[responding to a post near top of thread to prevent the use of "forum sliding" tactics--refer to article in my signature if you are unaware of the tactic]
While the mainstream US media largely ignores NSA/US spying, other news has to take the place of those stories--something bigger and "better", so to speak.
Let's start with the train wreck in Lac Megantic--not a single story in mainstream media regarding SCADA systems used on most trains these days. Why not?
The owner of the rail company involved spews disinformation to distract from a valid concern--that trains can be remotely operated (including brakes!) by a system easily hacked. Who might have such a motivation?
Let's move on to the Asiana crash at SFO.
The following from the Economist has some interesting information about the controls of airliners. The most relevant information is discussed in the last section of the article.
I shouldn't have to remind everyone that Boeing is inextricably involved with government operations--they build the best military aircraft out there, including drones. In both incidents, the operators of these vehicles were blamed before any reasonable amount of investigation could possibly have been completed. Why is that?
zimmerman innocent!! zimmerman guilty!! "Oh my God. Just when I thought this case couldn't get any more bizarre," Saudi Princess out on bail Holmes acquitted Holmes Confesses Stock Market recovers Stock market plunges Sarah Palin Pregnant Student Loans 45% Interest Offer Students Access to Morning-After Pill FREE XBOX SONY ELECTRONIC ARTS VALVE STEAM FREE DOWNLOAD reddit closing facebook shares/. china pork senate finance committee dollar plunges twinkle Twinkie Egypt Christians targeted cook a steak killed kittens gold cellphone UC Berkeley stolen marijuana Texas secedes! LDS LSD SD SC Abortion Fracking Skateboard lost Toronto Red Cross charges of adultery phone number
[responding to a post near top of thread to prevent the use of "forum sliding" tactics--refer to article in my signature if you are unaware of the tactic]
While the mainstream US media largely ignores NSA/US spying, other news has to take the place of those stories--something bigger and "better", so to speak.
Let's start with the train wreck in Lac Megantic--not a single story in mainstream media regarding SCADA systems used on most trains these days. Why not?
The owner of the rail company involved spews disinformation to distract from a valid concern--that trains can be remotely operated (including brakes!) by a system easily hacked. Who might have such a motivation?
Let's move on to the Asiana crash at SFO.
The following from the Economist has some interesting information about the controls of airliners. The most relevant information is discussed in the last section of the article.
I shouldn't have to remind everyone that Boeing is inextricably involved with government operations--they build the best military aircraft out there, including drones. In both incidents, the operators of these vehicles were blamed before any reasonable amount of investigation could possibly have been completed. Why is that?
And, just to keep the sheep happy, why the hell is Zimmerman being tried by a jury of only six of his "peers"? Every state-level criminal court I've heard of had thirteen, plus alternates.
Notice a pattern? Apparently, the Zimmerman trial is all we Americans care about. The media is as complicit as Microsoft, et al. I start with the foreign news outlets, then head to CNN and other mainstream US media for comparison--what is missing from mainstream US media is the real news.
I fully expect "Cold Fjord" to be spewing his disinformation--with earnest--after the latest Prism revelations. If Microsoft is fucked, so is the NSA.
NSA: Most powerful computers in the known Universe--Check 10000+ Cryptographers--Check Endless Funding--Check 100000 armed thugs--Check Armed Drones--Check Massive Corporate Collusion--Check
You: AES256 (crackable by $300 German software)--Check A Wooden Front Door--Check A Fragile Cranium--Check A monthly bill--Check
"Does this sound like boasting to anyone else?..."
Boasting or not, I think everyone that speaks out about pervasive surveillance techniques should be paid attention. Whether or not their information is accurate, relevant or factual should be decided by ourselves. The NSA has shown us that they cannot be trusted to do anything but lie. If we are to get any accurate information, we have to start taking all perspectives into account, even those of the NSA shills, as they provide contrast.
And, if anyone is interested, "ThorGod" is an account I suspect of being associated with "Cold Fjord". He seems to like using Northern European references in his user names--there are others following the pattern, but I suspect those accounts are being used to "bank" moderation points. Look at my previous posts if you don't know what I am referring to.
And, again, please read the document linked in my signature--this is information that every single poster here on Slashdot needs to at least be aware of.
Did it occur to anyone that the media, government and Boeing might be trying to sweep this under the carpet? After all, Boeing hasn't been having very good luck lately. Problems with the 787 are killing them financially.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
We really need our Patriots, especially now. Tyrants? Not so much. That being said, we've already spilled the blood of too many Patriots--let's start with the tyrants this time around. Perhaps then, we could bring our Patriots home.
"...you can bet your ass that emigration out of the US will be forbidden."
We could all just ask Mexico for asylum.
After all, Edward Snowden just gave us the proof we're all being oppressed (if you don't think your being oppressed, go take a soapbox down to the sidewalk outside your local City Hall and start reciting the Constitution of the United States loudly, and see how long it takes a cop to tell you to move along).
"...which is completely pointless if the incumbent and the challenging candidate are equally bad, which they usually are in the U.S."
Yes. If that is the only purpose, to vote for one party or another. The purpose of my wife and I always voting the incumbent out is to do what we can to break the chain of politicians that simply carry the same torch their predecessor carried. If I cannot trust them, I would prefer that torch was dropped entirely. Let someone else have a chance to pick it up. It's better then the same shit in a different bag.
" The UK has no interest in dumping money down the well like they've had to with Assange."
Yeah, like money is all that matters to them.
Again, I ask people to look through past posts of "Cold Fjord" and look for patterns. They're pretty easy to spot. Once you've done that, please take a look at the document linked in my forum signature and compare the tactics outlined in that document to the tactics used in posts by "Cold Fjord". Look closely at the wording he uses. Come to your own conclusions.
My conclusion? This person is a NSA/Government shill--a forum breaker. There are others here on Slashdot, but I am beginning to suspect that all of them are actually puppet accounts(for harvesting moderation points as well as obfuscation) of three different people--the processes by which the NSA determines intent, motivation and relationships in communications are available to all of us, provided we know about them. My goal here is let as many people as possible know about those tools so that they may use them to protect themselves (and the forums they use) from the likes of "Cold Fjord". Put those tools to use--the NSA does.
"All joking aside, can any of us trust their patches now that it has been comfirmed that Microsoft is effectively a branch of the NSA?"
All joking aside. Excellent idea.
How many of you folks are squirming right now, wondering if any of your code managed to end up inadvertently being used in the Prism program? How many of you are wondering how this will impact your job? How many of you are wondering what you might have said in the past, things that you are afraid might be exposed by this? How many Microsoft employees are now worrying about their social life, now that everyone knows Microsoft is neck-deep in NSA spying? Will they be ostracized? What about Google employees? Might they become targets for recriminations? Have you been hiding your affiliations with implicated companies? Will that one friend you confided in turn on you, out you to others that they know will shun you as a result? How much more do we NOT know about? What will the next leaked document reveal? How many of you even care (or dare to care openly)?
See where I am going with this?
Fear. I see it between the lines in forum posts (not just here on Slashdot), I see it in the public pronouncements from public officials around the world, I see it amongst the world's journalists (some fear not the personal costs, but the costs to the entire idea of journalism). I see it coming from the NSA themselves.
This is East Germany, all over again--the NSA literally has us spying on each other, inadvertently or not. Secrecy=Fear=the need for secrecy. Both sides of the equation are feeling it. Did you just hesitate before you sent that email? Have you resigned yourself to the fact that privacy is now dead? Do you fear the repercussions of standing up for your rights?
"Either it's a big conspiracy or someone modded five people up and then decided to post in the thread thereby undoing their mods."
While that may be, there are many here on Slashdot that have long been accused of being "Conspiracy Theorists"--myself included--that have been vindicated by the "conspiracy" exposed by Edward Snowden.
All I am asking is that people here be aware that there are many methods to stifle dissent, and that social media (Slashdot included) is now a powerful tool to both monitor and shape public opinion. And lets be serious about the readership of Slashdot--there are many great minds sharing ideas here on Slashdot (I really don't include myself in this category)--and some of those great minds don't necessarily agree with our government. I'd really like to hear NewYorkCountryLawyer's opinions on all of this.
Isn't this the entire purpose of the Prism program, to monitor and minimize the actions of those that don't agree with our government? Hasn't there been enough proof that that program has been turned inwards, targeting US Citizens? Why wouldn't they attempt to manipulate public opinion at this juncture? Why would they ignore any potential means of doing so?
I stand by my previous statements and allusions--Slashdot is being manipulated to both sway public opinion against Edward Snowden and to minimize the damage to the security apparatus.
"The NSA is too busy tapping your phone to bother with slashdot posts."
30000 to 40000 employees.
"In 2012 John C. Inglis, the deputy director, said that the total number of NSA employees is "somewhere between 37,000 and one billion" as a joke." Wikipedia
I've been paying CLOSE attention to the moderation in this thread.
At one point, there had been 7 posts that were modded UP. That number is now 2 posts. All five of the posts subsequently modded downwards relate to the NSA and back-doors in MS products (including registers users that start with a 1 point advantage--all sitting a zero points now).
The only posts modded up, as I write this, are the joke/sarcasm first post, and a post that questions why this is even news.
I do not have the ability to do so, but could someone that is able to do so please make a close comparison before/after changes?
They might be trying to cover their tracks in terms NSA backdoors--hide the evidence to minimize the coverage--and the changes they make with updates might shed some light on those backdoors.
" Public opinion is made today by manipulating virtual peer groups on social media, discussion boards, online newspaper comment sections, newsgroups etc."
Slashdot Mirror
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/15/crux-nsa-collect-it-all
http://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm
" Just like every other elected politician."
The Ministry of Peace consists entirely of appointed seats--therefore, your assertion is fundamentally invalid.
/. servers 86'd
[responding to a post near top of thread to prevent the use of "forum sliding" tactics--refer to article in my signature if you are unaware of the tactic]
While the mainstream US media largely ignores NSA/US spying, other news has to take the place of those stories--something bigger and "better", so to speak.
Let's start with the train wreck in Lac Megantic--not a single story in mainstream media regarding SCADA systems used on most trains these days. Why not?
http://www.getransportation.com/rail/rail-products/locomotives/on-board-systems/train-controlscada.html [getransportation.com]
The owner of the rail company involved spews disinformation to distract from a valid concern--that trains can be remotely operated (including brakes!) by a system easily hacked. Who might have such a motivation?
Let's move on to the Asiana crash at SFO.
The following from the Economist has some interesting information about the controls of airliners. The most relevant information is discussed in the last section of the article.
http://www.economist.com/node/787987 [economist.com]
I shouldn't have to remind everyone that Boeing is inextricably involved with government operations--they build the best military aircraft out there, including drones. In both incidents, the operators of these vehicles were blamed before any reasonable amount of investigation could possibly have been completed. Why is that?
zimmerman innocent!! zimmerman guilty!! "Oh my God. Just when I thought this case couldn't get any more bizarre," Saudi Princess out on bail Holmes acquitted Holmes Confesses Stock Market recovers Stock market plunges Sarah Palin Pregnant Student Loans 45% Interest Offer Students Access to Morning-After Pill FREE XBOX SONY ELECTRONIC ARTS VALVE STEAM FREE DOWNLOAD reddit closing facebook shares /. china pork senate finance committee dollar plunges twinkle Twinkie Egypt Christians targeted cook a steak killed kittens gold cellphone UC Berkeley stolen marijuana Texas secedes! LDS LSD SD SC Abortion Fracking Skateboard lost Toronto Red Cross charges of adultery phone number
http://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm
[responding to a post near top of thread to prevent the use of "forum sliding" tactics--refer to article in my signature if you are unaware of the tactic]
While the mainstream US media largely ignores NSA/US spying, other news has to take the place of those stories--something bigger and "better", so to speak.
Let's start with the train wreck in Lac Megantic--not a single story in mainstream media regarding SCADA systems used on most trains these days. Why not?
http://www.getransportation.com/rail/rail-products/locomotives/on-board-systems/train-controlscada.html
The owner of the rail company involved spews disinformation to distract from a valid concern--that trains can be remotely operated (including brakes!) by a system easily hacked. Who might have such a motivation?
Let's move on to the Asiana crash at SFO.
The following from the Economist has some interesting information about the controls of airliners. The most relevant information is discussed in the last section of the article.
http://www.economist.com/node/787987
I shouldn't have to remind everyone that Boeing is inextricably involved with government operations--they build the best military aircraft out there, including drones. In both incidents, the operators of these vehicles were blamed before any reasonable amount of investigation could possibly have been completed. Why is that?
And, just to keep the sheep happy, why the hell is Zimmerman being tried by a jury of only six of his "peers"? Every state-level criminal court I've heard of had thirteen, plus alternates.
Take a look at the Guardian (US version);
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Then take a look at RT News:
http://rt.com/
Then take a look at CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/
Or even the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/
Notice a pattern? Apparently, the Zimmerman trial is all we Americans care about. The media is as complicit as Microsoft, et al. I start with the foreign news outlets, then head to CNN and other mainstream US media for comparison--what is missing from mainstream US media is the real news.
I fully expect "Cold Fjord" to be spewing his disinformation--with earnest--after the latest Prism revelations. If Microsoft is fucked, so is the NSA.
"If its all encrypted its safe"
NSA:
Most powerful computers in the known Universe--Check
10000+ Cryptographers--Check
Endless Funding--Check
100000 armed thugs--Check
Armed Drones--Check
Massive Corporate Collusion--Check
You:
AES256 (crackable by $300 German software)--Check
A Wooden Front Door--Check
A Fragile Cranium--Check
A monthly bill--Check
"soulskill stop posting this propaganda garbage"
If they do stop, we won't know who they are. Instead of being indignant, be observant.
"Does this sound like boasting to anyone else?..."
Boasting or not, I think everyone that speaks out about pervasive surveillance techniques should be paid attention. Whether or not their information is accurate, relevant or factual should be decided by ourselves. The NSA has shown us that they cannot be trusted to do anything but lie. If we are to get any accurate information, we have to start taking all perspectives into account, even those of the NSA shills, as they provide contrast.
And, if anyone is interested, "ThorGod" is an account I suspect of being associated with "Cold Fjord". He seems to like using Northern European references in his user names--there are others following the pattern, but I suspect those accounts are being used to "bank" moderation points. Look at my previous posts if you don't know what I am referring to.
And, again, please read the document linked in my signature--this is information that every single poster here on Slashdot needs to at least be aware of.
"...and lack of smegma"
Just because you don't understand the role of smegma doesn't mean that there isn't a biological usefulness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smegma
There is also this thing called "soap". You should try it sometime.
Root cause? How about pattern failures?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2357585/Crash-landing-San-Francisco-mirrors-Boeing-777-crash-London-Heathrow-years-ago.html
Did it occur to anyone that the media, government and Boeing might be trying to sweep this under the carpet? After all, Boeing hasn't been having very good luck lately. Problems with the 787 are killing them financially.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
We really need our Patriots, especially now. Tyrants? Not so much. That being said, we've already spilled the blood of too many Patriots--let's start with the tyrants this time around. Perhaps then, we could bring our Patriots home.
"...you can bet your ass that emigration out of the US will be forbidden."
We could all just ask Mexico for asylum.
After all, Edward Snowden just gave us the proof we're all being oppressed (if you don't think your being oppressed, go take a soapbox down to the sidewalk outside your local City Hall and start reciting the Constitution of the United States loudly, and see how long it takes a cop to tell you to move along).
"...which is completely pointless if the incumbent and the challenging candidate are equally bad, which they usually are in the U.S."
Yes. If that is the only purpose, to vote for one party or another. The purpose of my wife and I always voting the incumbent out is to do what we can to break the chain of politicians that simply carry the same torch their predecessor carried. If I cannot trust them, I would prefer that torch was dropped entirely. Let someone else have a chance to pick it up. It's better then the same shit in a different bag.
Wait a second.
Are you seriously suggesting that I am John Young (of Cryptome)?
Care to add your two-cents to the discussion, John? I believe the man just opened the door for you...
I have a website? News to me. Care to clue me in with a link to my website?
Shawn, you should probably mention--for those that haven't figured it out already--that you work for Google.
You know, full-disclosure and all that.
" The UK has no interest in dumping money down the well like they've had to with Assange."
Yeah, like money is all that matters to them.
Again, I ask people to look through past posts of "Cold Fjord" and look for patterns. They're pretty easy to spot. Once you've done that, please take a look at the document linked in my forum signature and compare the tactics outlined in that document to the tactics used in posts by "Cold Fjord". Look closely at the wording he uses. Come to your own conclusions.
My conclusion? This person is a NSA/Government shill--a forum breaker. There are others here on Slashdot, but I am beginning to suspect that all of them are actually puppet accounts(for harvesting moderation points as well as obfuscation) of three different people--the processes by which the NSA determines intent, motivation and relationships in communications are available to all of us, provided we know about them. My goal here is let as many people as possible know about those tools so that they may use them to protect themselves (and the forums they use) from the likes of "Cold Fjord". Put those tools to use--the NSA does.
This is one arena you can fight back.
"All joking aside, can any of us trust their patches now that it has been comfirmed that Microsoft is effectively a branch of the NSA?"
All joking aside. Excellent idea.
How many of you folks are squirming right now, wondering if any of your code managed to end up inadvertently being used in the Prism program? How many of you are wondering how this will impact your job? How many of you are wondering what you might have said in the past, things that you are afraid might be exposed by this? How many Microsoft employees are now worrying about their social life, now that everyone knows Microsoft is neck-deep in NSA spying? Will they be ostracized? What about Google employees? Might they become targets for recriminations? Have you been hiding your affiliations with implicated companies? Will that one friend you confided in turn on you, out you to others that they know will shun you as a result? How much more do we NOT know about? What will the next leaked document reveal? How many of you even care (or dare to care openly)?
See where I am going with this?
Fear. I see it between the lines in forum posts (not just here on Slashdot), I see it in the public pronouncements from public officials around the world, I see it amongst the world's journalists (some fear not the personal costs, but the costs to the entire idea of journalism). I see it coming from the NSA themselves.
This is East Germany, all over again--the NSA literally has us spying on each other, inadvertently or not. Secrecy=Fear=the need for secrecy. Both sides of the equation are feeling it. Did you just hesitate before you sent that email? Have you resigned yourself to the fact that privacy is now dead? Do you fear the repercussions of standing up for your rights?
Do you fear doing nothing?
"Either it's a big conspiracy or someone modded five people up and then decided to post in the thread thereby undoing their mods."
While that may be, there are many here on Slashdot that have long been accused of being "Conspiracy Theorists"--myself included--that have been vindicated by the "conspiracy" exposed by Edward Snowden.
All I am asking is that people here be aware that there are many methods to stifle dissent, and that social media (Slashdot included) is now a powerful tool to both monitor and shape public opinion. And lets be serious about the readership of Slashdot--there are many great minds sharing ideas here on Slashdot (I really don't include myself in this category)--and some of those great minds don't necessarily agree with our government. I'd really like to hear NewYorkCountryLawyer's opinions on all of this.
Isn't this the entire purpose of the Prism program, to monitor and minimize the actions of those that don't agree with our government? Hasn't there been enough proof that that program has been turned inwards, targeting US Citizens? Why wouldn't they attempt to manipulate public opinion at this juncture? Why would they ignore any potential means of doing so?
I stand by my previous statements and allusions--Slashdot is being manipulated to both sway public opinion against Edward Snowden and to minimize the damage to the security apparatus.
"The NSA is too busy tapping your phone to bother with slashdot posts."
30000 to 40000 employees.
"In 2012 John C. Inglis, the deputy director, said that the total number of NSA employees is "somewhere between 37,000 and one billion" as a joke." Wikipedia
I've been paying CLOSE attention to the moderation in this thread.
At one point, there had been 7 posts that were modded UP. That number is now 2 posts. All five of the posts subsequently modded downwards relate to the NSA and back-doors in MS products (including registers users that start with a 1 point advantage--all sitting a zero points now).
The only posts modded up, as I write this, are the joke/sarcasm first post, and a post that questions why this is even news.
I do not have the ability to do so, but could someone that is able to do so please make a close comparison before/after changes?
They might be trying to cover their tracks in terms NSA backdoors--hide the evidence to minimize the coverage--and the changes they make with updates might shed some light on those backdoors.
" Public opinion is made today by manipulating virtual peer groups on social media, discussion boards, online newspaper comment sections, newsgroups etc."
For more specifics on that:
http://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm
"If you punish ordinary opposing views in debate you aren't committed to free speech. Prove me wrong."
http://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm