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YouTube's ban on “hacking techniques” threatens to shut down infosec YouTube

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Re: YouTube's ban on “hacking techniques” threatens to shut down infosec YouTube

#221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To paraphrase an old joke : "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too empty". What you describe there is the classic problem of Network effects. The limitation is not on the tech side of things. People don't use the decentralized services because either favourite content isn't there. Producers don't post to the decentralized service because the consumers aren't there. Unfortunate reality :-( I really don't want so much po…

It's gonna bite us in the ass pretty soon, because the direct consequence of this effect is that the ability to launch a successful network depends on marketing - you need to achieve a critical mass of users pretty much instantly, since each new user won't stay for more than a day or two if their friends and content aren't there. That requirement forces potential new tech to have massive backing by a strong entity li…

> I wonder if we'll end up seeing state actors (or supranational entities like the EU) promoting state funded networks as a public alternative, as is sometimes the case in industries

You make a good point but I'd like to think of it this way: If the said service is made mandatory, then it has a chance of succeeding. Else, building that critical mass entails a lot of customer acquisition costs that a Govt may just not be in a state to justify. And therein lies the beauty and danger of network effects. Once a company has them, it is very very difficult to dislodge it. Look at Visa and Mastercard: V has been around since 1958 and MC from 1966. Both are valuable as they have network effects.

Re: YouTube's ban on “hacking techniques” threatens to shut down infosec YouTube

#223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Overbearing youtube, 10 years from now if it's still a medium it may be a far-cry from an expressive and genuine platform Yahoo's not the place it was in its heyday. Facebook's not the place it was in its heyday. Even Google's not the place it was 10 years ago. I don't think anyone is immune. The best you can do it to make sure the trajectory is positive. Netflix isn't the place it used to be. I think that's positive…

Short of moving hacking tutorials to pornhub, is there anywhere out there more interested in serving our fringe cases?

PeerTube!

Re: YouTube's ban on “hacking techniques” threatens to shut down infosec YouTube

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always think he’s mostly right, but a little too uncompromising, but then everything he says comes true. I don’t know how he predicted so far ahead at the time, it’s humbling. As a software author working at startups, am I part of the problem? I don’t understand how to make a good living without locking down the code to some extent, with few exceptions (it’s hard to found red hat)

He is technically correct, idealistic, and uncompromising. Unfortunately that doesn't really work in the real world unless your name is Richard Stallman. It's not pragmatic. I ignore him.

He has shifted the Overton window in the direction of software freedom for a long time. That has made a huge difference in how all software developers work today. He's worth listening to as long as you don't treat him as an idol.

Re: YouTube's ban on “hacking techniques” threatens to shut down infosec YouTube

#226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is always same story. If a problem concerns someone "well known" who is able to attract attention, than Google, Facebook, etc. are stepping back. If it were some random "amateurish" hacker channel, it would be banned and nobody would give a crap. The problem is that many valuable things started as some "amateurish" stuff put together by some clever guys in a garage.

Well, then they kill two birds with one stone, they snuff out their potential competition.

No? The content creators are not youtube's competition. If anything, they're pushing those creators off to competing platforms...

Re: YouTube's ban on “hacking techniques” threatens to shut down infosec YouTube

#228

The internet promised so much, but is being ruined by corporations and governments. I can't help but feel the ruining is accelerating. I hope the infosec community can come up with some kind of decentralized way to actually share free speech. If anyone is capable, they are. The discovery problem is an illusion. If you build it, they will come.

> If anyone is capable, they are.

True. Even the audience for this will be devs which is right fit to make a decentralized community.

Re: YouTube's ban on “hacking techniques” threatens to shut down infosec YouTube

#229

It's like banning Karate & Judo because it teaches violence. (When it actually improves personal security/safety)

Or banning gun videos because they could teach someone how to shoot up a school. It’s no surprise YouTube opted not to censor this genre based on their workplace shooting incident. Companies are getting more and more paranoid these days.

Gun youtubers were hit very hard by adpocalypse to my knowledge.

Re: YouTube's ban on “hacking techniques” threatens to shut down infosec YouTube

#230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, then they kill two birds with one stone, they snuff out their potential competition.

No? The content creators are not youtube's competition. If anything, they're pushing those creators off to competing platforms...

It's certainly true now, but once upon a time the Google search engine was also a "neutral platform that didn't directly compete with other web properties shown on search pages."

How times have changed there, haven't they?

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