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Scientology Attacker Will Be Sentenced To Jail
OBG writes "A Nebraska native charged with taking part in a massive cyber-attack against the Scientology website will be spending the next year behind bars. 20-year-old Brian Thomas Mettenbrink will plead guilty to the charge of unauthorized access of a protected computer for his involvement in the denial of service attack, which was orchestrated by the online group 'Anonymous.' Mettenbrink's is the second successful prosecution connected to the 'Anonymous' attacks. Last year, Dmitriy Guzner of Verona, New Jersey, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for attacks on Scientology sites."
We are Anonymous Cowards, all your base are belong to us.
scientology videos
So, if you beat up somebody, you'll probably get less jail time than refreshing a website several times using a script?
Scientology Gullibility Test http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IQQE04_TCM
Why do we bother traveling around the world to fight religious extremist terrorists when we can do it right in our own back yard? And then to put people in prison for it... Okay, I suppose Anonymous' activities probably caused some unintended network congestion outside their specific targets, but hey, I'll take "lag" over "DU syndrome".
"Now, at home they'd hang me, here they'll give me a fucking medal, sir."
As the one's who stood up for us all.
The one's we can tell our children about.
The good guys not the bad guys.
They are victims and Scientology is and always will be a cult and more to the point. If Anonymous always needs to hide they're faces it's quite obvious they have reason to be frightened.
Lest we forget the one's who take them on they are our neighbours, our friends maybe even your family.
Keep up the work guys and gals!
The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Take the time to water your own grass and it can be just as green.
inb4 should have been behind over 9000 proxies.
As long as parents have the legal "right" to force their (property) offspring into organized religion, ethical people have the RIGHT to use force to oppose such religions.
The State and Capital depend on religion to keep people focused on social wedge issues so they don't question the fundamental power structures of our society. Poor Americans vote for tax cuts for the rich, ecological policies that will make the world unlivable for future generations, and imperialistic wars, all because the candidates supporting such insanity also pander to "faith" by attacking science and LGBTQ folk. Unfortunately, the most victimized sectors of the working class are also the most exploited by religion. Each generation passes the meme on to the next. We can only end this vicious cycle of enforced irrationality by attacking the source.
No Gods!
No Masters!
------ Take away the right to say fuck and you take away the right to say fuck the government.
I don't know that it's such a stretch to call them terrorists, really.
As I understand it, Scientologists use scare tactics to convince people that they are infected with ancient alien souls which are causing health complaints, and then take advantage of their victims' vulnerable (and gullible?) state to extort money.
That qualifies as terrorism in my book.
he State and Capital ....No Gods!
No Masters
Oh puhlease! If you hate us so much, why shouldn't we oppress you? Besides, if there's no god, there's nothing wrong it. It's just survival of the fittest, and you aren't fit.
This is my sig.
Everyone here on /. knows Scientology is evil. But why did Anonymous do something stupid with a denial of service attack? Now the Scientologists can say Anonymous is a terrorist organization, get rid of all its critics using the PATRIOT act and get some good PR too. The only way Scientology will be defeated is if there is some major internal schism or everyone realizes they're not the nicest religion out there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Island,_Nebraska
As a resident of this town/city, I am delighted to see our community on the front page of Slashdot for something I consider a heroic act. XD
are you aware that the US has never banned a movie, until one was released about Scientology?
In some ways you can think of a person's brain as a computer.
When can we expect Scientology types to go to jail for fucking with peoples' heads?
Equine Mammals Are Considerably Smaller
As I understand it, Scientologists use scare tactics to convince people that they are infected with ancient alien souls which are causing health complaints, and then take advantage of their victims' vulnerable (and gullible?) state to extort money.
That qualifies as terrorism in my book.
Really? Most reasonable people would refer to these practices as "conning", "hustling" or maybe "extortion".
Can we save the moniker terrorism for when people arbitrarily gun down/gas/bomb innocent bystanders please?
And to put things in perspective, Scientologists claim you have an alien inside you causing health problems. Christians claim you're going to burn in the fiery pits of hell for eternity. Creepy cunning cult? Yes. Terruhrists? Nah, not really.
People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
To me its just a bunch of gullible people believing some texts that have little if any supporting evidence (and in many cases evidence against).
So scientology is a crock. You think the abrahamic religions which believe in a magic garden with a talking snake and a man made out of clay and a woman made out of a rib make any more logical sense??
All religion is rubbish , it just depends how many people believe the rubbish which defines whether a particular belief system is classed as a religion or a wacky cult (which ironically all religions started out as).
After all, the catholic church is probably responsible for more misery in africa due to its attitude to contraception than any other single institution.
All religions fuck with gullible and/or insecure peoples heads. How is scientology different?
Somebody else from Grand Island reads Slashdot? XD I admit it's shocking to see our local news repeated here.
I also applaud this guy's actions. L. Ron Hubbard was born in Nebraska, so it's the least we can do for unleashing such insanity upon the world.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Yet again, in the USA the more money buys the "better justice".
And the Co$ has gobs of money.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
By that definition the western religions could be defined as terrorist groups.
"As I understand it, Christians/Muslims/Jews use scare tactics to convince people that they are going to an eternal hellfire if they don't believe in their particular brand of sky dude, and then take advantage of their victims' vulnerable (and gullible?) state to extort money and votes."
All hail our heroes!
So, if I start a cult and force my members to kill people I see as a threat I'm absolved of punishment. But if I make your computer system go haywire for 10 minutes, I'm sentenced to jail time?
Well, [sarcasm]I can see how that's fair![/sarcasm]
You moved your mouse. Please restart Windows for changes to take effect.
I don't agree with Scientology at all, but if you('re stupid enough to) get caught DoS'ing their site you deserve to go to jail.
I wasn't aware that Scientologists were hijacking aircraft, setting off bombs, shooting women and children, launching DDoS attacks, and generally behaving like terrorists.
Best Slashdot Co
I know he has been jailed for committing this federal crime, but that does not mean he is not a political prisoner in a sense, and is very much deserving our support for taking action against Scientology.
He's a hero, and we should herald him as one. Sometimes these things take a little bit of jail time. I have enormous respect for this man and his courage. Sure its crazy, and not ideal, but its admirable.
Last time it happened in XIX century, lasting a bit into the XX.
Nothing good came out of it though, more or less just a fight with the same old methods between one religion/"grand ideology"/whatever and the other.
One that hath name thou can not otter
From the new article he was just one of the masses who downloaded and ran the software.
So how was he caught? Did he stuff besides using the DoS software?
That qualifies as terrorism in my book.
If taking advantage of the gullible is all it takes to make one a terrorist in your eyes then would you mind telling me how I can report my local used car dealer to Homeland Security? I'm thinking Jack Bauer could teach him a thing or two about his sales tactics......
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
Sticks and stones may break my bones but talk don't bother me. Of course doing what Scientology is doing isn't nice but they do not blow up aircrafts and buildings and people on a regular basis.
I'm actually impressed how many of us are brave enough to NOT post a comment to this as Anonymous Coward
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, getting people riled up about your fake cause and them going to prison is "the lulz." And that is what it is all about. Hope you enjoyed the game.
Godwined pretty quick.
Well look at that, they really -are- a bunch of "basement dwelling nerds" after all. And they're going to jail for it.
Is this what the "protestfags" really consider a _threat_ to Scientology? A bunch of poorly coordinated DoS attacks against a couple of websites? "WE ARE LEGION" indeed, a legion of fucking losers who've accomplished nothing work talking about in their lives.
To pre-emptively counter the usual no-worse-than-Catholicism thought-terminating cliche, here is a very fresh anecdote about an OT-VII from a WISE software development house. Dude uncovered a pattern of embezzlement where his boss sent several $200,000 - $250,000 payments to CoS. Boss set dude up with the promise of a check and capped him on his son's birthday. There is a mystery briefcase, too. It may contain Marcellus' soul.
http://forums.whyweprotest.net/15-media/1st-degree-murder-rev-william-rex-fowler-scientology-minister-charged-60161/
Adams Co. business owner thought to be victim now charged in death of former co-worker
The owner of an Adams County software company has been arrested and charged with the murder of his former business partner.
William Rex Fowler was charged with first-degree murder in the Dec. 30 shooting at Fowler Software Design that killed Tommy Ciancio, 42, the Adams County district attorney and sheriff said today in a news release.
(...)
Employees of the software company, which reportedly had suffered financial difficulties since 2008, related in part to the transfer of as much as $200,000 to a church or charity by Fowler, told investigators that Ciancio arrived around 10 a.m. Dec. 30 to collect his check.
(...)
Investigators say the gun was registered to Andrew Hyung Fowler, 26, who lived at 1413 L. Ron Hubbard Way in Los Angeles, when it was purchased. In interviews with police, Andrew Fowler said he gave the gun to his father for Christmas in 2007.
Police also found a briefcase and a typed note, dated Dec. 30 and signed by Fowler, that advised there was nothing confidential in the satchel and that it should be given to his wife, Janet.
When Janet Fowler was interviewed by detectives, she told them she wanted the briefcase returned immediately.
"It is important to me and my church. It is religious material and I want it now," she said to investigators. "Even if you looked at it, and read it, you would not understand anything in it. Because it is way above a normal person and you would not know what it meant. I want it back right now."
Janet Fowler also reportedly told investigators that her husband "is a Scientologist and would not have gone without a fight. He would have grabbed a gun in a struggle and would not have let someone shoot him."
She also told investigators that Ciancio had sent e-mails to Rex Fowler, threatening to hire an attorney and sue over money he said was owed him.
Adams County officials said Fowler is in custody, but would not say where he is being held. He was last at Denver Health Medical Center, but his name no longer appears on patient rosters.
Inmate: What're you in for?
Guy: I beat up millions of people.
[and everyone edges away]
Illegal access to a remote computer system...
Yet, he never actually accessed it.
He sent "requests" which were denied..
It's like knocking on the door to someone's house.
It's a nuisance yes, but not criminal trespass, or breaking and entering, which the law they are using is akin to.
Now, just because the scientology (which isn't a religion, never was - as L. Ron Hubbard stated clearly in earlier revisions of his book before his death) followers aren't smart enough to make their firewalls ignore these packets after a period of time and live through it, isn't part of the case, as apparently, there's no law on the books to cover this, knock on the door and run tactics.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Dear Brian Thomas Mettenbrink, Nebraska, and Dmitriy Guzner of Verona, New Jersey,
Thanks.
Yours Sincerely,
The World
So, if you beat up somebody, you'll probably get less jail time than refreshing a website several times using a script?
In the American federal system:
Crimes of violence are almost always prosecuted at the state and local level.
Crimes that undermine interstate commerce can often only be successfully investigated and prosecuted by the federal government.
"Interstate commerce" to an eighteenth century mind had a much broader meaning than "trade."
It meant all the connecting links that held a society of continental dimensions together.
The federal government simply can't ignore systematic attacks on transportation networks. Communication networks.
That is why the hammer comes down.
This just tells me, and no big surprise here, when trying to harm groups that have huge amounts of money you're perhaps best off doing it in more legal ways. Personally I'd think this sounds petty obvious. I also know if the site that had been hacked was say, linux.org, or wikipedia, or say, your own personal web sites? Then everyone would be calling for the guy's head.
Now CoS is certainly not a good entity on the face of this planet, but breaking laws just to hassle them doesn't do much to prove it. As many above call them terrorists, which is quite possibly accurate. But one can not deal with terrorists with acts of terrorism, even minor ones. As time has shown, that kind of response just simply creates more on the other side.
Here's what it really takes to join:
http://www.oca.scientology.org/perstest.pdf
Some gems...
Do you browse through railway timetables, directories, or dictionaries just for pleasure?
Is your voice monotonous, rather than varied in pitch?
Does an unexpected action cause your muscles to twitch? (note: that be the thetans!!1)
Do you ever get a “dreamlike” feeling toward life when it all seems unreal?
Be a dick.
The world needs dicks.
Don't be an asshole.
If you are a pussy accept that you will occasionally get fucked by a dick.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
(o hai, caps filter)
ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWAH
(idiot got caught)
I've done some analysis of Scientology, and I've come to the opinion that it is indeed a religion. As long as the whole DC10 thing is taken as a metaphor, then the religion has a mythology not terribly unlike plenty of other respected religions.
That being said, Scientology is evil and causes a lot of damage. Big surprise there. Christianity did that in the middle ages, and Islam is doing it now. Religion is often an excuse to harm others. Scientology is only different in that they make more aggressive use of the court system to bury people who criticize them. Their intolerance of criticism is also not unique among religions.
All that being said, attacks against scientology may need to remain anonymous, but they should also remain LEGAL and ETHICAL. By breaking into the scientology computer system, this guy committed a CRIME and should be punished for it.
Ah, but the "victim" is evil. Does that make it okay? Well, tell me, is it okay for a vigilante to go around killing pedophiles? No. Pedophiles who molest people are sick, sick people. And if you believe in capital punishment, perhaps some of them should be sentenced to death for their crimes. But that isn't the individual's decision to make. A JURY should make that decision. The individual, however, is certainly free to FIND pedophiles and report illegal behavior to the police, community organizations, etc. This is how scientology should be treated -- they should be investigated like criminals and prosecuted by the courts.
Remember, it's possible that YOU might some day be accused of a crime. If you're innocent, then you want the system to work in your favor so that you are found not guilty. However, the risk to being cautious like this is that some guilty people will be treated with too much respect and may not be found guilty of their crimes. What's better, guilty people free, or innocent people in jail?
I had positive feelings about Anonymous at the beginning. Scientologists deserve to be intimidated. They intimidate everyone else! But I fear that Anonymous are turning out to be a bunch of disorganized quacks with questionable ethics.
I keep seeing this on the internet. Some anti-X group forms, trying to make themselves out to be fighting for the truth. But anti-X just turned out to be a vocal minority of a bunch of paranoid lunatics. It doesn't matter if X is good or bad. If you do bad things to try to TRICK everyone into thinking X is bad (because for some reason, the truth isn't enough?) then you're worse than what you're fighting against.
I'm either being modded down for my continued attack on scientology or someone's perception that I am homophobic. The former would be ridiculous from any vantage point. The latter is even more ridiculous, but I don't really need to spend a lot of time talking about my sordid past. Suffice to say that I used to live in a party house in Santa Cruz, California. If you're modding me down for homophobia, you're not only stupid, but you're doing yourself a great disservice.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
It's not how many you , it's who you .
Being the Borg is useless and pointless unless you have some actual power. Anonymous by number is not a power but to the power to limit to what an Anonymous might do. Case in point. If Anonymous is going to use cyber-tatics in its cause to bring light to the evil of the COS, then that is a futile attempt as it does nothing to the COS in ways of loss to its power, which is not limited to wealth. Look at the ultimate goal, say Anonymous wanted to use cyber-tatics and in the very best outcome they get, is the COS websites are down, forever. Does that cause, the "the best cause outcome" gained from cyber-tatics remove or limit the total power of the COS, maybe by a small percentage, maybe not even that. You still have the vocal word, the printed word and the money, connections and estabished footings to contend with.
At the end of the day, there is nothin Anonymous could do using cyber-tatics that could harm the actual total power that the COS has and even in doing so, you could ultimately help increase that power by those actions. Anonymous would have to move to another tatic, one that could actually disrupt the power in a way to bring about change, failure or total collaspe of the COS.
Numbers alone do no help. It is best to break a brick wall with 1 large boulder then 10 trillion grains of sand.
I am sure he will be joined by all the spooks that did the illegal entries in the US over the last 9 years or so...
so two Anon were caught, and the other 6,000+ people (many with >30k botnets) collaborating on irc.partyvan.org back in the day went free. it seems that, on this metric, the internet raids were a resounding success.