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I don't know the details of this IRS data loss, but data can be recovered from a hard disk only up to a point.
First, operating systems don't overwrite immediately: that's why you have a "Recycle bin" that can recover data. Only when the space is really needed, is the actual data overwritten.
At worse, the magnetic media can be scanned by specialist equipment which can retrieve a number of dataasets, because of hysteresis in magnetic fields themselves - it isn't a simple "0/1", but a magnetic "shape" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_hysteresis[^]
The previous data influences the actual magnetism applied to the disk to write the "new" data - which is why a secure disk wipe requires a number of pattern writes in order to ensure that the data is destroyed.
And that means that under "normal circumstances" the last couple of disk data sets can be read back and regenerated even if they have been deleted and overwritten. (It's also why I am in the habit of physically destroying magnetic media which has held secure information)
So...if the hard drive can be located, the emails can probably be retrieved, even after a disk crash.
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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I know - I've hand-wired one of them before. If you want a fiddly, tedious, and annoying job I heartily recommend it. Fun when you see it working though!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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University.
So neither, and both! 
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Plus you had to extrapolate the results.
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If the hard drive crash were in the last year or two, I'd expect that the data could be recovered. Since this is going back a few years, the possibility is less and less.
IF the hard drive was available now, it could possibly be recovered; did the IRS have the presence of mind to save it or did they chuck it?
IF the e-mail server was considered critical in regards to saving 7 years worth of data (federal law) and IF the IRS had the presence of mind to realize that and back the data up, then it may be possible to recover the e-mails. The question then is: do they back up ALL e-mail from ALL employees, contractors, vendors for 7 years?
IF the IRS had adequate procedures in place to do all of these things, were procedures followed?
Simply declaring something to be law does not ensure it is being followed.
In terms of calling the IT director (or whatever his title is) to testify, who has a CIO/CTO/Whatever in that position that is technically savvy enough to answer those quesitons?
Unless Congress is going to provide immunity to the low level employees that ACTUALLY do the work, they will never get a true understanding of the practices and policies actually followed.
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The article says they only kept tape backups on the mail server for 6 months, and that after it crashed the drive was recycled.
In 2010, for a slow moving bureaucratic organization, I'd expect very small server side mailboxes with users required to store most old mail locally. If they didn't setup a way to back the local mailbox file to a file server as the system default I'd be shocked if more than 1 or 2% of people outside the IT dept would have one set up (that 1 or 2% being the people who were burned by disk crashes in the past).
Being told "you're not important enough to spend $Big Buck$ on a high end data recovery service when local IT failed doesn't surprise me in the least either.
The paranoid will of course conclude she deliberately didn't back her mail up and dropped her laptop hard enough to break the drive to destroy it. Most of the rest of us will roll our eyes at their foil beanies. 
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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Surely they only have to ask the NSA for a copy of the emails.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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...to say myself when they really mean to use me or I?
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Airline cabin crew and announcers on trains seem to do the same thing pretty consistently.
"If you have any questions, please come and talk to myself." 
"Myself" is for people who don't know whether to say "me" or "I", and aren't satisfied with only being wrong 50% of the time.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Richard Deeming wrote: "Myself" is for people who don't know whether to say "me" or "I", and aren't satisfied with only being wrong 50% of the time.
Spot on. It just gets on my tits whenever I hear it. Always those dopey Gen Y bastards who are always talking about their four-head and spending a four-choooon.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Michael Martin wrote: It just gets on my tits
Man boobs? 
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Richard Deeming wrote: "If you have any questions, please come and talk to myself."
People in America talk like that? I've never heard that. 
I do talk to myself but I wouldn't tell someone else to come talk to myself. That is ridiculous.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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I don't know about America, but I seem to hear it every time I'm on a plane, every time I'm on the Eurostar, and frequently on UK train announcements.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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I've never heard anyone in America do that except by mistake. Could be due to extended exposure to bad elements from overseas
"Seize the day" - Horace
"It's not what he doesn't know that scares me; it's what he knows for sure that just ain't so!" - Will Rogers, said by him about Herbert Hoover
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The words myself, yourself etc are reflective pronouns. So "I saw me on tv" would be utter tosh as the person is the same so we use the reflexive form "I saw myself on tv".
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Nagy Vilmos wrote: The words myself, yourself etc are reflective pronouns. So "I saw me on tv" would be utter tosh as the person is the same so we use the reflexive form "I saw myself on tv".
So you speak fluent twat. You would say 'I was on TV' or 'Did you see me on TV?'. How do you explain the use below from a post several pages down I read an hour or so ago?
...and to compete with bigger companies have needed to react faster and produce better stuff, so its myself who decides this to launch products quickly...
'So it's me who decides' or 'I decide'.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Who can you see in the mirror? I can see myself.
I need a bottle of gin for myself.
Would you like some run for yourself?
etc, etc, etc.
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....then again, the educational system has been getting crappier for years...
"Seize the day" - Horace
"It's not what he doesn't know that scares me; it's what he knows for sure that just ain't so!" - Will Rogers, said by him about Herbert Hoover
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There are times when "myself" / "yourself" is the correct word. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't seem to know when that is. 
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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The correct time is when object and subject match.
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Quote: Merkan
You're going to give grammar lessons? 
Do you have any examples. If so, can you share them with myself? 
I've never heard Americans talk the way you are suggesting.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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And? 
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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