Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Interview with key LulzSec hacker

newscientist.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 50 posts

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#31

Post by JanezStupar »

trb wrote: post #19

I wonder how Antisec or LulzSec are supposed to bring about change. The interviewee talks about educating and changing people to fight corruption and abuse, but I'm not sure that is happening. For example, look at his involvement in the Tunisian revolution. He talked about disrupting the Tunesian government by defacing the prime ministers website. Did that actually help the Tunisians? I'm under the impression that th…

It's complicated but I think he's right. What it does is it raises awareness - especially amongst younger crowd that is more interested in vandalism than political activism. In a way this is a gateway into the whole privacy/security/activist culture.

It will bring many young people over to the dark side, where they will slowly start learning about events and people participating and sacrificing for joint causes.

And many of these young, rebellious people are tomorrows leaders. Who may through sheer vandalism and rebellion, gain their first cause.

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#33

Post by yaix »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #10

I was more impressed with Khalid who went to Egypt and faced the bullets. Breaking into web sites, exposing passwords, is like 'pirate radio' in that its relatively low risk for the participants. I appreciate that you can't believe Sony or someone who says "we'll keep your data safe" but I have to believe there are better ways to get that information out without all the collateral damage. I continue to hope that folk…

What is impressive of "facing bullets" if there are smarter and more effective ways? In Tunisia they down'd the gov't, that is what matters.

Judging, from the comfort of one's sofa, what is a more "impressive" way to do it, is hardly helpful or "impressive" itself. Getting things done, is.

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#34

Post by yaix »

insickness wrote: post #17
ChuckMcM wrote: post #10

I was more impressed with Khalid who went to Egypt and faced the bullets. Breaking into web sites, exposing passwords, is like 'pirate radio' in that its relatively low risk for the participants. I appreciate that you can't believe Sony or someone who says "we'll keep your data safe" but I have to believe there are better ways to get that information out without all the collateral damage. I continue to hope that folk…

Tank man in Tianamen Square changed the world forever. But it wasn't the action itself that changed things but what he inspired in others. The biggest threat to our world today isn't any single dictatorship or government. It is the corrupt intertwining of financial and political power. When corruption is revealed it inspires action in others. This is the new frontier of activism. Physical protest is action on the gro…

How did Tank Man change the world forever?? Here in China, hardly anybody has ever seen the picture or heard of him. Unfortunately, he seems to be just a good campaigning picture in the West.

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#35

Post by Peroni »

jackfoxy wrote: post #23
jackfoxy wrote: post #9

This is an interview about politics. I think it is important to publish, but it demeans science journalism to publish it in this particular venue.

I hope all my down-voters understood the venue I referred to was New Scientist, not HN.

New Scientist has a thriving and coherent Tech element. Sabu's motivations may be heavily political but the purpose of the interview is to provide a direct insight into one of the key members of LulSec and help people understand that their motivations aren't exclusively 'for the lulz'.

Regardless of Sabu's motivation, I am confident that a huge percentage of New Scientist readers will find the article fascinating and thought provoking as I certainly did.

I gave a lot more credence to the article having read it on New Scientist as opposed to what my opinion may be if the same interview was published on Cracked or Fox News.

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#36

Post by Tangaroa »

canistr wrote: post #3

The interviewer should have asked what he thought of Stuxnet. I am very curious to hear what these 'hacktivists' think of white hats in the military and how they will try to weasel their way around an answer that justifies such military action.

Sabu has already called private-sector white hats "terrorists" when he launched AntiSec, so military white hats don't have much of a chance of gaining his approval.

He seems to be the empty rebel with an appeal for the rhetoric of early 20th-century anarchists and mid-century Leninists but no coherent ideology to back it up. His political motivation is all about "fighting the power" as the old phrase goes. I doubt he considers the US military as being capable of doing good, since it exists to protect the wealthy and their interests. He would see Stuxnet as an act of oppression against the freedom of the people of Iran. If Iran had developed the same virus to sabotage a US nuke plant used for building weapons, he would be for it.

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#37

Post by antihero »

gdcbyers wrote: post #29
joelmichael wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What questions would you have asked?

How does breaking into private systems and releasing customers personal information expose abuse and corruption or promote human rights? Does Sony commit human rights atrocities I am not aware of? The exposed poor security in select system, perhaps. Does that amount to abuse, corruption or human rights violations? Hardly, irresponsibility at worst.

I think that the point is, because they did it, someone else could - they released the info so people could change their passwords, as opposed to using that information for nefarious purposes. It's quite common for companies as large as Sony to simply ignore things like this until they become a problem. So they're making it a problem, but one that is transparent.

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#38

Post by qF »

JanezStupar wrote: post #31
trb wrote: post #19

I wonder how Antisec or LulzSec are supposed to bring about change. The interviewee talks about educating and changing people to fight corruption and abuse, but I'm not sure that is happening. For example, look at his involvement in the Tunisian revolution. He talked about disrupting the Tunesian government by defacing the prime ministers website. Did that actually help the Tunisians? I'm under the impression that th…

It's complicated but I think he's right. What it does is it raises awareness - especially amongst younger crowd that is more interested in vandalism than political activism. In a way this is a gateway into the whole privacy/security/activist culture. It will bring many young people over to the dark side, where they will slowly start learning about events and people participating and sacrificing for joint causes. And…

Personally I feel that you're being a bit too optimistic. LulzSec was much louder about the fact they did it for the 'lulz' rather than for any noble agenda. Encouraging people to log in to random people's FB account and ruin their relationships serves no purpose. Interestingly enough @Anon_central recently tweeted a qualification about their supporters (which has a great overlap with LulzSec), which to me shows that you're being too optimistic [1]. Especially considering that Anon is supposed to be more ethical compared to LulzSec..

[1] https://twitter.com/#!/Anon_Central/status/87402917006557184

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#39

Post by JanezStupar »

qF wrote: post #38
JanezStupar wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's complicated but I think he's right. What it does is it raises awareness - especially amongst younger crowd that is more interested in vandalism than political activism. In a way this is a gateway into the whole privacy/security/activist culture. It will bring many young people over to the dark side, where they will slowly start learning about events and people participating and sacrificing for joint causes. And…

Personally I feel that you're being a bit too optimistic. LulzSec was much louder about the fact they did it for the 'lulz' rather than for any noble agenda. Encouraging people to log in to random people's FB account and ruin their relationships serves no purpose. Interestingly enough @Anon_central recently tweeted a qualification about their supporters (which has a great overlap with LulzSec), which to me shows that…

Oh I don't think they are some kind of Interwebz Mother Theresa incarnate, they most obviously are not. And indeed the question of are their deeds more positive than negative in net appears not to be in their favor.

However if I retort to D&D classification. Nowadays Lawful Good can hardly achieve anything meaningful without tripping over themselves.

If general tech community is Chaotic Good. The Anon seem to be Chaotic Neutral, LulzSec appear to be Neutral Neutral (or True Neutral).

But that does not mean that no good can come of their actions. Its just more unpredictable. Which may be good - since the opressors cannot fight an enemy without agenda.

Re: Interview with key LulzSec hacker

#40

Post by ljf »

rpearl wrote: post #16
rufibarbatus wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brazil. Without trial or hard evidence, you're not supposed to associate people of being that criminal persona. That'd be vexatious litigation and libel (or slander, or defamation — English is not my first language, I'm not sure which word is the appropriate one here). But don't read it like me pointing at you and saying "in Brazil you'd get your arse fined for that!" Read it as: I was taught to believe that what you…

Very well, I have updated my post to clarify the people who originally made the claim.

You've still left it up - in the UK that would be slanderous - and I do not feel this is the place for such gossip and name calling.

If that is his correct details - fine, but if not you are messing with someone's life and I don't really understand why you are doing that? If you went out and tracked this guy down, fair enough, but you are just repeating gossip.

Can you let me know what you planned to achieve with this?

Post reply on HN