[gkoberger]

I don't think Slate is trying to crucify Edward Snowden. I think it was more "If a high school dropout with basic computer skills can win this contract, imagine what a talented hacker with malicious intentions could do", and just happened to attack Snowden a bit too much.

[obstacle1]

Even Slate admits, though, that they have no idea what level his computer skills are at or how good a fit he was for the job:

>Yes, he could be a computing savant anyway—many well-known techies dropped out of school

They're basically bemoaning his lack of official credentials.

[arthulia]

I think the real thing to take home here is that they trusted him and he broke that trust. Who else are they trusting that they shouldn't be?

[frankacter]

I though the real issue was that we trusted the American government and they broke that trust?

[gkoberger]

On the contrary, I think that's their point ("we don't know!").

[eightyone]

Which is rather humorous considering how articulate he was in the video of him being interviewed by Glenn Greenwald. You can tell immediately he's not your stereotypical drop out.