“Giganews is an FBI Operation”
cryptome.org
“Giganews is an FBI Operation”
1–10 of 74 posts
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#2Having worked at Texas.Net before it became DataFoundry, and being one of the people who built up the original Sun E450s that were used as the Usenet servers when the separate Giganews product was developed, I find this hilarious.
I know a good number of the GN/DF employees mentioned in the article, and think this sounds more like a disgruntled ex-employee trying to badmouth his former employer.
As for the "gigauth" file - how else are you going to run a subscription Usenet service without logging authenticated users?
Disclaimer: I worked for Texas.Net from 1996 to late 1998 and was one of the people involved in moving their HQ from their San Antonio location to 823 Congress in Austin.
Edit: BTW, here's pics of my tubby self at work in the GREEN TSHIRT THEY MADE ME WEAR! (hey, free clothing is free clothing, I loved not having to worry about what I was going to wear to work every day..)
http://www.mrbill.net/texasnet/
I have nothing but respect for Ron Y. and his family - he and his wife invited me to spend Thanksgiving dinner in '96 with them since I'd just moved to Austin and had nowhere else to go. I will never forget that kindness.
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#3Giganews has responded by claiming the ex-employee is delusional. They posted links to a pastebin allegedly written by him, which includes the following:
"Besides spamming, the only other conduct that is unacceptable is uploading or contacting our employees with information about Vehuiah the holy angel, her invocation Psalm 3:3, Archangels, or the angels of Jehovah's 72 syllable name called the Shemhamforash. These are all unstoppable solutions to the 72 demon intelligences central to mankind, and will drive the dark of all evil away with an annoyingly bright Holy Light."
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#4In addition, Kibbey offered me a new name and identity, with a new drivers license and everything, if I were to go back to work at Giganews.
What? Why? The whole story seems disjointed.
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#5In addition, Kibbey offered me a new name and identity, with a new drivers license and everything, if I were to go back to work at Giganews. What? Why? The whole story seems disjointed.
Yeah, that's where my BS detector started beeping. How would a new identity help if he were going to be working with the same people face-to-face?
This line is also phrased very oddly: I've linked pictures of my Giganews badge and the shirts with their red armor logo I was forced to wear when working there.
Forced? So, it was a uniform? I've worked at a department store, and I wouldn't use the phrase "forced" because they required me to wear a name badge.
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#6Poor Usenet. It was so beautiful, once.
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#7In addition, Kibbey offered me a new name and identity, with a new drivers license and everything, if I were to go back to work at Giganews. What? Why? The whole story seems disjointed.
Yea seriously, If everyone at Giganews is in on it why the hell did he need a new identity?
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#8Poor Usenet. It was so beautiful, once.
"The Net interprets censorship as damage."
... but it apparently interprets passive, silent auditing as a feature. ;)
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#9My biggest surprise is that Usenet is apparently still that big of a thing. I guess I've been out of the loop, the last time I heard about Usenet was 10 years ago, with people talking about pirating from Usenet because torrents were being blocked. I don't think I've used Usenet since I had dial-up.
Re: “Giganews is an FBI Operation”
#10Eh with the automated copyright takedowns usenet is useless now anyways, everyone has moved on.