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A privacy VPN you can verify

vp.net

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Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#131

Post by fallpeak »

greentea23 wrote: post #116
SamDc73 wrote: post #56

One of the many reasons I love Mullvad (been using it for 4 years now) is their simple pricing—$5/month whether you subscribe monthly, yearly, or even 10 years out. I wanted to give your product a try, but the gap between the 1-month and 2-year plans is so big that a single month feels like a rip-off, while I’m not ready to commit to 2 years either. On payments: for a privacy-focused product, Monero isn’t just a luxu…

But then aren't you messing with the IRS? If you pay in crypto, you have to report every conversion from fiat to monero, and every payment out of the monero wallet: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/taxpayers-need-to-report-crypto... Until crypto is legally treated like cash (e.g. I don't have to report that I bought a beer with a $20 bill from an ATM), I don't think it's a very satisfying solution to have to either 1. Re…

> If you pay in crypto, you have to report every conversion from fiat to monero

That's not what your link says, and as far as I'm aware it's not true. Buying crypto and then using some of it to buy goods and services has no tax reporting requirement, those only start when you're either selling crypto or receiving it as payment. Which is the same situation as the tax reporting for any other currency or valuable item you could deal in.

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#132

Post by waon »

rasengan wrote: post #114
nneonneo wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The backdoor is as simple as “Intel has all the signing keys for the hardware root of trust so they can sign anything they want” :)

Defense in depth dictates that this is more secure than standard VPNs out there (Mullvad, Proton, Nord, Express, etc.). Any real security researcher recognizes this. If you think 'trusting random strangers' is a better security architecture, then you should not work in security.

Defense in depth only works if you put up meaningful security measures. As numerous people including GP has pointed out, you still retain the means to log user traffic. That's not meaningfully secure than the alternatives.

More importantly, trusting random strangers is much better than trusting a known hostile actor. During the Freenode fiasco, you have repeatedly demonstrated yourself to be untrustworthy and vengeful. Everyone saw your petty revenges against people who dared voice the slightest of criticisms. Why on earth should anyone trust that you'll uphold your customer's privacy no matter what?

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#133

Post by greentea23 »

fallpeak wrote: post #131
greentea23 wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But then aren't you messing with the IRS? If you pay in crypto, you have to report every conversion from fiat to monero, and every payment out of the monero wallet: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/taxpayers-need-to-report-crypto... Until crypto is legally treated like cash (e.g. I don't have to report that I bought a beer with a $20 bill from an ATM), I don't think it's a very satisfying solution to have to either 1. Re…

> If you pay in crypto, you have to report every conversion from fiat to monero That's not what your link says, and as far as I'm aware it's not true. Buying crypto and then using some of it to buy goods and services has no tax reporting requirement, those only start when you're either selling crypto or receiving it as payment. Which is the same situation as the tax reporting for any other currency or valuable item y…

> Disposed of digital assets in exchange for property or services

Reads pretty explicit to me. You have to report every event.

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#134

Post by Ms-J »

You can't be serious. If you attempt to signup, it will ask for a name and even more, such as a zip code if using cryptocurrency. Take a look at their about page and see the absolute clowns running this joke of a service. Avoid these monsters at all costs.

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#135

Post by jcgl »

exfil wrote: post #93
victorbjorklund wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mullvad VPN allows you to pay with cash in an envelop with no name etc

Yes. But your cash gets attributed by your origin IP address. Which you pay with your identity available.

No? You put in a/your randomly generated account number for attribution.

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#136

Post by rasengan »

immibis wrote: post #121
rasengan wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first part is definitely true. The second part in terms of correlations is untrue since we include a number of techniques to frustrate timing attacks among other things.

There's also the factor of why should we trust the person who destroyed Freenode while telling everyone he was actually saving it from the evil people who were trying to steal it from him? That's a liability. He might sell all our traffic logs to some evil entity while claiming he's just protecting us.

It would probably make sense to look into details before parroting false narratives.

Additionally, if you’re still talking about trust it means you don’t understand the technical implications of this.

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#137

Post by rasengan »

waon wrote: post #132
rasengan wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Defense in depth dictates that this is more secure than standard VPNs out there (Mullvad, Proton, Nord, Express, etc.). Any real security researcher recognizes this. If you think 'trusting random strangers' is a better security architecture, then you should not work in security.

Defense in depth only works if you put up meaningful security measures. As numerous people including GP has pointed out, you still retain the means to log user traffic. That's not meaningfully secure than the alternatives. More importantly, trusting random strangers is much better than trusting a known hostile actor. During the Freenode fiasco, you have repeatedly demonstrated yourself to be untrustworthy and vengefu…

I think you should look into the narrative before parroting falsehoods. Further, I’m not sure what came off as a “revenge” in my response unless facts are being interpreted as such.

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#138

Post by eptcyka »

rasengan wrote: post #104
eptcyka wrote: post #73

The chief privacy officer of the company is the moron that destroyed Freenode. Of course, Libera lives on, but it is a transition we could’ve done without.

This has been debunked. Freenode was sold to me by Christel, the previous owner. I did not even offer to purchase it and simply assumed I was doing what I had been doing for a decade for freenode and many other FOSS projects - keeping them alive. It was my funds that did so the whole time for freenode (and a number of other projects which I stopped funding thereafter given the death threats I was receiving which led…

Could it be that the original freenode staff did not want to have anything to do with you in an operational manner? Whilst the financial contributions for legal defense always went a long way, not much else was needed, like the live events and freenode branded merch. Staff were not adequately informed as to how the sale went down. Later, I do not believe tomaw was trying to strongarm anyone into leaving, staff genuinely wanted nothing to do with the supposed crown prince of Joseon.

Ultimately, the people who invested their labor into the network felt like they had little control over the future of the project and felt like they had been rug pulled by christel so they left. They did not believe that it was christel's to sell. Ultimately, as soon as the original operators left, the new management have not necessarily left a great impression. For a while, freenode.net would just redirect to a subreddit? And then later it was a reddit clone of sorts? (https://web.archive.org/web/20220505184527/https://freenode....). Channels were taken over at will. There were somewhat dubious partnerships made, crypto products endorsed. The first blog posts made by the new management straight after the changeover were markedly different from the previous messaging - (https://web.archive.org/web/20210730233709/https://freenode....). The original freenode was doing its best to be a place where like minded people could collaborate and communicate without adding too much of a political sway or coloring anything, the freenode after the takeover did not aspire to do any such thing. If in May of 2021 one could've argued that the old staff were a tad too eager to leave, then the newcomers did everything in their power to prove them right in less than a month.

Please do fund FOSS stuff, it really helps. Just don't expect to buy yourself out of being cringeworthy.

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#139

Post by rasengan »

immibis wrote: post #118
rasengan wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> guy who destroyed Mt Gox Let me correct that for you - the guy who brought you the first Bitcoin exchange and arguably helped pave the way for cryptocurrencies today. > guy who destroyed Freenode This was already debunked [1]. I tried to save freenode - I was the only one funding it up until the point where freenode's ownership "gave" it to me essentially which resulted in the non-developer staff to attempt to host…

At worst I have a neutral opinion of the Mullvad team because I don't know them at all and don't use their product. I have a negative opinion of the guys who stole everyone's money at Mt Gox and who destroyed Freenode, because they stole everyone's money at Mt Gox and destroyed Freenode. In any case, why would I ever have a positive opinion of them, which is what's required to exceed my neutral opinion of Mullvad? Wh…

If you’re still debating trust in a VPN you’re doing it wrong, but that’s your prerogative. For the rest, code is more important than words from non-deterministic people.

As for the freenode issue, look at the facts before parroting false narratives. I posted receipts - they are clear.

Re: A privacy VPN you can verify

#140

Post by rasengan »

eptcyka wrote: post #138
rasengan wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has been debunked. Freenode was sold to me by Christel, the previous owner. I did not even offer to purchase it and simply assumed I was doing what I had been doing for a decade for freenode and many other FOSS projects - keeping them alive. It was my funds that did so the whole time for freenode (and a number of other projects which I stopped funding thereafter given the death threats I was receiving which led…

Could it be that the original freenode staff did not want to have anything to do with you in an operational manner? Whilst the financial contributions for legal defense always went a long way, not much else was needed, like the live events and freenode branded merch. Staff were not adequately informed as to how the sale went down. Later, I do not believe tomaw was trying to strongarm anyone into leaving, staff genuin…

Thanks for this as it was a bit more thoughtful and an almost accurate depiction.

However, there are some discrepancies:

1. The ex staffers were already preparing their takeover event long before my name came in the picture. Domain registration dates and meeting minutes notes proves this. I was likely an easier target than Christel - or maybe that’s why she asked me to buy it from her.

2. The ex staffers had already begun emailing false narratives to open source projects before any of these actions began.

The channel topic changes did occur as a result of #2, but timing and reasoning is important. I do, however, think that these actions were a mistake.

Today, it’s pointless to fund FOSS projects since many of these funds end up going to non developers who are good at socializing but not meaningful development. Instead it’s better to support individual developers.

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