16 ms·

A Message to 2600 Readers and Writers

146 points by erickhill 10y ago

fosco 10y ago
text only [0] version works for now... wish they were more active... [0] http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PL_BKoMHcgIJ:https://www.2600.com/content/message-2600-readers-and-writers&num=1&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1&vwsrc=0 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PL_BKoM...
scolson 10y ago
It is timing out for me already, so here is the google cache text-only version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PL_BKoMHcgIJ:https://www.2600.com/content/message-2600-readers-and-writers&num=1&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1&vwsrc=0 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PL_BKoM...
anw 10y ago
Web-site is down. This is what it said: "Since November, we have witnessed a variety of reactions to the surprising political developments in our country. We expect nothing less and welcome the thoughts, opinions, ideas, and schemes that our readers and writers put forth. There is one disturbing perspective, though, that we need to address. A number of people in our community feel that hackers in particular will be under increased scrutiny and will be facing significant threats under a Trump administration. We've received requests from both readers and writers to erase all evidence of their existence in our correspondence and to cancel their subscriptions and remove their names from our database. On more than one occasion, all hacker-related clothing was also thrown in the trash. It's this reaction that we find more disturbing than any of the many potential threats we're facing. Why? Because bad things happen when people let them. As long as we stand united and are willing to fight back against anything that would threaten us as individuals or as a community, we have what it takes to prevent such threats from taking hold. If we yield, it's handing out a blank check. Yes, there is much to be concerned about and even to fear. Hackers, as always, seem to be right in the middle of the controversial news stories bombarding us every day. But we need to embrace this, not push it away. We have always protected the confidentiality of both our subscribers and those sources who contribute material to our publication. We will never stop doing this. There is great strength in numbers and in intelligence. We need both in order to survive what may be hugely challenging times. We cannot let the specter of oppression slow us down because if such a scenario were to come true, that is when we would be needed the most. We should have more articles than ever, edgy and controversial material that we embrace, and a ton of people who aren't afraid to read and collect what we're putting out. After all, it's in the darkest hours when a bright light makes the most difference. We are changing the terms for writers of printed pieces, beginning with the Winter 2016-2017 issue due out in early January. Instead of a choice between a year of our magazine or one of our t-shirts, we are now offering both of these items for every article printed. And as for what articles we're looking for, as always we want pieces that embrace the hacker spirit, that examine and dissect technology in ways others haven't, and/or that reveal inconvenient truths about services and products that those in charge really don't want people to know about. Bombshells and leaks of all types are great and, as mentioned, we always protect our sources. And, being a printed magazine, it's a lot harder to block or filter us from any part of the globe. You can send your article contributions to articles@2600.com or by surface or air mail to 2600 Editorial Department, PO Box 99, Middle Island, NY 11953 USA. We are but one window into a world of amazing voices. Please support others as well as us. If our speech and communication are to be seen as a threat to any regime, it's far better that there be a huge number of us than a tiny number. There will be some tests ahead and probably some hard times. We can't think of a better group to face that with."
hn_user2 10y ago
The ominous title and the fact that I couldn't actually read the article scared me a bit. I kind of assumed some bad news about them shutting down. I have not subscribed in quite some many years. And I can't remember the last volume that I read. And yet. I was suddenly sad and ready support them financially. I think 2600 has been a good influence. I hope they always stick around. Note: the message has nothing to do with them going anywhere.
- Animats 10y ago
  I was expecting some big message, especially after three minutes of loading time. The only substantive change is that successful article submissions now yield both a year's subscription and the t-shirt. Before, you had to pick one or the other. 2600's hackers don't matter much any more. Hacking is now carried out by either intelligence agencies or ongoing criminal enterprises.
- cschmidt 10y ago
  I thought the same thing. I'm giving my 16 year old son (who's into hacking) a lifetime subscription for Christmas, so I would really have been bummed if they were closing down.
- jandrese 10y ago
  I was never a subscriber, but I picked up a fair number of issues from the bookstore. It was a little annoying how often they would post an article from someone who clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Sifting through the bullshit to find the nuggets is a tiring job. It's also one of the periodicals that I am absolutely amazed is still printed on dead trees. I would have expected them to be one of the first to go all digital.
  - ourmandave 10y ago
    Given the audience, there'd be a race to see who could upload a copy on the Pirate Bay first. Also I thought they'd shut down once Kevin Mitnick was free.
johnnycarcin 10y ago
It's very sad that people feel this way, no matter if it justified or not. I feel like this presidential election has had more groups than usual come out and talk about similar feelings and/or actions. Is this a byproduct of new (accurate or not) being much more available compared to previous elections? In other words, did stuff like this happen before and we just never heard about it or is it really happening more this time around?
- anigbrowl 10y ago
  I've lived on the internet since 92 and have always taken an intense interest in politics, so that's 6 presidential elections and 5 midterms (and multiple elections in various Euro countries I've lived in). I'd say there's a significant qualitative difference between this and any previous political turning I've experienced.
thraway2016 10y ago
Truly incredible. The infosec community baffles me, when it comes to politics. I'm no fan of Trump, but the unfounded and apoplectic reactions from the likes of Matt Blaze, Swift on Security, the grugq, Jon Zdziarski, halvarflake, netik, kragen, etc, are batshit crazy. There is absolutely no evidence that a Trump administration poses any threat at all to infosec, and by many measures represents a better option than the alternative. Trump's former opponent is on record clamoring for a "Manhattan Project style" effort to undermine crypto, and 2600's readership is concerned with the man whose worst security-related gaffe is a vague suggestion about "[calling] up Bill Gates". I really don't understand these nominally rational people, when it comes to politics.
- ajamesm 10y ago
  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/think-donald-trump-blasts-apple-133241253.html http://finance.yahoo.com/news/think-donald-trump-blasts-appl... > "To think that Apple won't allow us to get into her cellphone? Who do they think they are? No, we have to open it," Trump said during an interview on "Fox & Friends." > The Republican presidential front-runner called it a matter of common sense: > I agree 100% with the courts. In that case, we should open it up. I think security overall — we have to open it up. And we have to use our heads. We have to use common sense. Somebody the other day called me a common-sense conservative. We have to use common sense. Our country has so many problems.
  - ewzimm 10y ago
    Not trying to be mean, but are you saying that Trump represents a new and terrifying threat to infosec because he "agrees 100%" with the existing courts and administration?
    - burkaman 10y ago
      He doesn't "agree 100%" with the courts. Saying it doesn't make it true. He likely has no idea what the courts think about this issue, and doesn't really care.
at-fates-hands 10y ago
W O W I have a LOT of friends who went through all the government growing pains when they were trying to enact laws to try and curb hacking. The feds were putting people away for 20+ years and weren't screwing around when they went after hackers. And what happened? We all banded together, formed underground communities, shared ideas on how to evade the government, and created tools to do so, some of which are still in use to this very day. The fact that people seem overtly paranoid about a Trump presidency is so overblown. I mean, some of the toughest sentences that have been handed down to hackers were done under both a republican president and a democratic president (Clinton and Bush) and to a large degree the FBI is (or should be) a non political entity. I can't believe this people have also forgotten about the fight for proper encryption, how we are rallying to get the CFAA laws changed as well as the progress that Snowden has brought this country in terms of the governments overreach with regards to spying on its citizens. I see and hear a lot of this and just shake my head. Hackers have always been at war with the government in some shape or form. Just because we have a new president should not deter people from continuing the fight. Depressing to hear this. . . .
- angersock 10y ago
  Probably because the "hacker" population you are referring to has gotten diluted with posers and the sort of people who easily give in to mass hysteria.
strictnein 10y ago
> "We've received requests from both readers and writers to erase all evidence of their existence in our correspondence and to cancel their subscriptions and remove their names from our database" Weird. My level of concern: I buy every copy with a credit card at Barnes & Noble.
- freehunter 10y ago
  Right? I work for a major tech company and can get a subscription delivered to the office if I wanted to, paid for by my employer. I feel like a lot of independent hackers (as well as government officials) don't realize that hacking and info sec in general can be (and currently is) a completely acceptable enterprise occupation. If hackers were being rounded up and sent to jail, I can count at least 4,000 people at my company who would be missing Monday morning. And that's just the number of people connected to my Slack team, which is not mandatory to join.
- sp332 10y ago
  And if everyone were in your position, they probably wouldn't be afraid. That doesn't mean they don't have good reasons right now.
- douche 10y ago
  Even more nuts: > On more than one occasion, all hacker-related clothing was also thrown in the trash. Watch out! Don't wear that 1337 hackerz t-shirt! That sounds like a case of paranoia that someone ought to see a professional about.
josh_carterPDX 10y ago
There is so much anxiety around the incoming president. Even friends of mine in the GSA who handle anything around energy efficiency with different government agencies are changing their titles for fear of losing their jobs since the incoming administration is clearly in the position of denying climate change is even a thing. I know this post focused on infosec, but the overall tone strikes at the anxiousness being felt throughout the entire ecosystem. I'm a proud 2600 subscriber and very glad the staff is taking a stand publicly.
downandout 10y ago
It's not just the infosec community. This Clinton staffer [1] started screaming that he was going to "die of climate change" during the 4 years that Trump is slated to be in office. Michelle Obama, whose husband has (to his credit) tried to stop this kind of nonsensical rhetoric, recently said on national TV that "We are feeling what not having hope feels like" in the wake of Trump's election [2]. On the tech side, Chris Sacca recently went on an anti-Trump tirade [3]. Even Santa Clara County decided to get in on the action, with an anti-Trump county resolution [4]. Few on the left are being rational about Trump's election. These kinds of irrational reactions to a Clinton win would have been openly mocked and criticized by the same media that celebrates them on the left. [1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donna-brazile-democratic-national-committee_us_5824cb95e4b0ddd4fe7954e8 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donna-brazile-democratic... [2] http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/16/politics/michelle-obama-home-oprah-interview/ http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/16/politics/michelle-obama-home-o... [3] http://www.geektime.com/2016/11/30/chris-sacca-levels-into-trump-zuckerberg-in-front-of-thousands-at-slush-in-helsinki/ http://www.geektime.com/2016/11/30/chris-sacca-levels-into-t... [4] http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/12/13/santa-clara-county-resolution-opposing-trump-plans-draws-heat/ http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/12/13/santa-clara-county-res...
- B1FF_PSUVM 10y ago
  I've been looking at it with some puzzlement too. It's almost like one of those experiments where they work psych tricks on the subjects. Except it's on a whole rather sizable country. People who consume mainstream media have been worked into nervous wrecks with no plausible reason.
  - eric_h 10y ago
    Trumps tweet today about increasing the US's nuclear arsenal seems like a reasonable thing to be quite nervous about, assuming he has the political skill to make it happen (which maybe is a reason to be less concerned).
- snowwrestler 10y ago
  > These kinds of irrational responses in response to a Clinton win would have been openly mocked and criticized by the same media that celebrates them on the left. Yes because Clinton is a responsible, experienced politician. Your comment only makes sense if one believes that there is no difference between Trump and Clinton, which truly is irrational. That is, to hold that belief, one must ignore a gigantic mountain of objectively verifiable evidence to the contrary. If you think this is a partisan thing, you're wrong. I know a lot of life-long Republicans who are upset at Trump's victory, and fearful for what it means for the nation.
fapjacks 10y ago
Many years ago, I sustained my subscription to 2600 by writing articles. Lots of fun nostalgia in those pages.

146 points by erickhill 10y ago

fosco 10y ago

text only [0] version works for now... wish they were more active... [0] http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PL_BKoMHcgIJ:https://www.2600.com/content/message-2600-readers-and-writers&num=1&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1&vwsrc=0 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PL_BKoM...

scolson 10y ago

It is timing out for me already, so here is the google cache text-only version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PL_BKoMHcgIJ:https://www.2600.com/content/message-2600-readers-and-writers&num=1&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1&vwsrc=0 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PL_BKoM...

anw 10y ago

Web-site is down. This is what it said: "Since November, we have witnessed a variety of reactions to the surprising political developments in our country. We expect nothing less and welcome the thoughts, opinions, ideas, and schemes that our readers and writers put forth. There is one disturbing perspective, though, that we need to address. A number of people in our community feel that hackers in particular will be under increased scrutiny and will be facing significant threats under a Trump administration. We've received requests from both readers and writers to erase all evidence of their existence in our correspondence and to cancel their subscriptions and remove their names from our database. On more than one occasion, all hacker-related clothing was also thrown in the trash. It's this reaction that we find more disturbing than any of the many potential threats we're facing. Why? Because bad things happen when people let them. As long as we stand united and are willing to fight back against anything that would threaten us as individuals or as a community, we have what it takes to prevent such threats from taking hold. If we yield, it's handing out a blank check. Yes, there is much to be concerned about and even to fear. Hackers, as always, seem to be right in the middle of the controversial news stories bombarding us every day. But we need to embrace this, not push it away. We have always protected the confidentiality of both our subscribers and those sources who contribute material to our publication. We will never stop doing this. There is great strength in numbers and in intelligence. We need both in order to survive what may be hugely challenging times. We cannot let the specter of oppression slow us down because if such a scenario were to come true, that is when we would be needed the most. We should have more articles than ever, edgy and controversial material that we embrace, and a ton of people who aren't afraid to read and collect what we're putting out. After all, it's in the darkest hours when a bright light makes the most difference. We are changing the terms for writers of printed pieces, beginning with the Winter 2016-2017 issue due out in early January. Instead of a choice between a year of our magazine or one of our t-shirts, we are now offering both of these items for every article printed. And as for what articles we're looking for, as always we want pieces that embrace the hacker spirit, that examine and dissect technology in ways others haven't, and/or that reveal inconvenient truths about services and products that those in charge really don't want people to know about. Bombshells and leaks of all types are great and, as mentioned, we always protect our sources. And, being a printed magazine, it's a lot harder to block or filter us from any part of the globe. You can send your article contributions to articles@2600.com or by surface or air mail to 2600 Editorial Department, PO Box 99, Middle Island, NY 11953 USA. We are but one window into a world of amazing voices. Please support others as well as us. If our speech and communication are to be seen as a threat to any regime, it's far better that there be a huge number of us than a tiny number. There will be some tests ahead and probably some hard times. We can't think of a better group to face that with."

hn_user2 10y ago

The ominous title and the fact that I couldn't actually read the article scared me a bit. I kind of assumed some bad news about them shutting down. I have not subscribed in quite some many years. And I can't remember the last volume that I read. And yet. I was suddenly sad and ready support them financially. I think 2600 has been a good influence. I hope they always stick around. Note: the message has nothing to do with them going anywhere.

Animats 10y ago
I was expecting some big message, especially after three minutes of loading time. The only substantive change is that successful article submissions now yield both a year's subscription and the t-shirt. Before, you had to pick one or the other. 2600's hackers don't matter much any more. Hacking is now carried out by either intelligence agencies or ongoing criminal enterprises.
cschmidt 10y ago
I thought the same thing. I'm giving my 16 year old son (who's into hacking) a lifetime subscription for Christmas, so I would really have been bummed if they were closing down.
jandrese 10y ago
I was never a subscriber, but I picked up a fair number of issues from the bookstore. It was a little annoying how often they would post an article from someone who clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Sifting through the bullshit to find the nuggets is a tiring job. It's also one of the periodicals that I am absolutely amazed is still printed on dead trees. I would have expected them to be one of the first to go all digital.
- ourmandave 10y ago
  Given the audience, there'd be a race to see who could upload a copy on the Pirate Bay first. Also I thought they'd shut down once Kevin Mitnick was free.

johnnycarcin 10y ago

It's very sad that people feel this way, no matter if it justified or not. I feel like this presidential election has had more groups than usual come out and talk about similar feelings and/or actions. Is this a byproduct of new (accurate or not) being much more available compared to previous elections? In other words, did stuff like this happen before and we just never heard about it or is it really happening more this time around?

anigbrowl 10y ago
I've lived on the internet since 92 and have always taken an intense interest in politics, so that's 6 presidential elections and 5 midterms (and multiple elections in various Euro countries I've lived in). I'd say there's a significant qualitative difference between this and any previous political turning I've experienced.

thraway2016 10y ago

Truly incredible. The infosec community baffles me, when it comes to politics. I'm no fan of Trump, but the unfounded and apoplectic reactions from the likes of Matt Blaze, Swift on Security, the grugq, Jon Zdziarski, halvarflake, netik, kragen, etc, are batshit crazy. There is absolutely no evidence that a Trump administration poses any threat at all to infosec, and by many measures represents a better option than the alternative. Trump's former opponent is on record clamoring for a "Manhattan Project style" effort to undermine crypto, and 2600's readership is concerned with the man whose worst security-related gaffe is a vague suggestion about "[calling] up Bill Gates". I really don't understand these nominally rational people, when it comes to politics.

ajamesm 10y ago
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/think-donald-trump-blasts-apple-133241253.html http://finance.yahoo.com/news/think-donald-trump-blasts-appl... > "To think that Apple won't allow us to get into her cellphone? Who do they think they are? No, we have to open it," Trump said during an interview on "Fox & Friends." > The Republican presidential front-runner called it a matter of common sense: > I agree 100% with the courts. In that case, we should open it up. I think security overall — we have to open it up. And we have to use our heads. We have to use common sense. Somebody the other day called me a common-sense conservative. We have to use common sense. Our country has so many problems.
- ewzimm 10y ago
  Not trying to be mean, but are you saying that Trump represents a new and terrifying threat to infosec because he "agrees 100%" with the existing courts and administration?
  - burkaman 10y ago
    He doesn't "agree 100%" with the courts. Saying it doesn't make it true. He likely has no idea what the courts think about this issue, and doesn't really care.

at-fates-hands 10y ago

W O W I have a LOT of friends who went through all the government growing pains when they were trying to enact laws to try and curb hacking. The feds were putting people away for 20+ years and weren't screwing around when they went after hackers. And what happened? We all banded together, formed underground communities, shared ideas on how to evade the government, and created tools to do so, some of which are still in use to this very day. The fact that people seem overtly paranoid about a Trump presidency is so overblown. I mean, some of the toughest sentences that have been handed down to hackers were done under both a republican president and a democratic president (Clinton and Bush) and to a large degree the FBI is (or should be) a non political entity. I can't believe this people have also forgotten about the fight for proper encryption, how we are rallying to get the CFAA laws changed as well as the progress that Snowden has brought this country in terms of the governments overreach with regards to spying on its citizens. I see and hear a lot of this and just shake my head. Hackers have always been at war with the government in some shape or form. Just because we have a new president should not deter people from continuing the fight. Depressing to hear this. . . .

angersock 10y ago
Probably because the "hacker" population you are referring to has gotten diluted with posers and the sort of people who easily give in to mass hysteria.

strictnein 10y ago

> "We've received requests from both readers and writers to erase all evidence of their existence in our correspondence and to cancel their subscriptions and remove their names from our database" Weird. My level of concern: I buy every copy with a credit card at Barnes & Noble.

freehunter 10y ago
Right? I work for a major tech company and can get a subscription delivered to the office if I wanted to, paid for by my employer. I feel like a lot of independent hackers (as well as government officials) don't realize that hacking and info sec in general can be (and currently is) a completely acceptable enterprise occupation. If hackers were being rounded up and sent to jail, I can count at least 4,000 people at my company who would be missing Monday morning. And that's just the number of people connected to my Slack team, which is not mandatory to join.
sp332 10y ago
And if everyone were in your position, they probably wouldn't be afraid. That doesn't mean they don't have good reasons right now.
douche 10y ago
Even more nuts: > On more than one occasion, all hacker-related clothing was also thrown in the trash. Watch out! Don't wear that 1337 hackerz t-shirt! That sounds like a case of paranoia that someone ought to see a professional about.

josh_carterPDX 10y ago

There is so much anxiety around the incoming president. Even friends of mine in the GSA who handle anything around energy efficiency with different government agencies are changing their titles for fear of losing their jobs since the incoming administration is clearly in the position of denying climate change is even a thing. I know this post focused on infosec, but the overall tone strikes at the anxiousness being felt throughout the entire ecosystem. I'm a proud 2600 subscriber and very glad the staff is taking a stand publicly.

downandout 10y ago

It's not just the infosec community. This Clinton staffer [1] started screaming that he was going to "die of climate change" during the 4 years that Trump is slated to be in office. Michelle Obama, whose husband has (to his credit) tried to stop this kind of nonsensical rhetoric, recently said on national TV that "We are feeling what not having hope feels like" in the wake of Trump's election [2]. On the tech side, Chris Sacca recently went on an anti-Trump tirade [3]. Even Santa Clara County decided to get in on the action, with an anti-Trump county resolution [4]. Few on the left are being rational about Trump's election. These kinds of irrational reactions to a Clinton win would have been openly mocked and criticized by the same media that celebrates them on the left. [1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donna-brazile-democratic-national-committee_us_5824cb95e4b0ddd4fe7954e8 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donna-brazile-democratic... [2] http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/16/politics/michelle-obama-home-oprah-interview/ http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/16/politics/michelle-obama-home-o... [3] http://www.geektime.com/2016/11/30/chris-sacca-levels-into-trump-zuckerberg-in-front-of-thousands-at-slush-in-helsinki/ http://www.geektime.com/2016/11/30/chris-sacca-levels-into-t... [4] http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/12/13/santa-clara-county-resolution-opposing-trump-plans-draws-heat/ http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/12/13/santa-clara-county-res...

B1FF_PSUVM 10y ago
I've been looking at it with some puzzlement too. It's almost like one of those experiments where they work psych tricks on the subjects. Except it's on a whole rather sizable country. People who consume mainstream media have been worked into nervous wrecks with no plausible reason.
- eric_h 10y ago
  Trumps tweet today about increasing the US's nuclear arsenal seems like a reasonable thing to be quite nervous about, assuming he has the political skill to make it happen (which maybe is a reason to be less concerned).
snowwrestler 10y ago
> These kinds of irrational responses in response to a Clinton win would have been openly mocked and criticized by the same media that celebrates them on the left. Yes because Clinton is a responsible, experienced politician. Your comment only makes sense if one believes that there is no difference between Trump and Clinton, which truly is irrational. That is, to hold that belief, one must ignore a gigantic mountain of objectively verifiable evidence to the contrary. If you think this is a partisan thing, you're wrong. I know a lot of life-long Republicans who are upset at Trump's victory, and fearful for what it means for the nation.

fapjacks 10y ago

Many years ago, I sustained my subscription to 2600 by writing articles. Lots of fun nostalgia in those pages.