Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors • Hacker News Board

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#81

Post by LoganDark » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:07 AM UTC

stirfish wrote: post #67

ryandrake wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

Sometimes when the politics deeply affects you, you just need a little break from it.

You can't take a break from that. I have transgender friends who fear for their life every day. They don't know what is going to happen to their rights or their healthcare. I have diabetic friends who can't work and also fear for their life because losing Medicaid would mean they will stop being able to afford insulin and will die. This is what people mean when they talk about politics being important. It's not just things that don't affect you, which is what most people mean when they say they don't care about politics. As soon as something affects you, you will understand.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#82

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:07 AM UTC

sb057 wrote: post #60

permo-w wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taiwan is already independent. Surely the normal way to refer to it would be as coming out against assimilation with mainland China?

>Taiwan is already independent. That is a very controversial statement, and one that both Taipei and Beijing disagree with.

[deleted]

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#83

Post by Supermancho » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:08 AM UTC

sb057 wrote: post #60

permo-w wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taiwan is already independent. Surely the normal way to refer to it would be as coming out against assimilation with mainland China?

>Taiwan is already independent. That is a very controversial statement, and one that both Taipei and Beijing disagree with.

Controversy doesn't change the reality. Stating that Taiwan is not independent is political posturing. Look to French Guiana, which is not independent.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#84

Post by NedF » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:08 AM UTC

ryandrake wrote: post #44

LoganDark wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't help but feel there must some better venue for such messaging. When I see politics in software updates or documentation, nothing happens because I'm not looking to use the software for political activism. Maybe I tell my adblocker to remove the messaging, and carry on with my task. I can engage with politics in a social context, when political messaging isn't interrupting something else I'm doing; that's a be…

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

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Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#85

Post by sieabahlpark » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:09 AM UTC

drum55 wrote: post #75

guessmyname wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, why would you allow automatic updates? It makes no sense. You should audit every update as if each payload could contain malware. It’s a paranoid way to live, but that’s what it takes. We also need better computer science education in high schools, teaching students how to inspect network packets, verify SSL certificates, and evaluate whether a binary blob might contain malicious code. People have gotten complace…

Do you go by the smell of the executable or just general vibes? Nobody has never reviewed even a tiny fraction of the software they run, closed source or open source.

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Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#86

Post by idiotsecant » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:09 AM UTC

Aeglaecia wrote: post #64

ryandrake wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

i dont see how saying "no politics" is similar to asking "why is there political messaging literally everywhere" , do you see how conflating the two is the exact behaviour that the original commenter was trying to discuss ?

Choosing not to engage politically is not a neutral action. Life is politics. The world is full of people that are trying to control your life in a thousand different ways. Choosing to not engage in support or opposition to that control doesn't mean you aren't participating, it means your default position is letting them do what they want.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#87

Post by orbisvicis » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:09 AM UTC

LoganDark wrote: post #33

icelancer wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, Notepad++ is known for political messaging in their updates. Taiwan, Ukraine, etc.

I can't help but feel there must some better venue for such messaging. When I see politics in software updates or documentation, nothing happens because I'm not looking to use the software for political activism. Maybe I tell my adblocker to remove the messaging, and carry on with my task. I can engage with politics in a social context, when political messaging isn't interrupting something else I'm doing; that's a be…

Vim is Charityware. You can use and copy it as much as you like, but you are encouraged to make a donation for needy children in Uganda. Please see |kcc| below or visit the ICCF web site, available at these URLs:

http://iccf-holland.org/ http://www.vim.org/iccf/ http://www.iccf.nl/

You can also sponsor the development of Vim. Vim sponsors can vote for features. See |sponsor|. The money goes to Uganda anyway.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#88

Post by esperent » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:09 AM UTC

ryandrake wrote: post #44

LoganDark wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't help but feel there must some better venue for such messaging. When I see politics in software updates or documentation, nothing happens because I'm not looking to use the software for political activism. Maybe I tell my adblocker to remove the messaging, and carry on with my task. I can engage with politics in a social context, when political messaging isn't interrupting something else I'm doing; that's a be…

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

I partially agree, but as a non-US user of the English speaking internet, the issue is with specifically US politics and social issues being everywhere. It drowns out all attempts at discourse for anything else, and Americans, including people here, seem uniquely incapable of nuance in their thinking when it comes to politics.

So, while I fully agree with your stance that banning political discourse is support for the status quo, I also think that it's reasonable to ask for it to be toned down a bit, especially when the politics and social issues of one country is basically drowning out everything else.

All that said, I'm talking mostly about HN or other community forums here. The owner of Notepad++ has the right to put whatever they want into their software, and if we're discussing that here on HN then it's an occasion where discussing politics is valid.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#89

Post by getnormality » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:10 AM UTC

ryandrake wrote: post #44

LoganDark wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't help but feel there must some better venue for such messaging. When I see politics in software updates or documentation, nothing happens because I'm not looking to use the software for political activism. Maybe I tell my adblocker to remove the messaging, and carry on with my task. I can engage with politics in a social context, when political messaging isn't interrupting something else I'm doing; that's a be…

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

Nah, it doesn't mean they support the status quo. It just means some political tactics are pointless, incompetent, and counterproductive.

Political opinions about how things should be don't automatically dictate the actions that should be taken in support of those opinions. I can be mad about a law or a court decision and still have the good sense to, for example, not throw red paint on a lawmaker or judge.

Some behaviors just aren't helpful, and neither being right nor being upset changes that.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#90

Post by Der_Einzige » Mon, Feb 02, 2026, 3:10 AM UTC

LoganDark wrote: post #52

ryandrake wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

I don't care for the current status quo at all. The current administration has wrecked this country and completely compromised its position in the global economy potentially forever. But there is a time and a place for those arguments and activism, as well as the same for other parts of the world suffering from similar or worse issues. Like, I wouldn't be receptive to hearing about Ukraine every time I go to the groc…

The whole reason why Notepad ++, vim, etc have to do this is because no one wants to take one for the team and protest/put their neck on the line.

I don't want to either, and indeed I really want others to do it for me. As such, I really want to see even MORE political stuff like this to hopefully create folks who will actually protest and put their neck on the line.

Similar reason why US military propaganda is good. I never EVER want to be drafted and indeed if you put a gun in my hand and military fatigues on me, I will die with a shot in the ass (because I am running away). Thankfully, we have a bunch of hardened 20-somethings "manipulated" into joining the military and protecting us so that I can be lazy.

So please ratchet up the politics and get others out so I don't have to. It's not that hard to ignore yet another plea for help. We do it every hour of every day.