ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville • Hacker News Board

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#311

Post by sneak » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 7:41 AM UTC

ideophobia wrote: post #177

sneak wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This attack screams anti-government militia with it's technique What part of the technique indicates "anti-government militia"?

Purely my opinion and speculation here, but I'd say the things that stick out to me are the timing and avoidance of random casualties for one. This is a hallmark used by the IRA and the ETA in Spain to inflict damage upon the government without damaging the people, so to speak. The use of an RV also stands out to me, I don't recall many VBIEDs associated with foreign terrorists using that type of vehicle in the US, w…

I don't think the IRA counts as "anti-government" simply because they are anti-that-government.

They are also not a "militia" as I understand the term.

Why would you follow up "it screams" with "hard to say anything definitive"? Those seem quite contradictory to me.

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#312

Post by Throwaway1771 » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 7:45 AM UTC

partiallypro wrote: post #86

astura wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I heard something about "fake reports" about gunshots. But maybe the perp shot off some guns just to get the cops to show up? Reports of gunshots weren't fake because multiple witnesses heard gunshots. No idea if it was related to the bombing or not. Example: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/25/us/nashville-explosion/index.... >McCoy said he was originally woken up by what he believed were gunshots prior to the explosio…

The prevailing theory is that there were no gun shots, but gun shots were played over the speakers to wake people up so they would evacuate.

Why ammo in RV then?

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#313

Post by userzero » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 7:49 AM UTC

Many facilities have generators that are tied to the fire system and will not provide electricity when there is an alarm. A diesel generator tank is designed around (sized based on) the amount of time the facility is expecting to have fuel delivered. A more central location will have small tanks, remote locations will have larger. Gas powered generators are a great option because they do not run out of fuel, although they are dependent on the gas grid. Facilities running gas generators require an automatic safety shutoff valve (electronically actuated) to be tied to the fire system to prevent explosion.

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#314

Post by sneak » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 7:50 AM UTC

This may be a good time to remind everyone that you can't give up privacy to obtain safety: the NSA spies on everyone, no warrants, and terror attacks still happen.

We're not getting that for which we've paid, and it is time to demand a refund of our privacy.

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#315

Post by Throwaway1771 » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 7:56 AM UTC

joseph_grobbles wrote: post #110

supernova87a wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That voice announcing evacuation sounds very professional, not like a computer synthesized voice... I wonder if they will try to trace that.

Many of the current neural net voice synthesis engines are fantastic and sound extremely real. Amazon Polly for instance. I'd punch in the phrase and do some comparisons, but given the attention those logs will certainly get maybe I won't.

Look at that chilling effect go!

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#316

Post by Throwaway1771 » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 7:57 AM UTC

joseph_grobbles wrote: post #135

sillysaurusx wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neural net synth would be even easier to trace. It’s quite hard to set up an aws account via untraceable currency and an untraceable phone. I did it when I was 25 or so, and it took about three weeks of planning and execution just to get the cards and phone. Given the sophistication of the attack, I wouldn’t say it’s impossible they have neural net experience. But as someone who spent a good chunk of time trying to g…

The same difficulty of anonymity arises with the RV itself, a very ostentatious vehicle that not only can be traced with ease, it can be tracked retroactively on virtually every street, every highway, etc. Regardless, for all we know the person isn't concerned with being caught (and may currently be deceased given that possible human remains have been found).

> it can be tracked retroactively on virtually every street, every highway, etc.

Not virtually. Actually.

NSA et al can do - will they publicly tip that hand for this?

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#317

Post by j4yav » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 8:00 AM UTC

nr2x wrote: post #227

avs733 wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>While I'm only speculating, it could be quite possible that whoever may have wished to damage or destroy the AT&T building, seriously underestimated what these kind of buildings can take (essentially being disguised bunkers). Which somehow makes it more plausible to me? The type of insane person who would do this seems like the type of insane person who would underestimate how reinforced such a building is.

It’s odd that if you knew why the building was valuable you wouldn’t also know it’s designed for this. Which makes me lean more towards coincidence.

Maybe they were blowing it up to stop 5G rays from spontaneously generating viruses, in which case if they didn't really know what they were doing beyond a surface level it wouldn't come as a huge surprise.

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#318

Post by j4yav » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 8:02 AM UTC

vageli wrote: post #99

> I think bombers broadcasting warning messages is somewhat more common with certain types of political violence. I know weather underground bombings tried to choose times for their bombings when buildings would not be inhabited, not always successfully. Just wanted to point out that dressing things up as "political violence" is a disservice; violence performed in the commision of promoting an ideology is terrorism.…

People are responding. The downvotes usually really come if you add an edit complaining about downvotes.

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#319

Post by monoideism » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 8:05 AM UTC

gxnxcxcx wrote: post #303

monoideism wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know this is true. There are a handful of bots, or possibly HN itself, that immediately downvotes comments that HN will find popular, but that aren't "politically correct". Happens to me frequently that I receive an immediate 3-4 downvotes, only to end up with 10-20 upvotes and few subsequent downvotes. The only alternative -- that there are a handful of avid HNers who are on here 24 hours a day, who really hate di…

Once an open platform becomes crowded enough, downvoting without further interaction to show disagreement is fully expected. It's unhealthy because it turns discourse into a popularity contest, but that's the world we live in. Maybe your opinion is just a tad less popular than what you expect it to be.

> Maybe your opinion is just a tad less popular than what you expect it to be.

Perhaps you didn't read all of my comment. I said I end up with 10-20 upvotes. I also mentioned that these are opinions that HN as a whole finds popular.

It's the discrepancy between the initial voting within the first few minutes and the later voting that is strange. And it's always an initial 2-3 immediate downvotes, followed by dozens of upvotes.

That said, any discussion of downvotes or upvotes on HN will draw downvotes. That's a given.

Re: ATT services down due to bombing in Nashville

#320

Post by vijaybritto » Sat, Dec 26, 2020, 8:09 AM UTC

This is quite confusing to read cause the article doesn't mention it as terrorism. They seem to play it down as some sort of violence. I'm not sure if this would have been the case if there were any Muslim involved.