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I don't really get this attitude, what's wrong with reverse engineering? I would really like to get opportunity to work with reverse engineering microchips usi

I don't really get this attitude, what's wrong with reverse engineering? I would really like to get opportunity to work with reverse engineering microchips using some reasonably good tools, and I really have zero reason to do it except that I think it would be super-fun! You can also bet a pretty penny that the first thought that pops into my mind when I see 14nm and 3D X-ray in the same sentence is: That would be awesome to reverse engineer some chips with! Not that I have the skills, not the time. Figuring out how things work is just fascinating to bothe me, and a lot of other people. Doing it (nostly) without the plans is the only way it can be that real, and fun challenge for me. It's similar in character and as subversive as solving crosswords, or riddles at it's core. Since we don't go about complaining about people solving crosswords, why do reverse engineering always get so much flak? It's almost literally the engineer version of crosswords or sudokus.

munin 9y ago
It's the difference between learning what someone else did and learning new, previously undiscovered truths of the natural universe. Intel 14nm chips are not products of the natural universe. Understanding them does not lead to undiscovered truths. You could get this understanding by going to work at Intel. Or asking the Intel engineers nicely. Or whatever. It's like saying "I will be the first human to chart my neighborhoods roadways." These charts already exist. Why not chart something that doesn't exist, instead?
- fooker 9y ago
  If you do not learn what others have learnt, you are likely going to end up reinventing the wheel or worse continue making mistakes that lead nowhere. There is a reason academic papers have pages full of references.
  - Koshkin 9y ago
    We were talking about reverse-engineering someone else's design, which is in 99% cases amounts to stealing someone's secrets.

munin 9y ago

It's the difference between learning what someone else did and learning new, previously undiscovered truths of the natural universe. Intel 14nm chips are not products of the natural universe. Understanding them does not lead to undiscovered truths. You could get this understanding by going to work at Intel. Or asking the Intel engineers nicely. Or whatever. It's like saying "I will be the first human to chart my neighborhoods roadways." These charts already exist. Why not chart something that doesn't exist, instead?

fooker 9y ago
If you do not learn what others have learnt, you are likely going to end up reinventing the wheel or worse continue making mistakes that lead nowhere. There is a reason academic papers have pages full of references.
- Koshkin 9y ago
  We were talking about reverse-engineering someone else's design, which is in 99% cases amounts to stealing someone's secrets.