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How is it like to be a dev in Iran

shahinsorkh.ir

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Re: How is it like to be a dev in Iran

#221

Post by Udik »

throwaway-klsdj wrote: post #186
h0l0cube wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I work for a US company that routinely has to deal with cyber attacks by Iranian professionals, probably government sponsored. It's hard to posit a moral high-ground here, when basically every state is actively seeking to undermine the others' cyber security, including the US. Stuxnet is one of the most formidable state-sponsored cyber security exploits, and that was targeted at Iran, it seems easy justification to…

Maybe I can consider this in more familiar terms, as if both sides have guns. Do they use them differently? I at least can't know for sure. What it boils down to for me is which side do you want to win? Being fair and impartial doesn't mean considering that both of the nations are the same and the outcome will be the same if either side wins, with only a different name and flag for the victor. If the US wins, a rough…

> What it boils down to for me is which side do you want to win?

This is a bit simplistic, isn't it? First, the one between Iran and USA doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. Why is it a matter of states winning or losing? I don't recall Iran waging a war against the US, or trying to destroy civil liberties in the West. For example, with the nuclear agreement, both Iran and the US (or Europe) would have benefited- why did the US got out of it then?

Second, the two sides in this game are not necessarily Iran with its model of society and the US with its own model of society. The US is a free and democratic society, but that doesn't mean that their geo-political goals are all about freedom and democracy. In fact, the main rivals of Iran and allies of the US are Saudi Arabia- a country even less democratic than Iran itself- and Israel, a country that while internally free and democratic is illegally occupying a foreign territory and expelling its native population in violation of international law. So the US winning this particular exchange might not necessarily mean improving or preserving the freedom of US society, but making the world a worse place, with more injustice and future grievances. See what has produced the "existential" war against Saddam.

Re: How is it like to be a dev in Iran

#224

Post by daliusd »

trilila wrote: post #218
thedevilslawyer wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't the point of sanctions to cause frustration by restrictions?

It is. But you see, those hit hardest by sanctions are neither the cause of trouble nor anti western. Those are usually people like you and i, while the “elite” can smuggle in whatever they want and access whatever they want. Not only that but regular folk is weakened and cant stand a chance against the well fed government. No sanctions means greater exposure to our way of life and thus an easier path for grassroots…

It depends on sanctions and it is more nuanced usually. Usually people that are under sanctions are hit hardest by them. Other people usually are hit by their government and brainwashed by propaganda that sanctions are to blame.

Re: How is it like to be a dev in Iran

#225

Post by gdy »

throwaway-klsdj wrote: post #96
throwaway-ba9 wrote: post #74

Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I'm one of those operations people who have been required by a legal department to block access from sanctioned countries - I've literally written the HTTP rules to deny access to folks like the original author. I think about how the infrastructure I write and operate creates situations like these, and while I know I'm partly to blame, it's worth highlighting that this is a by-p…

This is a good point. To add a slightly different perspective, I work for a US company that routinely has to deal with cyber attacks by Iranian professionals, probably government sponsored. I think most people don't realize how incredibly serious this is, and how basically there is already a global war being fought. And the nations with the most freedom have the most to lose. Certainly most of the people in Iran are…

"And the nations with the most freedom have the most to lose."

What on Earth does this mean?

Re: How is it like to be a dev in Iran

#226

Post by gdy »

throwaway-klsdj wrote: post #96
throwaway-ba9 wrote: post #74

Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I'm one of those operations people who have been required by a legal department to block access from sanctioned countries - I've literally written the HTTP rules to deny access to folks like the original author. I think about how the infrastructure I write and operate creates situations like these, and while I know I'm partly to blame, it's worth highlighting that this is a by-p…

This is a good point. To add a slightly different perspective, I work for a US company that routinely has to deal with cyber attacks by Iranian professionals, probably government sponsored. I think most people don't realize how incredibly serious this is, and how basically there is already a global war being fought. And the nations with the most freedom have the most to lose. Certainly most of the people in Iran are…

"If the government in power over you is in conflict with others ... it's going to impact you. If you want your life to be better, look for ways to improve your government."

Or help your government because it is the other government who is imposing sanctions on your country and making your life worse.

Re: How is it like to be a dev in Iran

#228

Post by gdy »

stickfigure wrote: post #140
h0l0cube wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I work for a US company that routinely has to deal with cyber attacks by Iranian professionals, probably government sponsored. It's hard to posit a moral high-ground here, when basically every state is actively seeking to undermine the others' cyber security, including the US. Stuxnet is one of the most formidable state-sponsored cyber security exploits, and that was targeted at Iran, it seems easy justification to…

I don't think Stuxnet forfeits the moral high ground. It was narrowly focused on attacking a specific military project. It's exactly the kind of thing I want the CIA (or whatever) doing, especially if the alternative is sending bombs. State sponsored attempts to hack public network infrastructure fit into a totally different category. These are not the same.

And why is it ok to attack another country's military project in the peace time?

There are plenty of American military projects that deeply worry other countries.

Re: How is it like to be a dev in Iran

#229

Post by stale2002 »

molteanu wrote: post #194
stale2002 wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> just because they don't tow your line. Let's be specific what we are talking about here. We are talking about a country funding lots of militant groups that kill lots of people. So, let's rephrase your original statement to instead say "just because they continue to fund militant groups that kill lots of people". Rephrased that way, your original comment does not sounds so reasonable.

> funding lots of militant groups that kill lots of people You're talking about US, right?

This thread is about Iran.

You can criticize other nations if you feel like it.

That doesn't change the true fact that Iran does indeed funding militant groups that kill lots of people, and therefore the "Oh, boo hoo, Iran is being targeted because they refuse to tow the line" thing is silly.

That is my only point. That it is silly to play the sympathy card when we are discussing funding militant groups.

Re: How is it like to be a dev in Iran

#230

Post by gdy »

TACIXAT wrote: post #155
chewbaxxa wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m always baffled when people categorically claim that they know the source of their cyber attacks. It’s not exactly difficult for someone with the most basic knowledge of networking to disguise that information or masquerade as someone they’re not.

There is a lot more to tracking these groups than ip addresses. To impersonate any of the known groups you will need a lot of knowledge about the tools and infra that they use.

And how these 'known' groups got attributed to a particular country in the first place?
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