Ten of the Stranger Words on the Homeland Security Watch List

By Jeff Balke Tue., May 29 2012 at 4:00 PM

The Internet is buzzing today over the story from the UK Daily Mail revealing a long list of words that the Department of Homeland Security monitors on social media and online media for signs of terrorist activity. As you might expect, the list contains words that are not surprising -- bomb, hostage, anthrax -- and some that might be. It has led to speculation among nerds that the government is clearly watching just about everyone.

Who is surprised by this? Raise your hand. If you raised it, we would like to offer you a way to make a million dollars through a West African prince. Seriously!

When perusing the list, there were a number that caught my attention, but here are the ten I found to be the most odd.

10. Cloud

Next time you think to post about a shape you saw in the clouds or, God help you, a photo of said clouds, think twice, buster.

9. Wave

One can only assume they mean some sort of tsunami and not the horrible, now defunct Google Wave, because that would be truly scary.

8. San Diego

I get that it is right across the border from drug cartels, but it's funny to think of a city as relatively harmless-seeming as San Diego on a terrorist word watch list. It's like claiming Madison, Wisconsin, is a danger.

7. Canceled

Guess my angry rant about the cancellation of Alcatraz got me the evil eye recently.

6. Plot

The only plot I see most people posting about on Facebook is the kind that is preceded by "SPOILER ALERT!"

Tags:

Homeland Security, Terrorism, Word Nerd

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Bluewolfy

yesterday i had a "suspicious package" left in my toilet after i dropped a "dirty bomb"...

Bell

Suddenly I realize, we are not witnessing the end of the world or civilization or empire or anything. All we are witnessing is the end of information having any meaning. It's like when you spit off of a high roof-top. I'm just watching the whole wad of information disappearing into the abyss and disintegrate onto the pavement below. I suppose next we will see news casters start speaking in tongues as the framework continues to be eaten by the quantum reality.

Fandangus

I submit to you and your teachings.

RPaul

Comparing San Diego to Madison, WI?

The good people of Madison would shudder, sensing their superiority in all things cultural and scientific!

Prof Topkat

Janet Napolitano’s bureaucracy has gone berserk. DHS employees not only pat down little oldladies and small children at airport security checkpoints, but they’re alsomonitoring the internet for hundreds of ‘trigger words’ that could get you puton the DHS terrorism watch list if you use any of them on Facebook, Twitter oron blogs like mine.

I’m not into social networking, so I don’t participate inFacebook or Twitter, but I use many of those trigger words every day on myblog. Now that I may be on the DHSterrorism watch list, don’t you feel much safer?