How @csoghoian and the @ACLU made themselves supporters of illegal #NSA surveillance.

[weev]

I went to prison for free speech and the right to compute. I value these rights very highly. Lately there has been a huge debate over whether selling software exploits should be somehow regulated with criminal penalties. Software exploit ethics has been a political issue I have commented on for well over a decade. I published an op-ed in Wired

Comments

[maradydd]

The phrase "theory of mind" has always bugged me. I may have had to work consciously to develop predictive models of human behaviour, rather than picking them up as one does a first language, but I certainly have them.

[weev]

You're right. I should be more sensitive to neurodiversity and not compare autism spectrum disorders, many of which generate completely functional and desirable citizens, to the trainwreck that is Chris Soghoian.

[maradydd]

I do think a lot of people are really catastrophically awful at predicting how other people are going to respond to them, autistic or not. It's funny that social justice warriors are just as bad about this as Soghoian but nobody calls them spergs. I'd wonder what would happen if we started, except I don't want them anywhere near me.

[weev]

I think I have to start doing it. You know, for the lulz. I am sorry =[

[anonymous]

Dear Weev,

Your public endeavors have actually inspired me to only accept Bitcoin for my work. I'm posting here because I actually wanted to get your opinion on Counterparty (XCP), which is a decentralized financial market on top of the Bitcoin blockchain.

Have you heard of it before? Do you believe this can assist in fighting the good fight? Do you foresee any possible uses that the world may have missed?

Cheers

[weev]

I'll look more into Counterparty when I have more time. I wasn't familiar with it before this.

[anonymous]

Leaving aside the fact that you give the impression of being a disaster of a human being-which I'll chalk up to the arrogant, trolling persona so common to many in your line of work-the logic seems sound, and that's what matters here. Regulating will essentially create government monopolies.
As for the "theory of mind", insofar as that even exists beyond vague notions, although most people may have one, there is no guarantee that it is accurate. That is, people who *think* they have a coherent "theory" explaining others' behavior may be fooling themselves.

[anonymous]

1) Regulating an industry hampers innovation.
2) Regulating sale of something doesn't really stop people from selling it, but it sure will reduce the number of people paying taxes from their sales.

[ext_2623699]

This is an incredibly likeable post, because it not only presents a cogent argument regarding an important aspect of free software, but also because it hilariously puts down one of the most vitriolic and self-righteous voices in Internet freedom activism today. I am on the autistic spectrum myself and your humour still made me burst out laughing.

I wasn't aware of this post until today and am even more pleased to discover about your hedge fund to compete with malicious actors buying 0days. I'm starting to feel bad for not following your news more closely. :-)