.gov) Could abuse jeopardize all of us?

A security check into their database would not be handled by a person
processing petitions in any event. Your presence would not be known if you
erased cookies, shut down application and even restarted prior to each log
in.

    > I have no patience for anyone who jeopardizes MY application. Therefore I'm
    > asking these people not to jeopardize all of us and check only your own
    > information....please? Thanks!
    >
Did you ever notice the button at the bottom of the page that shows your
case status info.? It says "NEW SEARCH." Don't be such a self-centered
whiner ("MY application is the only one that matters").

Chinga La Migra

On 19/2/03 11:00 AM, in article [email protected],
"thing1" wrote:

    >
    > *puts wrists together in surrender*
    >
    > Okay, I surrender. Come arrest me and take me away. I confess, I was
    > a very bad Thing and I looked at other numbers before and after my
    > own...hundreds of different case numbers I...er...we looked at.
    >
    > Um, I think I heard tale that an aid at a congressman's office typed in
    > the couple's number into the INS case status check online. Wonder if
    > they will get 20-Life for checking a number that was not their
    > own.
    >
    > We know you mean well, David, and you just don't want the process slowed
    > down by any extra little thing so are being overly cautious. It's all
    > good though. Try some deep breathing exercises...chant "ohm"....go see
    > a few comedies. this whole process can make us pretty uptight and
    > intense sometimes and it can be a good thing to unwind a bit.
    >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com
    >
Yeah, get a life David (and I don't mean a life sentence)!

Scout

Ron..................Bush and Big brother have made you way too paranoid.

Cheers,

Leslie

BritAmerica

double, triple...rolling on the floor lol! Troy, you made my day!...I am in total agreement. :-)

Mrtravel

David Brown wrote:
    >
    > Earlier posting on this group indicates that some people are typing in
    > numbers that are close to their own and looking at the data in order to
    > estimate their own processing time.

I think this processing time information is also freely available under
the Freedom of Information Act.
The personal information isn't available, but the dates of application
and approval would be. This would be like checking a list to see where
in the list your draft number is.

Chinga La Migra

Mate, are you so 'scared' of the big bad INS that you cannot even try to see
how your application is going?

I think it is reasonable to check up on them, remember they're giving out
visas to dead people (and infamous hi-jacker terrorists at that)!

No wonder the INS does what it wants, its clients are too afraid to even
seek accountability...

Mark F

I agree with the rest of the posts. Relax.... your petition is not
compromised if someone happens to punch in your number on that site.

"David Brown" wrote in message news:...
    > Earlier posting on this group indicates that some people are typing in
    > numbers that are close to their own and looking at the data in order to
    > estimate their own processing time.
    >
    > I propose this is an illegal activity and is detrimental to the group in
    > general. Obtaining information from a secure government server is probably
    > a violation of the other persons privacy and intrusion into a secure
    > government system.
    >
    > I would hate to see this activity result in a delay for all of us because
    > they had to do 'one more security check' right on their own systems. Since
    > you logged in securely, your presence is known. (I verified this, asking our
    > IT manager where I work at SSA.gov) Could abuse jeopardize all of us?
    >
    > I have no patience for anyone who jeopardizes MY application. Therefore I'm
    > asking these people not to jeopardize all of us and check only your own
    > information....please? Thanks!