How to Read an FBI File by Phil Lapsley, author of The History of Phone Phreaking: “Maybe you found an FBI file on the web, maybe you got it through a web site like Get Grandpa’s FBI File or Get My FBI File, maybe you found it at the National Archives, or maybe it was up in the attic in great-aunt Mildred’s possessions. If you’re like most people, after you read it you probably had a bunch of questions. FBI files are filled with jargon, abbreviations, file numbers, codes, blacked out chunks of text, and odd little codes in the margin. Very puzzling! If you’re serious about trying to understand the stuff in that file, this document is for you. Its goal is to help you understand the contents of your FBI file. (For convenience, let’s say “your file” even though the file may be about someone else.” [Michael Ravnitzky]