What the h@!! are you running? Are you a hacker?
Forum: water cooler
Topic: What the h@!! are you running? Are you a hacker?
started by: meltdown_override
Posted by meltdown_override on Mar. 08 2007,05:38
Has that ever happend to you? While setting in a coffee shop or at a library has anyone ever asked you what you are running when they looked at your screen? The United States has some pretty weird laws like you can't use an ipod or a cell phone while walking in New York City or that town in Maine thats makes it illegal to run an open Access Point(please correct me if I got the state wrong) Will there soon be laws against linux,because its just defferent? I actualy overheard someone in an office building saying that linux is a hacker OS. He must have read that story about the hacker son on www.adequacy.org
Posted by ron on Mar. 08 2007,23:02
Your laws and legal system are well and truly messed up, but your tax situation is much better than Britain's.
Posted by mikshaw on Mar. 08 2007,23:25
There was a bit of exaggeration in that post. It's definitely *not* illegal to walk around while using a cellphone or ipod...that would be just stupid, and would never become law. There is legislation (either on the table or on its way to the table...not sure which) that would make it a ticketable offense to cross occupied streets while using these appliances, or to use them while you are driving. I don't think that's a messed up regulation. Hopefully it will prevent some accidents.It's been illegal to cross in the middle of a block for years, and I don't recall anyone making a big stink about it (and most of the time people are not ticketed for jaywalking anyway)
I've never heard of anything in Maine that outlaws sharing your wireless, and i live in Maine.
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Mar. 09 2007,01:53
I think the fine is $100 currently in effect... so it can be like getting parking tickets.
Posted by meltdown_override on Mar. 09 2007,04:17
Mikshaw was right,my post was a little exaggerated. Yet, I do find it kinda of worrysome that there needs to be a no ipod/cellphone law for pedestrians. People are gonna get hit etherway. There is allways someone daydreaming and not paying attention(or is that just my problem while walking around lol)people need to always pay attention to there surroundings(this goes for the drivers to)Yes I have bee guilty a few times myself when crossing the street. If I get hit its my own fault. Well,the main reason for this account is because of something I overheard,and yes I admit it I read that adequacy.org article about the hacker son.Has anyone here read it?If not they probably died laughing! I almost did. While I myself do not have a "horror story"yet,does anyone else have one?
Posted by lucky13 on Mar. 09 2007,23:13
| Quote (meltdown_override @ Mar. 08 2007,23:17) |
| Mikshaw was right,my post was a little exaggerated. Yet, I do find it kinda of worrysome that there needs to be a no ipod/cellphone law for pedestrians. People are gonna get hit etherway. There is allways someone daydreaming and not paying attention(or is that just my problem while walking around lol)people need to always pay attention to there surroundings(this goes for the drivers to)Yes I have bee guilty a few times myself when crossing the street. If I get hit its my own fault. Well,the main reason for this account is because of something I overheard,and yes I admit it I read that adequacy.org article about the hacker son.Has anyone here read it?If not they probably died laughing! I almost did. While I myself do not have a "horror story"yet,does anyone else have one? |
First, about "worrisome" feeling about laws: I'm an avid cyclist and runner, and I get irritated when I see other cyclists riding or runners running on or near busy roadways with headphones -- especially when I come up from behind them (I'm pretty fast
) and they can't hear me. Cars and bikes/pedestrians don't collide very well; the cars always seem to win. When people don't have common sense, it's reasonable for those whose duty it is to make laws to make some that modify certain behaviors: helmet laws, anti-distraction while driving laws (cell phones, etc.), red light cameras to protect people who have the right of way from those who could maim or kill others due to impatience, and even laws that address what makes some pedestrians and cyclists oblivious to the dangers around them (various devices, including music players).Second, your question about inquiries from others: I've had people look at my computers and wonder wtf is going on. Library, coffee shops, airports, even at home. They're usually intrigued enough to ask about it, but I've only had one person become agitated when seeing some output from tethereal -- she thought I was snooping on everyone using wireless at her coffee shop. Nobody else has ever suggested Linux or BSD makes me a hacker or a threat. I've also never heard of anyone, except Steve (lengthy chain of expletives deleted) Ballmer, suggest that Linux is or should be illegal.
Posted by ron on Mar. 10 2007,18:13
LOL funny stuff.Is your son obsessed with "Lunix"?
Posted by the Missing M on Mar. 23 2007,13:53
| Quote (meltdown_override @ Mar. 08 2007,16:17) |
| [...] While I myself do not have a "horror story"yet,does anyone else have one? |
Well, although this wasn't a Linux episode, it did happen in a local library. Thanks for reminding me.
They'd just installed Oracle, or some sort of book cataloguing system with search functionality, which I and several other patrons found very useful. Out of curiosity I had a look at the desktop, wandered around a bit [without touching anything], said `Hmm,' then figured I should bring up the Oracle screen again, for the next user in line.
But as a Mac user, I didn't realize that in Windows, double-clicking on a desktop icon would start a new instance of the application, instead of bringing you back to the one that was already running. Probably using twice the RAM/CPU time now, and these machines weren't brand-new, so one of them probably should quit.
Okay, no problem except I wasn't authorized to quit this newly started instance, and of course, I didn't know the password it was prompting me for.
Okay, still no problem. I went and found sysadmin guy, who said `Okay, no problem' and proceeded to type in the password to exit the unnecessary second instance of said application. I respectfully looked the other way while he was typing.
Okay. Still no problem, until I went to check out some books.
At the counter, sysadmin guy walked by and happened to notice what I was checking out... `The Hacker Crackdown' co-written by Bruce Sterling, `The Cuckoo's Egg' by Clifford Stoll, something about the FBI chasing after Mitnik [yes, this was quite a while ago, can't remember the title now]... And something about the mammals of Australia, I think.
After one *very* nervous glance in my direction, he turned and kept walking.
The next day, there was no way to get from seach engine to desktop. It was running in kiosk mode.
So I guess I helped out, in a way... Kind of. :-\ Better me than someone who actually knew what they were doing.
Patrick.
Posted by janrocks on April 01 2007,23:25
I must admit to having a little giggle about the library situation having had the same thing in my local library.On this subject I get the occasional letter from my ISP about how I seem to not be using the IE6 they dish out with the install disk they provide to customers (it had a keylogger merged into it, and a google tracker toolbar).
They also appear regularly in the intrusion attempt log in my hardware firewall, perhaps they don't like the fact they can't spy on everything I do online??
I'm not particularly paranoid as I don't get up to any illegal activity, or keep any personal details on my PC.. but it isn't nice that they keep attempting to gain unlawful access to my home network, probably because it isn't transparant windows..
I say "let 'em sulk" because nowhere does it say they have the right to dictate an OS or browser, or that they have the right to see inside my home network.. Their influence stops at my cable modem.
On topic.. I always run DSL live in the shop I work in.. I hate windows, and find life much more pleasant with something familiar for looking up information. Some have commented and asked what it is, at which point I have given them one of the 4 or 5 disks I always carry for the purpose, with instructions how to boot... The disks have the dsl homesite url written on them.
Most are just amazed that there can be so much on a cd, with lots of room to save add-ons and files (I don't finalize the disks).
Anyway.. I'm supposed to be watching the cricket....
Posted by humpty on April 02 2007,08:35
| Quote (janrocks @ April 02 2007,03:25) |
| ..Some have commented and asked what it is, at which point I have given them one of the 4 or 5 disks I always carry for the purpose, with instructions how to boot... The disks have the dsl homesite url written on them. |
yeah, my wallpaper has the url on it too.
perhaps the next official theme should too ?
Posted by the Missing M on May 19 2007,12:46
[Yes it's an old thread, but I did want to answer this one...]| Quote (janrocks @ April 01 2007,12:25) |
| I must admit to having a little giggle about the library situation having had the same thing in my local library. |
[snip ISP spying, which at the very least is extremely rude, and might even be illegal.]
| Quote |
| On topic.. I always run DSL live in the shop I work in.. I hate windows, and find life much more pleasant with something familiar for looking up information. Some have commented and asked what it is, at which point I have given them one of the 4 or 5 disks I always carry for the purpose, with instructions how to boot... The disks have the dsl homesite url written on them. |
| Quote |
| Most are just amazed that there can be so much on a cd, with lots of room to save add-ons and files (I don't finalize the disks). |
| Quote |
| Anyway.. I'm supposed to be watching the cricket.... |
Enjoy,
Patrick.
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on May 20 2007,02:49
| Quote |
| [snip ISP spying, which at the very least is extremely rude, and might even be illegal.] |