The journalist and author Naomi Wolf has been wondering for some time if he's a "false flag". She raises a number of interesting points, and has cred when it comes to whistleblower issues. He may very well be the real deal... but in any case this issue is bigger than anyones heroics and faults. Dirty political tricks WILL be employed if anyones power is at stake.
I'm posting again because I was modded up, then down earlier. I'm smiling right now at my own paranoia.
...there is a possibility that Snowden may be a "false flag" to discredit leakers. I'm not saying he is or isn't, but Naomi Wolf says it better than me - she's a writer and journalist with a proven record on whistleblower and civil rights issues... WELL worth looking up for End of America alone).
Snowden may very well be the real deal... but it's just worth thinking a step ahead and not balancing the foundations on him or any one person. These issues are much bigger than any single entity anyway... the problems are systemic. We need to act, and act positively despite the potential for political tricks.
This is not even an academic question - there was actually a backdoor discovered in some software used by the Australian government provided by a US company. I believe it was in the late '90's, and it was news at the time... and I think it made Slashdot too. I can't seem to find a Google or Slashdot reference to it so I couldn't fault you if you decided to doubt the veracity of my story. I'm still searching though so I'll post if I find it.
Rubbish... Setting this up as an us-vs-them isn't constructive. You could have painted Snowden the same way right up until he blew the whistle. There are plenty of good people in there I'm sure. Perhaps they're trying to put pressure on the culture from within. Perhaps they're staying in until they see the next thing that needs leaking. Perhaps they're saving for an escape, or perhaps they just have too many vulnerable family members they just can't expose to the kinds of attacks that would come. Perhaps they've been drinking the coolaid and just need a few more months to realise where their real duty lies.
You should REALLY send this anecdote to those who are lobbying against software patents. Stuff like this gives emotional punch and ethical force to the argument.
Open source has won a battle (ie. acceptance and widespread use) but could still lose the war. Patents are a minefield and I'm glad that OIN exists to at least offer some resistance on that front. We nerdy types are generally completely helpless in the legal world which is something we're not used to feeling, and this often manifests in a vague hostility and retreat from anything "legal" eg. software being released without a license, and blowing off the idea of contributing to a defensive patent pool. That's certainly not a winning strategy. Still, I'd say the few here that know the value are the ones most capable of contributing anyway... so, more power to your arm!
How about "they're mostly open source" because that's the only real way you're not going to be nuked out of business by established players weilding patents etc... anyway. It's also interesting that such companies as Apple, Google, FB... and even Microsoft (Skype/Linux) and HP these days are building a lot of their value on open source.
Budgets are huge but they are finite. Increasing the unit cost of seizures isn't wasted. Inside the US extra legal protections also come into play also. Why not push some political pressure into the system via cloud provider lobbyists too?
ahhh.... that explains it then. Your employer takes the risks, and your work is not really your own anyway. If you put significant energy into something that was then you wouldn't be so casual.
You're probably trolling... but just in case: he designed his own cipher which was successful enough to resist attack and efficient/elegant enough to be included in standards and products. He has others to his name which get honourable mentions, so it wasn't a fluke. He's also an excellent communicator which exactly what the security field needs... society needs to get a feel for the issues.
There's a guy called Vilanor Ramachandran... he's a brain researcher who has some very interesting theories. VERY well worth looking up. His theory on humour is that it's an "all clear" signal left over from our monkey days. eg. screams to get everyone panicked, hypervigilant and/or up a tree, and laughter when it isn't a leopard at all but a kid shaking a bush. The simplest humour is basically a story with a twist at the end which causes a reinterpretation of what you just heard. Black, or trench humour is triggering this response to get all the feelgood hormones without things actually being all OK at the end. If you can't change your situation perhaps you can only change yourself, but at least that's something.
I have this aggressive friend (fighting actually put him through college) who told me a story. Duing highschool he picked a fight with this gentle giant and in a surprise attack broke his nose. The guy wasn't knocked out as my friend would have hoped, and in a powerful grip grabbed and held my friend off the ground. As my friend angrily struggled he kept asking "are we even yet?", and eventually my friend had to bow to the obvious. In this measured response he earned my friends complete respect - the guy could have destroyed, or at least humiliated my friend but did neither.
I can tell you now that if he'd beaten the sh*t out of my friend the fighting wouldn't have stopped. Also, if the guy had preemtively beaten up those he thought could be threatening in future... well... he'd be called a bully wouldn't he, and perhaps that friend of mine may have had some help. In this way dictators are destined to become prisoners of their own dictatorship and never get the safety they crave, and develop this strange and dark view of the world which is as terrible as it is self-fulfilling.
Still, even in the best case you'll get a broken nose occasionally, hence the oft repeated security vs safety quote.
Slashdot Mirror
The journalist and author Naomi Wolf has been wondering for some time if he's a "false flag". She raises a number of interesting points, and has cred when it comes to whistleblower issues. He may very well be the real deal... but in any case this issue is bigger than anyones heroics and faults. Dirty political tricks WILL be employed if anyones power is at stake.
I'm posting again because I was modded up, then down earlier. I'm smiling right now at my own paranoia.
...there is a possibility that Snowden may be a "false flag" to discredit leakers. I'm not saying he is or isn't, but Naomi Wolf says it better than me - she's a writer and journalist with a proven record on whistleblower and civil rights issues... WELL worth looking up for End of America alone).
Snowden may very well be the real deal... but it's just worth thinking a step ahead and not balancing the foundations on him or any one person. These issues are much bigger than any single entity anyway... the problems are systemic. We need to act, and act positively despite the potential for political tricks.
...functional Aliens motion tracker???
This is not even an academic question - there was actually a backdoor discovered in some software used by the Australian government provided by a US company. I believe it was in the late '90's, and it was news at the time... and I think it made Slashdot too. I can't seem to find a Google or Slashdot reference to it so I couldn't fault you if you decided to doubt the veracity of my story. I'm still searching though so I'll post if I find it.
The bullshit is strong in this one. :)
Heheh... Made a while ago, but is surprisingly appropriate. (Gillard taken out, Murdoch, Wikileaks etc...) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xm0HNbvtgQ
...with some irreverant comedy rap : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnMPQmIPibE
Check out other stuff by these guys... they're great.
Rubbish... Setting this up as an us-vs-them isn't constructive. You could have painted Snowden the same way right up until he blew the whistle. There are plenty of good people in there I'm sure. Perhaps they're trying to put pressure on the culture from within. Perhaps they're staying in until they see the next thing that needs leaking. Perhaps they're saving for an escape, or perhaps they just have too many vulnerable family members they just can't expose to the kinds of attacks that would come. Perhaps they've been drinking the coolaid and just need a few more months to realise where their real duty lies.
Some biting rap satire on the current state of affairs : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnMPQmIPibE
Naomi Wolf's book End of America has been coming true... she covers the ten steps that need to happen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0LvtQAQ6sc
You should REALLY send this anecdote to those who are lobbying against software patents. Stuff like this gives emotional punch and ethical force to the argument.
Works fine for me using the open source player. :)
Open source has won a battle (ie. acceptance and widespread use) but could still lose the war. Patents are a minefield and I'm glad that OIN exists to at least offer some resistance on that front. We nerdy types are generally completely helpless in the legal world which is something we're not used to feeling, and this often manifests in a vague hostility and retreat from anything "legal" eg. software being released without a license, and blowing off the idea of contributing to a defensive patent pool. That's certainly not a winning strategy. Still, I'd say the few here that know the value are the ones most capable of contributing anyway... so, more power to your arm!
How about "they're mostly open source" because that's the only real way you're not going to be nuked out of business by established players weilding patents etc... anyway. It's also interesting that such companies as Apple, Google, FB... and even Microsoft (Skype/Linux) and HP these days are building a lot of their value on open source.
Because commercial espionage isn't unknown? Why else was Germany revealed to be so spied upon?
Budgets are huge but they are finite. Increasing the unit cost of seizures isn't wasted. Inside the US extra legal protections also come into play also. Why not push some political pressure into the system via cloud provider lobbyists too?
Considering one of the most spied on nations in the PRISM leak was Germany does commercial espionage seem a be drawing such a long bow?
Oh, and if you happen to live in pretty much anywhere the USA is pressuring everyone to get their ducks in a row with their screwed up laws.
ahhh.... that explains it then. Your employer takes the risks, and your work is not really your own anyway. If you put significant energy into something that was then you wouldn't be so casual.
You're probably trolling... but just in case: he designed his own cipher which was successful enough to resist attack and efficient/elegant enough to be included in standards and products. He has others to his name which get honourable mentions, so it wasn't a fluke. He's also an excellent communicator which exactly what the security field needs... society needs to get a feel for the issues.
*blink blink* ... nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
....security vs FREEDOM... *sigh*
There's a guy called Vilanor Ramachandran... he's a brain researcher who has some very interesting theories. VERY well worth looking up. His theory on humour is that it's an "all clear" signal left over from our monkey days. eg. screams to get everyone panicked, hypervigilant and/or up a tree, and laughter when it isn't a leopard at all but a kid shaking a bush. The simplest humour is basically a story with a twist at the end which causes a reinterpretation of what you just heard. Black, or trench humour is triggering this response to get all the feelgood hormones without things actually being all OK at the end. If you can't change your situation perhaps you can only change yourself, but at least that's something.
Let me break this down into human terms:
I have this aggressive friend (fighting actually put him through college) who told me a story. Duing highschool he picked a fight with this gentle giant and in a surprise attack broke his nose. The guy wasn't knocked out as my friend would have hoped, and in a powerful grip grabbed and held my friend off the ground. As my friend angrily struggled he kept asking "are we even yet?", and eventually my friend had to bow to the obvious. In this measured response he earned my friends complete respect - the guy could have destroyed, or at least humiliated my friend but did neither.
I can tell you now that if he'd beaten the sh*t out of my friend the fighting wouldn't have stopped. Also, if the guy had preemtively beaten up those he thought could be threatening in future... well... he'd be called a bully wouldn't he, and perhaps that friend of mine may have had some help. In this way dictators are destined to become prisoners of their own dictatorship and never get the safety they crave, and develop this strange and dark view of the world which is as terrible as it is self-fulfilling.
Still, even in the best case you'll get a broken nose occasionally, hence the oft repeated security vs safety quote.
Citizen... all patriotic coders will add THIS fine backdoor^k^k^kpanel to their websites.