The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked • Hacker News Board

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#271

Post by david-given » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:39 PM UTC

gjm11 wrote: post #177

david-given wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's 'outgroup'. There's a really amazing post here about outgroups and the distorted way we reason --- or fail to reason --- about them. It's a bit long, but totally worth the read. http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/30/i-can-tolerate-anything...

> really amazing [...] a bit long, but totally worth the read You have just described at least half of the dozens of posts on that blog. (There's a best-of list, still intimidatingly long, here: http://lesswrong.com/r/discussion/lw/mmg/yvains_most_importa... and a best-of-best-of subset of that, unfortunately with only the titles and no links, here: http://lesswrong.com/r/discussion/lw/mmg/yvains_most_importa... . I…

The point that really came home to me from that post is that --- to use the author's terminology --- an outgroup is a tribe which is in conflict with my tribe. In other words, a tribe whose activities is irrelevant to me is not my outgroup. So tolerance towards it is easy and therefore worthless.

This is something I've never seen stated outright before, and it seems totally true to me.

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#272

Post by akshatpradhan » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:40 PM UTC

zaphar wrote: post #267

akshatpradhan wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The people doing this aren't victimizing Avid Life Media; they're re-victimizing the real victims of what is clearly an actual crime. If it's O.K. to hack into someone else's server and mass-out people for having profiles on a dating site because you suspect most of them might be "guilty" of the crime of "marital infidelity" --- and come on, 98% of the people talking about this on Twitter barely recognize that as et…

Stick to the facts when opining, Thomas :). Where in his comment did you see him speak to the intent of the leakers. He's just pointing out the consequences and the hypocrisy of spreading the leak all over the internet when you complain about widespread spying. Hurting someone in order to get back at someone else is a very poor justification.

>If it's O.K. to hack into someone else's server and mass-out people for having profiles on a dating site because you suspect most of them might be "guilty" of the crime of "marital infidelity" --- and come on,

To me, Thomas's opinion doesn't appear to be based on facts simply because Impact Team specifically said, "it decided to publish the information in response to alleged lies ALM told its customers about a service that allows members to completely erase their profile information for a $19 fee."

Maybe if he edits his original opinion to not suggest Impact Team released the Database because of marital infidelity?

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#273

Post by jamiek88 » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:41 PM UTC

nkurz wrote: post #132

tptacek wrote: post #2

The response to this this on Twitter would be beyond fucked- up if it weren't so completely predictable. People are posting direct links to the dump, screenshots of lists of emails, and statistics for classes of domains. The general reaction to the availability of the dump is reasonably characterized as "glee". But no matter what you think about Ashley Madison --- and I think A.M. is so comically scummy that I had tr…

"Avid Life Media" is gross and creepy, and apparently totally incompetent. People (and organizations) have competence in different areas. I was genuinely impressed (in a dark patterns way) by the deftness with which they handle new signups: http://www.useronboard.com/how-ashleymadison-onboards-new-us...

87 part slide show? You must love the dark patterns to bother with that.

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#274

Post by _pmf_ » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:42 PM UTC

harryf wrote: post #131

dgfv1 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm obviously a dick because I already sent automated messages to relatives of people in the hack indicating to them that they were potentially cheated on. Personally I would want to know so I share that information.

Good thing you did it anonymously. We wouldn't want you to have to face any consequences for your actions. Let's hope you're not responsible for something like this http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/utah-dad-kills-fami...

> Let's hope you're not responsible

Is the judge responsible if the delinquent hangs himself in prison?

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#275

Post by robgibbons » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:44 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #2

The response to this this on Twitter would be beyond fucked- up if it weren't so completely predictable. People are posting direct links to the dump, screenshots of lists of emails, and statistics for classes of domains. The general reaction to the availability of the dump is reasonably characterized as "glee". But no matter what you think about Ashley Madison --- and I think A.M. is so comically scummy that I had tr…

You, sir, are moralizing just as much as anyone else. This situation is not ethically clean-cut, despite how badly you want it to be. The website's existence itself is -- at the very best -- ethically and morally questionable. The hack, while technically illegal, is arguably a morally righteous act. You can't say that there is nothing ethically acceptable about sharing this data, when its very existence is ethically a gray area. Whether their actions are legal or not, some people seriously deserve to get punched in the face. That's what is happening right now in digital form to ALM.

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#276

Post by peejaybee » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:44 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #2

The response to this this on Twitter would be beyond fucked- up if it weren't so completely predictable. People are posting direct links to the dump, screenshots of lists of emails, and statistics for classes of domains. The general reaction to the availability of the dump is reasonably characterized as "glee". But no matter what you think about Ashley Madison --- and I think A.M. is so comically scummy that I had tr…

Yes. I've heard this compared to the recent "Fappening" where celebrities' private photos were stolen. I'd have a hard time justifying the AM leaks without justifying the leaks of the stolen photos.

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#277

Post by gegtik » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:46 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #2

The response to this this on Twitter would be beyond fucked- up if it weren't so completely predictable. People are posting direct links to the dump, screenshots of lists of emails, and statistics for classes of domains. The general reaction to the availability of the dump is reasonably characterized as "glee". But no matter what you think about Ashley Madison --- and I think A.M. is so comically scummy that I had tr…

Interesting that your moral absolutism is correct whereas theirs is false

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#278

Post by jamiek88 » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:46 PM UTC

dgfv1 wrote: post #128

tptacek wrote: post #2

The response to this this on Twitter would be beyond fucked- up if it weren't so completely predictable. People are posting direct links to the dump, screenshots of lists of emails, and statistics for classes of domains. The general reaction to the availability of the dump is reasonably characterized as "glee". But no matter what you think about Ashley Madison --- and I think A.M. is so comically scummy that I had tr…

I'm obviously a dick because I already sent automated messages to relatives of people in the hack indicating to them that they were potentially cheated on. Personally I would want to know so I share that information.

Shit stirring and gossip mongering disguised as a moral crusade. Nothing more nothing less.

Be careful. We all have secrets.

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#279

Post by peejaybee » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:50 PM UTC

akshatpradhan wrote: post #272

zaphar wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stick to the facts when opining, Thomas :). Where in his comment did you see him speak to the intent of the leakers. He's just pointing out the consequences and the hypocrisy of spreading the leak all over the internet when you complain about widespread spying. Hurting someone in order to get back at someone else is a very poor justification.

>If it's O.K. to hack into someone else's server and mass-out people for having profiles on a dating site because you suspect most of them might be "guilty" of the crime of "marital infidelity" --- and come on, To me, Thomas's opinion doesn't appear to be based on facts simply because Impact Team specifically said, "it decided to publish the information in response to alleged lies ALM told its customers about a servi…

I think there's enough moralizing dripping from Impact Team's preamble to the release to support Thomas' suggestion.

"We have explained the fraud, deceit, and stupidity of ALM and their members."

"Chances are your man signed up on the world's biggest affair site, but never had one. He just tried to. If that distinction matters."

"Find yourself in here? It was ALM that failed you and lied to you. Prosecute them and claim damages. Then move on with your life. Learn your lesson and make amends. Embarrassing now, but you'll get over it."

Re: The Ashley Madison Database Was Leaked

#280

Post by akshatpradhan » Wed, Aug 19, 2015, 1:50 PM UTC

icanhackit wrote: post #263

akshatpradhan wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The people doing this aren't victimizing Avid Life Media; they're re-victimizing the real victims of what is clearly an actual crime. If it's O.K. to hack into someone else's server and mass-out people for having profiles on a dating site because you suspect most of them might be "guilty" of the crime of "marital infidelity" --- and come on, 98% of the people talking about this on Twitter barely recognize that as et…

The true intent: "In a long manifesto posted alongside the stolen ALM data, The Impact Team said it decided to publish the information in response to alleged lies ALM told its customers about a service that allows members to completely erase their profile information for a $19 fee." So to show the people who use ALM's services that ALM lies about their policies, the users need to be exposed? Well it's an effective st…

>But I can't shake the feeling there's a hidden fuck-you in there somewhere to the people they're outing.

That's not what Thomas is saying. He's literally saying that the main intent of why Impact Team released the 10GB database is because they felt users are guilty of the crime of marriage infidelity.

His statement is counter to what Impact Team specifically said, "publish the information in response to alleged lies ALM told its customers about a service that allows members to completely erase their profile information for a $19 fee."