First, they came for the hackers. Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what

First, they came for the hackers. Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what they look like. My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for. - The Mentor, The Hacker Manifesto (1986) The internet and the hacker community, much like New Zealand, were built on sharing, which we know to be a net good. Despite character failings and profiteering - the political ramifications of Mega clearly gave Kim an enjoyment that many of us (especially those of us living in or exposed to the developing world, or who made our start in computing through piracy) can and should empathise with, which clearly demonstrates that his motivation exceeded that of profit. I would argue, therefore, that Kim is one of us, and that we owe him our heartfelt - if conditional - support. While Kim - like many of us - is certainly a fallible and occasionally (quaintly) antagonistic character, if humans are to stand any chance of solving the more pressing issues of the planet what we need is transparency and legitimate cross-border community, not "with-us-or-against-us" rhetoric out of the 1950s (via the cold war). Despite the international media saga of Kim vs. USA, Kim fundamentally wins hands down on the big picture (eg. not wielding an army of drone-assassins with a stated 'whole planet, intra-minutes death-dealing' goal, not producing and exporting torture equipment, etc...). The whole MPAA/US argument basically rests on the allegation of lost profits... as if commercial exploitation of the entire planet's population is some kind of global, monocultural, border-free given. Frankly I don't know what's more offensive: the assumption, or the methodology. I'm more willing to risk imprisonment (or any other negative outcome) personally than I am willing to risk the curtailment of my intellectual freedom and that of those around me who I care for equally as I do for myself. - Edward Snowden, NSA whistleblower