From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
1–10 of 84 posts
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#2It's a little sad specifically his own government didn't provide him much help. Numerous other issues with the US aside, I've always been reasonably confident that if I'm out of the country, the American embassy will help me.
And going after the IT staff is pretty awful. Generally speaking, we're just there to make it work. While I make a point to work jobs and clients I think do good work and are moral entities, the reality is, IT doesn't generally decide what a company does or what messes they get themselves involved with.
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#3It's a little sad specifically his own government didn't provide him much help. Numerous other issues with the US aside, I've always been reasonably confident that if I'm out of the country, the American embassy will help me. And going after the IT staff is pretty awful. Generally speaking, we're just there to make it work. While I make a point to work jobs and clients I think do good work and are moral entities, the…
> I've always been reasonably confident that if I'm out of the country, the American embassy will help me.
You and many Americans. Helpfully aided in that belief by TV programs like Beyond Borders where US authorities act as the World Police jumping into other countries and taking over investigations and rescuing US citizens from any and every scrape they get themselves into.
Outside your own country, your local authorities have very little ability to do much and certainly won't help you in any relatively minor scrapes (nor in most major ones either). Although the US exerts more external influence than it really should, that's limited to guarding US interests (like copyright protection or drug related things).
Unless you happen to be key to US national interest, you'll be on your own, apart from a visit in prison from the embassy staff to let you know that they know you're there - just like the citizens of every other country, as Andrew Nõmm found out.
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#4I was hoping this would have some more detail about the actual allegations against him and his testimony and verdict.
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#5It's a little sad specifically his own government didn't provide him much help. Numerous other issues with the US aside, I've always been reasonably confident that if I'm out of the country, the American embassy will help me. And going after the IT staff is pretty awful. Generally speaking, we're just there to make it work. While I make a point to work jobs and clients I think do good work and are moral entities, the…
>IT doesn't generally decide what a company does
But IT helps the company do what it decided to do (not that I think Megaupload did something bad).
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#6why not a interview with fbi or the DA? the "reporter" dont even mention if they were reached for comment.
yeah the little guy was screwed. we got that from the tittle.
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#7It's a little sad specifically his own government didn't provide him much help. Numerous other issues with the US aside, I've always been reasonably confident that if I'm out of the country, the American embassy will help me. And going after the IT staff is pretty awful. Generally speaking, we're just there to make it work. While I make a point to work jobs and clients I think do good work and are moral entities, the…
> I've always been reasonably confident that if I'm out of the country, the American embassy will help me. You and many Americans. Helpfully aided in that belief by TV programs like Beyond Borders where US authorities act as the World Police jumping into other countries and taking over investigations and rescuing US citizens from any and every scrape they get themselves into. Outside your own country, your local auth…
> Outside your own country, your local authorities have very little ability to do much
Oh, they have the ability, c.f. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Perdicaris#Perdicaris_inci... (threat of war if an American citizen were not released) or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Jenkins'_Ear (war over abuse of an English subject) or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Wars (wars to prevent enslavement of American sailors).
'Release our citizen or we start shelling' can be a very effective diplomatic tool. It's just that they normally don't bother.
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#8It's a little sad specifically his own government didn't provide him much help. Numerous other issues with the US aside, I've always been reasonably confident that if I'm out of the country, the American embassy will help me. And going after the IT staff is pretty awful. Generally speaking, we're just there to make it work. While I make a point to work jobs and clients I think do good work and are moral entities, the…
See case of John Demjanjuk[1] . USA citizen was extradited twice: to Israel and to Germany as "nazi". After his death, FBI confirmed that they know that he is innocent.
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#9Clearly our prison system in the US is terrible. Of course most other countries are even worse but you'd think we would be more civilized. It's also embarrassing that the only person they were able to put in jail was a simple programmer.
Re: From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story
#10Clearly our prison system in the US is terrible. Of course most other countries are even worse but you'd think we would be more civilized. It's also embarrassing that the only person they were able to put in jail was a simple programmer.
> Of course most other countries are even worse
I've never understood why people say things like this.
The USA is supposed to be a developed country, and supposed to be at or near the very best.
What do you have to gain by comparing it to undeveloped countries that are clearly not in the same league?
For example, you just said: Sure, my pro baseball team finishes bottom of the ladder every year, but it's clearly better than all the highschool teams out there. - I sure as hell hope so!
Compare the USA to all the developed countries, aspire for better, and work towards improvement.