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McAfee Was Not Captured

netbuzz writes "As rumors and news reports of John McAfee's alleged capture circulated widely yesterday – fueled by McAfee's own blog and blogging cohorts – police and other authorities in Belize denied that they had the man in custody and, well, they should have been believed. McAfee surfaced earlier this morning and had this to say in a blog post: 'We are not in Belize, but not quite out of the woods yet.' He also painted a picture of his 'escape' that could have been taken from a bad spy novel."

35 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Ah, this was to be expected, folks. by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Funny

    Another false positive.

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    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    1. Re:Ah, this was to be expected, folks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      They're scanning for him as we speak... heuristically.

    2. Re:Ah, this was to be expected, folks. by icebike · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And he's running because......?

      Belize is not your average tin-horn central american dictatorship. Where ever the British went they tended to leave behind good government. Why won't he just walk in and answer the questions? Nothing makes you look quite as guilty as acting guilty.

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      Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
  2. The chase by Synerg1y · · Score: 3

    They sure are pursuing him hard for a simple questioning, made ever so hilarious by him posting updates on his blog. I can't wait to hear what "really" happened.

    Then again chances are he really did shoot him over the dogs business, people have killed people for a lot less, and with Mcafee's rich white man ego in a country not known for it's 1st worldness... I can see him doing it.

    1. Re:The chase by Synerg1y · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Now now, you've got to remember this is Belize, not the states, if somebody high up enough says your guilty, the facts don't matter. My thought however is that if he was truly innocent, he has international press coverage, so they can't just put a black bag over his head, I guess they could plant evidence and fabricate details, but still if he was "innocent" the coverage should provide him the lifeline he needs to acquit himself over there.

      If it was me... I'd just leave & go live somewhere else, it's not like he can't afford another mansion / drug lab or anything. He might fit in better in E. Europe anyways.

    2. Re:The chase by pdabbadabba · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Now now, you've got to remember this is Belize, not the states, if somebody high up enough says your guilty, the facts don't matter.

      I can't help but ask: when you wrote this, did you actually know anything about Belize to support your sweeping (and somewhat offensive, if it's just based on stereotypes) conclusion?

    3. Re:The chase by ceoyoyo · · Score: 2

      When your neighbour dies, you're wanted for questioning and you run, trying to skip the country, most police forces will pursue you pretty hard.

    4. Re:The chase by Hatta · · Score: 2

      Now now, you've got to remember this is Belize, not the states, if somebody high up enough says your guilty, the facts don't matter.

      Actually, it's that way in the states too. Whether it's Guantanamo bay, drone strikes, or a marine corps brig, innocent until proven guilty went out the window a long time ago. Other concepts, such as proportional justice are similarly missing from the modern United States.

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    5. Re:The chase by Paracelcus · · Score: 2

      You wrote & I quote, " this is Belize, not the states, if somebody high up enough says your guilty, the facts don't matter".
      And I scream in response, ARE YOU KIDDING!
      Did you forget the NDAA, the Patriot Act, secret grand juries, Guantanamo Bay, targeted assassinations, suspended Habeas Corpus, etc?

      --
      I killed da wabbit -Elmer Fudd
    6. Re:The chase by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      When your neighbour dies, you're wanted for questioning and you run, trying to skip the country, most police forces will pursue you pretty hard.

      Also doesn't help when you're known about the community as a paranoid who has a bunch of guns and known ex-criminals for bodyguards.

    7. Re:The chase by qwe4rty · · Score: 2

      Perhaps I'm being overly pedantic, but how is what he said racist? It's a comment about government in a particular country, I fail to see how racism comes into it. Apologies for zeroing in on this, but I really dislike the "racism" card as it is thrown around in arguments these days.

    8. Re:The chase by jrumney · · Score: 2

      Well, when the poster refers to "the entirety of Central America"

      And here I was thinking he was just so bad at geography he thought Belize was a province of Canada.

  3. Link to actual blog by magic+maverick+ · · Score: 5, Informative

    What a great article. No indication of what the actual blog address is except in an image.

    The fella's website is http://www.whoismcafee.com/

    Here we can find http://www.whoismcafee.com/i-am-safe/

    My “double”, carrying on a North Korean passport under my name, was in fact detained in Mexico for pre-planned misbehavior, but due to indifference on the part of authorities was evicted from the jail and was unable to serve his intended purpose in our exit plan. He is now safely out of Mexico.

    Frankly, I don't know why anyone would link to Network World when they don't link to their sources.

    Anyway I just wanted to say that. I don't actually care about the story.

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    HELP MY ACCOUNT HAS BEEN HACKED BY AN ILLIBERAL ART STUDENT SET TO DESTROY THE INTERWEBZ!
    1. Re:Link to actual blog by TheCarp · · Score: 3, Funny

      > Anyway I just wanted to say that. I don't actually care about the story.

      Care about? No..... me neither, but, it sure is amusing to watch it unfold.

      I particularly like this last bit about the Koran double not being able to stay in jail due to Mexican indifference. That could be a story in and of itself. I want to hear the Koran "double"s story, I bet it is at least fun.

      I mean can you imagine.... being in Mexico with the intention of going to jail, and then finding out you ca't do anything that they care enough about to actually keep you? ROTFL what did he do? Kill someone? :)

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
  4. Re:Sorry, but... by vlm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Tradition, see coverage of Reiser

    --
    "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
  5. Bond or clowns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I suspect he has the Bond theme in his head while we all have March of the Clowns in ours.

  6. Re:Sorry, but... by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 4, Funny

    Damn, dude! This is as close as a geek's going to get to James Bond-esque international intrigue. I'm picturing him running through the jungle from 5-star hotel to 5-star hotel with a bad super model/actress in tow.

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    I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  7. Just pay the bribe and move on by vlm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    He moved to a corrupt 3rd world banana republic with no rule of law, and failed to pay a bribe a couple months ago so they roughed him up, shot his dog for fun, trashed his place, what did he expect if he didn't pay his bribe in a country that's corrupt? So that's the background.

    So he still doesn't pay up, and next petty theft gone bad where there's a body, of course he's gonna be suspect numero uno as punishment for not paying up. His only hope of avoiding that was someone else getting higher on the list. Duh! I'm sure as soon as he pays up, they'll be a sudden confession from whoever actually did it, or it'll turn out they don't need him for questioning after all, etc etc, and he'll be all good until the next guy wants a bribe that he wont pay.

    Its kind of like moving to Canada even though you don't like shoveling snow and then not shoveling snow just for the principle of it as if that will make the problem go away... dude just leave or pay up, the people in charge aren't going to give any other options.

    You know the deal where the Mexican policeman pulls you over for made up BS until you slip him some cash? Same deal just a little bigger scale. The solution is not to drive in Mexico. Worked pretty well for me when I visited (great scuba diving BTW and liked the food too)

    I don't understand why rich tech guy doesn't:
    1) already know these rules of the road
    2) just buy a boat like all other rich tech guys to sail away from the corruption

    --
    "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    1. Re:Just pay the bribe and move on by Beardo+the+Bearded · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You know the deal where the Mexican policeman pulls you over for made up BS until you slip him some cash? Same deal just a little bigger scale. The solution is not to drive in Mexico. Worked pretty well for me when I visited (great scuba diving BTW and liked the food too)

      The correct answer is "Oh, sorry, simple mistake. Can I just pay the fine right now? I don't need a receipt."

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      ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
    2. Re:Just pay the bribe and move on by tysonedwards · · Score: 5, Funny

      2) just buy a boat like all other rich tech guys to sail away from the corruption

      Considering all his time as an executive within the software industry, he is probably fearful of piracy.

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      Thirty four characters live here.
    3. Re:Just pay the bribe and move on by evilviper · · Score: 4, Insightful

      He moved to a corrupt 3rd world banana republic with no rule of law, and failed to pay a bribe a couple months ago

      Believe it or not, people do actually commit crimes in corrupt, 3rd world countries, too... It's not always a frame-up. Sure, it could be... or he could be just as guilty as Hans Reiser, and just getting the benefit of every geek's doubt.

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    4. Re:Just pay the bribe and move on by Kergan · · Score: 2

      I disagree with the implication that the solution to rampant corruption is to pay up or go somewhere else.

      Actually, that implication is precisely right, bar the occasional official who wants your ass in addition to the money for not paying up immediately -- so as to make an example for those who might do the same.

      Just across the Rio Grande, there are several countries where corruption is rampant. Open a restaurant in any of them and see for yourself if you don't take my word for it: If you don't pay up to whoever asks you to when you start to see any level of success (which could be the police, the taxman, the hygiene inspector, the alcohol license inspector, the local mafia, you name it), you're basically foocked. You'll end up with incessant inspections by patrols, inspectors, Molotov cocktails, "warning" shots, etc.

      On paper you're right -- never negotiate with criminals. In practice, however, you are dead wrong unless you can back that statement with the police or the military, because whoever is racketeering you has infinitely more resources than you do, and/or little to nothing to lose.

    5. Re:Just pay the bribe and move on by jrumney · · Score: 2

      On another occasion a taxi driver (I don't have a license to drive a car, never bothered to get one) was stopped and had to pay a fine. On that case I was quite sure it was a fine, even though the taxi driver made it sound like corruption.

      If he paid on the spot, it was corruption. Getting a fine means you get a ticket which you pay at a police station sometime later or go to court over. If you give money directly to the cop who stopped you, then its going into his pocket. Usually by giving a bribe directly to the cop, you are either getting a discount on what the real fine would have been, or avoiding some other consequence, like losing your license to operate a taxi. So its win win for you and the cop, but the state loses out, both financially and in the general population's respect for authority.

  8. Re:Sorry, but... by Beardo+the+Bearded · · Score: 4, Funny

    Still the only file system that murders your wife.

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    ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
  9. Re:Sorry, but... by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 4, Informative

    Because he is the geek equivalent to Charlie Sheen;
    batshit crazy, totally fried on drugs, paranoid, goes of on ranting tirades, has no concept of reality, funny as hell to watch from a distance, and explains why the anti-virus we all hate is so crappy and validates our belief that he is brain-dead that we long ago derived from said anti-virus

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    ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
  10. Re:Sorry, but... by Elbereth · · Score: 2

    I think there are two divergent groups following it. The first are hipsters who love celebrity gossip, but would never admit it. They love it, because it's celebrity gossip that's socially acceptable for college-educated, professional males. The second group are postmodernists, who can't believe how surreal the whole thing is. There is, of course, some cross-over.

    Myself, I'm interested in the postmodern aspects of the story. I think it could work very well as some kind of postmodern novel or film.

  11. McAfee Timeline by sparkydevil · · Score: 4, Informative

    I made this handy timeline so you can follow events: http://wecheck.org/wiki/John_McAfee

  12. Re:Viroses are good for health. by dyingtolive · · Score: 2

    McAfee, is that you? They're looking for you dude, you should probably get out of here.

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  13. Re:Sorry, but... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is slashdot, you youngsters are funny coming here and expecting people to have actually read anything.

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    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  14. Re:Sorry, but... by dyingtolive · · Score: 3, Funny

    I picture the ghosts of Phillip K. Dick and Hunter S. Thompson co-writing it.

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    Support the EFF and Creative Commons. The war is coming, and they're supporting you...
  15. Re:Sorry, but... by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe Ford could sponsor a White Bronco for mister "looking for the real killer" to slowly drive around Belize.

  16. Re:He's like a paranoid schizophrenic meth superhe by HornWumpus · · Score: 2

    Only if your a carnivore. Herbivore pee doesn't scare anything.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  17. Re:Sorry, but... by fustakrakich · · Score: 2

    ...he is the geek equivalent to Charlie Sheen;
    batshit crazy, totally fried on drugs, paranoid...

    And probably a better actor.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  18. McAfeend eludes capture by kawabago · · Score: 3, Informative

    Those drugs might make him feel good but they aren't making his life better!

  19. Corruption is everywhere by qbitslayer · · Score: 2

    The US is just as corrupt as those so-called third-world countries. I've had some rather unpleasant experiences with a couple of blatantly corrupt court commissioners at the Los Angeles Superior Court, a cesspool of corruption and malpractice. The shit that goes on at the LASC would make Saddam Hussein blush. I swear.