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The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

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51–60 of 219 posts

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#51
post #36

This sounds like spy training from Burn Notice. Like, you have to get the source code of this program, from a guy who isn't at home right now and the whole budget of the operation is a just enough to buy a mug from our gift shop. Good luck Dave!

You make it sound like that’s not how it usually is. I have bad news. That’s how it usually is.

Sometimes you don’t even get enough for a nice mug.

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#52
I can't help but feel like the author sounds excessively credulous.

I had to stop reading after he wrote "I could tell something big was up and there simply wasn’t time to debate the merits of handing over my source code to the NSA", because at that point my eyes rolled so hard they fell right out the back of my head.

After I put them back in, I skipped down to the comments. I have a hard time not agreeing vehemently with the top comment on the post, which says:

"You took time off your vacation to help the shadiest government agency on the planet do God-knows-what, as well as give them your IP for free. In addition, your ignorance and glee motivated you write this propaganda post, helping their cause, all for the price of a mug with a fancy sticker on it."

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#53
post #17

Wow it's a good thing they were examining a "dumb criminal's" laptop instead of preventing 9/11. If they had done that the armaments manufacturers would have missed out on a bonanza.

Are you trolling?

I'd say yes. Stirring up mud about issues not remotely related to the context by presenting a false dilemma (that resources were applied to a instead of hindsight worthy b)

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#54
post #32

July 2000 is I guess a pre-Google world...so how would "Call 411 and ask for the number of main naval base in Bethesda, MD" work? Just curious how the operator did these lookups?

Unless I'm remembering wrong, 411 only gave directory assistance for your area code. To get the phone number for a naval base in another state, he would need to dial that area code plus 555-1212 to contact the local directory assistance for that location. Might be wrong though. Where I grew up there was a charge for using directory assistance so my parent prohibited us from ever using it instead of the phone book.

by 2000, you could get national DA by calling 411.

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#55
post #32

July 2000 is I guess a pre-Google world...so how would "Call 411 and ask for the number of main naval base in Bethesda, MD" work? Just curious how the operator did these lookups?

Almost everybody was already using Google by late 1999.

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#56
My first job in the early '80's was for a phototypesetter manufacturer. Logically, the NSA had one of our machines for in-house use. Whenever there was a issue with the machine I flew up to Virginia to look at it. My experience was roughly the same as the article's, super-nice people, all of us immediately on a first name (only) basis. The two kind of uniquely funny things about those visits was 1) that the machine (PDP-11 based) was kept in a small room with nothing in else it - a door opened into a room with the machine exactly in the center of the space. The other thing 2) which did make sense was the the core memory was always wiped w/a walking 1's and 0's paper-tape utility prior to me getting access to it.

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#57
post #52

I can't help but feel like the author sounds excessively credulous. I had to stop reading after he wrote "I could tell something big was up and there simply wasn’t time to debate the merits of handing over my source code to the NSA", because at that point my eyes rolled so hard they fell right out the back of my head. After I put them back in, I skipped down to the comments. I have a hard time not agreeing vehemently…

I'm also okay with the author's response, which is, for the record:

"I’ve seen a lot of commentary like this. It was a different time back then. Just one year later the Towers came down. If in 2002 I got that same call, people would hate me for not cooperating. I didn’t invent the ciphers — those are public. I gave up nothing important. I’m okay with my decisions."

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#58
post #52

I can't help but feel like the author sounds excessively credulous. I had to stop reading after he wrote "I could tell something big was up and there simply wasn’t time to debate the merits of handing over my source code to the NSA", because at that point my eyes rolled so hard they fell right out the back of my head. After I put them back in, I skipped down to the comments. I have a hard time not agreeing vehemently…

HN is so paranoid. All government is bad, anyone from a spy agency is some double/triple/quadruple agent who's actually a terrorist child soldier working for Facebook on the side.

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#59
post #53
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you trolling?

I'd say yes. Stirring up mud about issues not remotely related to the context by presenting a false dilemma (that resources were applied to a instead of hindsight worthy b)

Where NSA is lauded for breaking the law, I will criticize NSA for breaking the law. The way to avoid this criticism is to stop lauding NSA for breaking the law.

Re: The NSA called me after midnight and requested my source code (2018)

#60
post #48

Mitnick?

Probably not. Mitnick was just getting out of jail in 2000.

I was thinking along the same lines though. Who were some high profile hackers that were on the FBI/NSA most wanted list?

Max Butler maybe? Aleksey Ivanov?

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